Harry was a little boy who lived in a town, and went to school. He went with some boys who were older than he was, and they took care of him in the street. Little boys should not run about the street alone, or they may be hurt.
Harry was a good boy at school. He tried to learn; and one day he got to the top of his class. This was good news to carry home to his mamma, and it made Harry feel proud, which was very wrong. Pride is a sin; and when we give way to sin, it is sure to end in sorrow.
Harry said to his mamma, "I like you to praise me, mamma, and to call me a good boy. I mean to be always good. I will keep at the top of my class as long as I can, and I will never do any thing wrong."
His mamma said, "You must not say that you will never do wrong, but you must ask God to help you to be good, for the sake of Jesus Christ his Son; for that is the way to be kept from sin."
But Harry did not know that he had a sinful heart.
Now his mamma had told him that when he came from school, he must not stop to play by the way. The very day after he had this talk with her about being good, as he was coming home, with his book-bag on his arm, some of the boys began to play in the street. And Harry put down his book-bag, to play with them, and they played so long that at last it grew dusk, and then Harry set off home as fast as he could run. But he forgot that he had left his book-bag lying in the street.
When he got to the door, he rang the bell, and Susan, the maid, let him in. So Susan said, "Why, master Harry, where have you been till now?" But Harry looked down, and rubbed his shoes very hard upon the mat, as if he did not hear her.
His mamma had put away her work, and the tea-things were ready, and the urn was on the table, and toast, and bread and butter, and cake. It was very late indeed. His mamma said, "How is it you are so late, my dear? I hope you did not stop to play in the street."
Then Harry told a lie; for he said that he had not stopped to play.