“Why, you must understand,” said Miss Anne, “that Joseph had a little sister at home, named Mary; and when their father brought home the book to Joseph, he had nothing for Mary. But the next day, he was in a toy-shop, and he saw this little glass dog, and he thought that it would be a very pretty little present for Mary. So he bought it, and carried it home to her.”
“Well, Miss Anne, tell on,” said Lucy, when she found that Miss Anne paused, as if she was not going to say anything more.
“Why, that is about all,” said Miss Anne, “only that he gave the dog to Mary.”
“But you said that the dog spoiled Joseph’s book.”
“So it did. You see, when Joseph came to see the dog, he wanted it himself, so much that he threw his book down upon the floor, and came begging for the dog; and he could not take any pleasure at all in the book after that.”
“Is that all?” said Royal; “I supposed it was going to be something different from that.”
“Then you don’t think it is much of a story!”
“No,” said Royal.
“Nor I,” said Lucy.
“Well, now, I thought,” said Miss Anne, “that that was rather a singular way for a dog to spoil a picture-book.”