“I don’t care if they do,” said Charles, “it is not a pretty box, and I don’t like the cards.”
His mother rose, took away all his playthings, and left him sitting upon the floor, with nothing to do. As she took no notice of his cross looks, he presently went to the window, and stood on a little cricket, looking to see the horses and carriages passing, and soon he began to feel pleasantly again.
“Oh! mother,” said he, “there are two beautiful little dogs in the street, and a little boy running after them. Oh! how I should like a little dog. Mother, will you buy me one?” and he ran to his mother and looked up in her face.
His mother laid down her work, and took him in her lap. “What would you do with a dog,” said she, “if you had one?”
“Oh! I should play with him; I would put some things in my cart, and tie the dog to it, and let him draw it to market; just like the dog in William’s picture.”
“But I am afraid,” said his mother, “that if your father should buy you a dog you would sometimes get out of humor with him, and then you would say it was an ugly dog, and you did not want it any more.”
“No, I would not,” said Charles; “I should always love my little dog.”
“So you said, if I would buy you a new cap, you would be a good boy, and never give me any trouble about it; but yesterday you forgot your promise, and did not put it where it belongs; and to-day you have made me very unhappy by your bad temper. And you have displeased God too, for he was looking directly into your heart when you said you did not want to go with Susan, and saw that you were saying what was not true.”
“But I will remember next time, if you will only get me a little dog.”
Just then William came into the room with a large piece of cake in his hand, which a lady had given him. He went up to his brother, and breaking it in two pieces offered him one of them.