"Why not?" said James.
"Because," said Nathan, "it would not be big enough."
"Why, Nathan," said James, "a balloon is bigger than this house."
"O James, it is not higher than my head."
"It is," said James, "I know it is. I have read about balloons bigger than a house."
"And my father," said Nathan, putting down his foot in a very positive air, "my father told me himself, that a balloon was about as high as my head."
The boys disputed some time longer upon the subject, and finally, when Rollo came out of the house, they both appealed to him very eagerly to settle the dispute.
"Isn't a balloon higher than Nathan's head?" said James.
"Is it as high as a house?" said Nathan.
"Why, I know," said Rollo, "that a man made a balloon once about as high as Nathan's head, because my father said so; but perhaps it was a little one."