THE TANGLED SKEIN
"My dear child," said the Angel-who-attends-to-things, "why are you crying so very hard?"
"Oh dear! oh dear!" said the child. "No one ever had such a dreadful time before, I do believe, and it all comes of trying to be good. Oh dear! Oh dear! I wish I was bad; then I should not have all this trouble."
"Yes, you would," said the Angel; "a great deal worse. Now tell me what is the matter!"
"Look!" said the child. "Mother gave me this skein to wind, and I promised to do it. But then father sent me on an errand, and it was almost school-time, and I was studying my lesson and going on the errand and winding the skein, all at the same time, and now I have got all tangled up in the wool, and I cannot walk either forward or back, and oh! dear me, what ever shall I do?"
"Sit down!" said the Angel.