"Do you know," he said, "that you have brought terrible misfortune upon us, Lira?"
Lira felt the hot tears begin to sting her eyes again. So he, too, was going to scold her for losing the castanets! But suddenly he took a step toward her and, thrusting his face close to hers, said, "The Visigoths are coming to drive us away from our homes!"
Lira began to tremble. Those terrifying savages! She knew that they had been sweeping her country, destroying everything in their path. Now they were about to descend upon her home. And it was all her fault—hers! She sobbed and clung to her brother.
"Oh, why did I do it?" she cried. "Why did I hide the castanets?"
Her brother put his hand under her chin and lifted her head so that their eyes met.
"Are you sorry, little sister?" he asked kindly.
Lira's answer was a pitiful wail.
"Will you ever tell another untruth?"
"No, no, never, as long as I live!"
"Will you remember the jingle about the castanets?"