Little Prudy

to blame, and for a long time was

d; "and your middle name is Sister

"If I had taken any care of you at all,

to go to school, and her mother decided

k her; "she'll talk out loud, I just about kn

r-box, Susy Parlin; but you are! I shan't talk in

ht, Mrs. Parlin asked if Pr

ng-I guess. Did I, Susy? How much I

," said Susy; "but she cried on

She did, mamma. She said if I'd cry s

at her, and said, "I would like to

old her how wrong it was to deceive, and how she must take

would do as we

aid she had grandma's rheumatism in her back, and wanted me to look at her tongue and see if she hadn't. Why, mother, as true

Parlin, smiling. "I will speak to the teacher about her ca

great deal of pains to teach Prudy to knit;-bu

was going to be a stocking, the A B C scholars looked

I know how to do

she could be, she knit so fast that s

every thing," said Lottie Palmer, very muc

hing but the loo

t off, and got her work into such a fix that she h

l?" said her grandmother. "A

I s'pose," said Prudy. "I'

der the teacher's de

ed Prudy; "it's all wounded now,

?" asked gran

ed Prudy, trying to think; "

as going to mention something she did the last day she carried it. She got tired of knitt

ide her. "I can make up riddles just as easy! There's something in this room,

lin," said Nancy. "Here I am tr

, and went to studying as hard as she could, fo

e in their ears! I s'pose they go clear through. I guess I'll put my knitting-needle right through

d said not a word, but began to pu

hat Nannie was not so very badly hurt after all, she felt easier about her, and began

'," said she; "of course I was. I n

bring that knitting-work here any more. The nex

with her head down, feeling very cross. "I don't like you, Prudy,"

lder than Prudy, and ought to have known better than to be angry with such a little child. She should

hurt! Prudy ought to be ashamed!

id not worry her little

r hair next morning for sc

go to school, mother? I don't care ab

myself to have Prudy learn to read," replied she; "but she

claimed Mr. Parlin, "c

Prudy, her eyes looking very bright, "

"Let's hear you spell your ow

't nothin'. Pre-ed, Prood,

getting ahead, I declare! N

ied Prudy, her eyes shining very bright indeed. "

apa, laughing. "I can't begin to spell

forgot how to spell cat. But I can spell Kitty. You just hear! Ke

h is, Prudy knew eight letters when she began

Are you ready for school, little one

y own dear

no way

arms abou

me one sw

Then she and Susy trudged along to school, and they me

at you've got?"

d Nancy. "Who stuck that kn

didn't mean

," cried Nanc

hurt you, Nanny," said she, "'cause I wa

soon enough. I brought it t

How good you are, Nanny. I love

o she said nothing. They went into the school-house and took their s

ker was hearing the thir

wanted to know what I had in m

go

n," contin

mouth and sh

ou something to

de as it would go, and squeezed

p it in Prudy's mouth! I can't see how she dared do such a thing; but she did it.

began to hop. Prudy hopped too. She seized her tongue with one ha

hear such a scream, and to see Prudy

t ails you?" sa

ad got rid of the to

she, "I didn't know it was a

the house!" cr

sobbing. "It wasn't in the house,-it wa

ongue. Miss Parker laughed, th

folks having frogs in their throats

, O!-Nancy, she told me to shut up my eyes, you know, and I didn't see the

arker, sternly. "What have you

her fingers in her mo

ou drop a toad in

ly; "but she stuck a knitti

. "Take up that toad, Nancy, and carry it out o

"what do you think I ought to d

ll. "I don't s'pose my mother would be wil

ought to do to her?" sa

her?" asked Prudy, look

I must, m

urt her," said dear littl

e, and hurt her a good deal. It was the only way to m

r tender heart could bear. She ran up to Miss Parker, and c

't do so no more. The toad was just as alive as could b