Stuyvesant: A Franconia Story

ish

hey invited Stuyvesant to go with them, but Stuyvesant said that Beechnut was going to plow that day, and had promised

e, and although he knew that Beechnut could easily obtain another from some of the neighbors, still he thought that this would make some trouble, and he was

themselves. They mounted their horses and

time. This is just what I like. I would rather have a good ride on horseb

ey?" aske

ry often,"

t the reason is?

k that I am not old enough,"

"Stuyvesant is not quite so old as you are, and yet I

reason then?"

t be more manly, without being any older, and then people would put

peak thus. He had thought that he was manly-very manly;

lace, "but that you are as man

yvesant," s

boyish,-but you are growing up quite fast and you are getting to be pretty large. It is time for you to begin

shness," continued Wallace.

is that?" a

boy, eighteen years old, playing marbles a great deal, we should say that he was boyish. So if you were to have a rattle or any other such little toy for a plaything, and should spend a great deal of time in play

o you mean then, that is n

see the pleasure and they grasp at it. They do not see the consequences, and so they neglect them. The result is, they get into difficulty and do mischief. Other people lose confidence in them, and

that I do so,

than other boys of your age. But to show you exactly what I mean, I will give you some cases

self a moment by the sitting-room fire, he went out in the kitchen. It happened to be ironing day, and th

to iron something, himself. So Dorothy gave

she gave him to

," said

aid Phonn

hat it had, and so he stopped to play with the drift a few minutes. At last he came back into the kitchen, and he found, when he came in, that Dorothy had finished ironing his towel and had

hat was me. But then I

urself or for Dorot

me," sai

trouble for Doro

honny, "I sup

or yourself at other people's expense; and so making them dislike you

folly of such a course of proc

llace. "Once I knew a boy, and h

other name?"

rn, and he wanted something to do, and so the boy who lived there

t boy's name?

ll him Hazelnut

hnut." Here Phonny threw back his head and laughed aloud. He repeated the words Johnny

, and went on

ere. One day Hazelnut came home and found that Johnny had taken out the long reins from the harness, and had fastened them to the br

s me too; but I did not thin

he boy does not think. Men, generally, before they do any new or unusual thing, stop to consider what the results an

st at this time they came to a place where a cart path branched off from the main road, toward the right. Phonny proposed to go

hough it was a very wild and stony road. It kept near the bank of the brook, continually ascending, until at last it turned suddenly away from the brook, and went up diagonally upon the side of a hill. There were openings in the woods on the lower side of the road,

ders came suddenly upon a pair of bars which a

e, "here we are, wh

bars," said Phonny. "I can

s well turn about here, and go back.

the trees of the forest, upon one s

the

it?" said

ap! and it is sprung! There's a squirrel in

e, "give me the bri

and gave it to Wallace. He then dismounted-slidin

wn, he threw his riding-stick upon th

It was in a very snug and sheltered place, almost out of view. In fa

usly. He shook it as well as he could, and then listened. He thought that h

high rock, and began opening u

TR

t runs up high, to a point. The lid of the box has a string fastened to it, which string is carried

in the outer part of the spindle, and another in the end of the box, a short distance above the spindle. There is a small bar of wood, with both ends sharpened, and made of such a

lid is raised a little the squirrel can creep directly in. The bait, which is generally a part of an ear of corn, is fastened to the end of the spindle, which is within the trap. The squirrel sees the bait, and creeps in to get it. He begins to nibble upon the corn. The ear is tied so firmly t

way and that, around the interior of the box, wondering what has happened, and why he can not get out as he cam

udes to gnaw out. He accordingly selects the part of the box where there is the widest crack, and where consequently the brightest light shines

t an hour after the trap sprung upon him, he had begun to gnaw out, and he had got about half through the boards in the corner when Phon

nd peep in. This is a very dangerous operation, for a squirrel will squeeze out through a very small apertu

ed the lid but very little, and looked under with the utmost caution

he. "Yes, yes, here h

bridle, while Phonny was uttering these exclamations, without

ace," said Phonny

aid Wallace, "but what

would you do?"

ing that we could do," said

rel?" said Phonny, i

"I don't see any thin

wed half through the board already. Espy ought to have tinned his trap." So saying,

spy?" ask

hat this road goes down to the mill, and that he came up here and set his trap. But it won't do to leave the

e do, then?"

ry him down to E

o carry him away. It is not our squirre

ause he added, "Couldn't we go down and tel

Wallace, "th

wn and peeped int

, he will go to gnawing again, I suppose, and so

for trying to gnaw out of

wish he wouldn't do it. We wil

ith the horses. Phonny immediately put the bars up again, took the bridle of his own horse from Wallace's hands, threw it up over the horse's hea

sh on. I don't think it's more