"So we shall have no milk for supper tonight," said he, and he sighed.

"No milk for supper?-Why not?"-said Frank, "is there no more milk in the house ?"

"Yes, but we shall have none of it, for do you not remember last Monday, when we threw down the milk, my mother said we were very careless, and that the next time we did so we should have none, and this is the next time? so we shall have no milk for supper to-night."

"Well then," said Frank," we must do without it, that is all: we will take more care another time; there is no great harm done; come let us run and tell my mother, you know she bid us always tell her directly when we broke any thing; so come," said he, taking hold of his brother's hand.

66

"I will come soon," said Robert; "do not be in such a hurry, Frank-cannot you stay a minute?" So Frank staid; and then he said, come now, Robert." But Robert answered, "stay a little longer, for I dare not go yet—I am afraid."

66

The

Little boys, I advise you never be afraid to tell the truth; never say, "stay a minute," and stay a little longer;" but run directly and tell of what you have done that is wrong. longer you stay the more afraid you will grow, till at last, perhaps, you will not dare to tell the truth at all. Read what happened to Robert. The longer he staid, the more unwilling he was to go to tell his mother that he had thrown down the milk, and at last he pulled his hand away from his brother, and cried, "I will not go at all, Frank, cannot you go by yourself?"

"Yes," said Frank, "so I will; I am not

afraid to go by myself; I only waited for you out of good nature, because I thought you would like to tell the truth too."

66

Yes, so I will; I mean to tell the truth when I am asked; but I need not go now, when I do not choose it :-and why need you go either? Cannot you wait here ?-Surely my mother can see the milk when she comes in."

Frank said no more, but as his brother would not come he went without him. He opened the door of the next room where he thought his mother was ironing; but when he went in he saw that she had gone to fetch some more clothes to iron. The clothes, he knew, were hanging on the bushes in the garden, so he thought his mother was gone there, and he ran after her, to tell what had happened.

Now whilst Frank was gone Robert was left in the room by himself; and all the while he was alone he was thinking of some excuses to make to his mother; and he was sorry that Frank was gone to tell her the truth. He said to himself, "If Frank and I both were to say, that we did not throw down the basin, she would believe us, and we should have milk for supper. I am very sorry Frank would go to tell her about it."

Just as he had said this he heard his mother coming down stairs-"Oh ho!" said he to himself," then my mother has not been out in the garden, so Frank has not met her, and cannot have told her; now I may say what I please."

Then this naughty, cowardly boy determined to tell his mother a lie.

She came into the room; but when she saw the broken basin, and the milk spilled, she stopped short, and cried " So, so!

What a piece of work is here !-Who did this, Robert ?" "I do not know, ma'am," said Robert, in a very low voice.

"You do not know, Robert!-Tell me the truth, I shall not be angry with you, child-you will only lose the milk at supper; and as for the basin, I would rather have you break all the basins I have than tell me one lie.-So do not tell me a lie-I ask

the basin ?"

you, Robert, did you break

No ma'am, I did not," said Robert; and he colored as red as fire.

"Then, where is Frank ? did he do it ?" "No mother, he did not," said Robert; for he was in hopes that when Frank came in he should persuade him to say that he did not do it. "How do you know," said his mother, "that Frank did not do it ?"

"Because-because-because, ma'am," said Robert, hesitating, as liars do for an excuse"because I was in the room all the time, and I did not see him do it."

"Then how was the basin thrown down? If you have been in the room all the time you can

tell."

Then Robert going on from one lie to another, answered, "I suppose the dog must have done it."

"Did you see him do it?" said his mother. "Yes," said this wicked boy.

66

Trusty, Trusty," said his mother, turning round; and Trusty who was lying before the

fire, drying his legs, which were wet with the milk, jumped up and came to her. Then she

said, “fie! fie! Trusty!" and she pointed to the milk. "Get me a switch out of the garden Robert; Trusty must be beat for this." Robert ran for the switch, and in the garden he met his brother he stopped him, and told him in a great hurry all that he had said to his mother ; and he begged of him not to tell the truth but to say as he had done.

No, I will not tell a lie," said Frank.— "What! and is Trusty to be beat! He did not throw down the milk, and he shall not be beaten for it. Let me go to my mother."

They both ran towards the house, Robert got there first, and he locked the house door that Frank might not come in. He gave the switch to his mother.

Poor Trusty! he looked up as the switch was lifted over his head, but he could not speak to tell the truth! Just as the blow was falling upon him, Frank's voice was heard at the window.

66

Stop, stop! dear mother, stop!" cried he, as loud as ever he could call. 66 Trusty did not do it-let me in-I and Robert did it—but do not beat Robert."

"Let us in, let us in," cried another voice which Robert knew to be his father's; "I am just come from work, and here is the door locked."

Robert turned as pale as ashes when he heard his father's voice, for his father always whipped him when he told a lie.

His mother went to the door and unlocked it. "What is all this?" cried his father as he

came in. Then his mother told him all that had happened; how the milk had been thrown down; how she had asked Robert whether he had done it; and he said that he had not, and that Frank had not done it, but that Trusty the dog had done it; how she was going to beat Trusty, when Frank came to the window and told the truth.

"Where is the switch with which you were going to beat Trusty?" said the father.

Then Robert, who saw by his father's look, that he was going to beat him, fell upon his knees, and cried for mercy, saying, "Forgive me this time, and I will never tell a lie again."

But his father caught hold of him by the arm -"I will whip you now," said he, “and then I hope you will not." So Robert was whipped till he cried so loud with the pain that the whole neighbourhood could hear him.

66

"There," said his father, when he had done, now go to bed; you are to have no milk, and you have been whipped. See how liars are served!" Then turning to Frank, 66 come here and shake hands with me, Frank; you will have no milk for supper; but that does not signify; you have told the truth, and have not been whipped, and every body is pleased with you. And now I will tell you what I will do for youI will give you the little dog Trusty to be your own dog. You shall feed him and take care of him, and he shall be your dog; you have saved him a beating, and I will answer for it you will be a good master to him. Trusty, Trusty, come here!"

Trusty came then Frank's father took off