When I complained to nurse that Joseph "was so tiresome," she grumbled back again that "she never knew such children," and so forth.

It is always easy to meet grievance with grievance, but I found that it was not so easy to make up my mind and pluck up my courage to ask in so many words for what I wanted.
"Shall I ask Joseph to put away his cannon and come and play at your game for an hour now, my dear?
I will certainly forbid him to fire into your shop." This did not quite satisfy me.

As a matter of fact, Joseph had left his fortress to play with me; and I did not really think he would discharge his cannon at the poulterer's again.

But I thought myself hardly used, and I wanted my godmother to think so too, and to scold Joseph.

What else I wanted, I did not feel quite sure.
"I wish you would speak to Joseph," I said.