Mamma said, the other day, you got into more scrapes than any boy in the village; and you look nice, too.

Why do you do it ?" "I don't know why I do it, miss," Reuben said shamefacedly.

"I suppose it's because I don't go into the fields, like most of the other boys; and haven't got much to do.

But there's no great harm in them, miss.

They are just larks, nothing worse." "You don't do really bad things ?" the girl asked.
"No, miss, I hope not." "And you don't tell stories, do you ?" "No, miss, never.