knife, and ran off
with it out into the yard.

Rollo instantly pursued him, calling out, "Nathan! bring back my knife;
Nathan! Nathan! give me my knife."

Nathan, however, ran on, though Rollo ran the fastest, and was rapidly
overtaking him; and just at the instant before he reached him, Nathan's
foot tripped; he fell, and as he threw forward his hands to try to save
himself, they came down upon the ground, and his forehead struck the
corner of the knife blade. He immediately screamed out with pain and
terror. Dorothy, alarmed by his cries, came out, took him up in her
arms, and carried him into the house.

She took him to the table, and began to bathe the wounded forehead in
cold water. This was what she always did when the children got cut or
scratched, or hurt in any such way. It prevents inflammation. She saw
that Nathan was not hurt much, though he continued to cry very loud. His
crying was, however, partly from pain, and partly from vexation.

In a few minutes, Rollo's mother came down stairs to see what was the
matter. Rollo thought that his mother might suppose that he had hurt
Nathan, and so he began to explain at once how it happened. But his
mother held up her hand to him, as a signal for him to be silent. She
knew that it was then no time to ascertain the facts.

She came up and looked at Nathan's forehead a moment, and she saw that
it was not much hurt. Besides, she knew, by the sound of Nathan's cries,
that they did not proceed from much pain. She therefore said to him,
gently,

"Stop crying, Nathan!"

Now Nathan knew that his mother did not tell him not to cry, except when
she was sure that he could control himself if he chose to do so; and he
also knew that she punished him if he did not obey. So he began
immediately to repress his sobs and cries, and very soon became still.
She then put a small plaster, of some sort, upon his forehead, and then
carried him up stairs and laid him on the bed.

"There," said she, "Thanny, lie still there a little while, till your
forehead has done aching, and you get pleasant again; then you may get
up, and come to me."

Then she went to her work again, and Rollo came and stood by her side,
and told her the whole story.

"Nathan did wrong," said she; "but it would have been better for you not
to have run after him."

"Why, mother," said Rollo, "he was running away with my knife; and I
can't split at all without my knife. One thing I know,--I shall not let
h