et each one be head for one load, and then you will all
learn both to command and to obey."
So the boys agreed that George should command while they got the next
load, and James and Rollo agreed to obey. The farmer told them they must
obey exactly, and good-naturedly.
"You must not even _advise_ him what to do, or say any thing about it at
all, except in some extraordinary case; but, when you talk, talk about
other things altogether, and work on exactly as he shall say."
"What if we _know_ there is a better way? must not we tell him?" said
Rollo.
"No," said the farmer, "unless it is something very uncommon. It is better
to go wrong sometimes, under a head, than to be endlessly talking and
disputing how you shall go. Therefore you must do exactly what he says,
even if you know a better way, and see if you do not get along much
faster."
The New Plan Tried.
The boys determined to try the plan, and, after putting their first load
of apples into the barrel, they set off again under George's command. He
told Rollo and James to draw the wagon, while he ran along behind. When
they got to the tree, Rollo took up a pole, and began to beat down some
more apples; but George told him that they must first pick up what were
knocked down before; and he drew the wagon round to the place where he
thought it was best for it to stand. The other boys made no objection, but
worked industriously, picking up all the small and worm-eaten apples they
could find; and, in a very short time, they had the wagon loaded, and were
on their way to the house again.
Still, Rollo and James had to make so great an effort to avoid interfering
with George's directions, that they did not really enjoy this trip quite
so well as they did the first. It was pleasant to them to be more at
liberty, and they thought, on the whole, that they did not like having a
head quite so well as being without one.
Instead of going up to the garden-house, George ordered them to take this
load to the barn, to put it in a bin where all such apples were to go.
When they came back, the farmer came again to the door of the
garden-house.
"Well, boys," said he, "you have come rather quicker this time. How do you
like that way of working?"
"Why, not quite so well," said Rollo. "I do not think it is so pleasant as
the other way."
"It is not such good _play_, perhaps; but don't you think it makes better
_work_?" said he.
The boys admitted that they got t
|