irsty, and would tease his father and mother for water, in
places where there was no water to be got, and then fret because he was
obliged to wait a little while. In consequence of this, his father and
mother did not take him very often. When they wanted a quiet, still,
pleasant ride, they had to leave Rollo behind. A great many children act
just as Rollo did, and thus deprive themselves of a great many very
pleasant rides.

Rollo observed, however, that his uncle almost always took Lucy with him
when he went to ride. And one day, when he was playing in the yard where
Jonas was at work setting out trees, he saw his uncle riding by, with
another person in the chaise, and Lucy sitting between them on a little
low seat. Lucy smiled and nodded as she went by; and when she had gone,
Rollo said,

"There goes Lucy, taking a ride. Uncle almost always takes her, when he
goes any where. I wonder why father does not take me as often."

"I know why," said Jonas.

"What is the reason?" said Rollo.

"Because you are troublesome, and Lucy is not. If I was a boy like you, I
should manage so as almost always to ride with my father."

"Why, what should you do?" said Rollo.

"Why, in the first place, I should never find fault with my seat. I should
sit exactly where they put me, without any complaint. Then I should not
talk much, and I should _never_ interrupt them when they were talking. If
I saw any thing on the road that I wanted to ask about, I should wait
until I had a good opportunity to do it without disturbing their
conversation; and then, if I wanted any thing to eat or drink, I should
not ask for it, unless I was in a place where they could easily get it for
me. Thus I should not be any trouble to them, and so they would let me go
almost always."

Rollo was silent. He began to recollect how much trouble he had given his
parents, when riding with them, without thinking of it at the time. He did
not say any thing to Jonas about it, but he secretly resolved to try
Jonas's experiment the very next time he went to ride.

He did so, and in a very short time his father and mother both perceived
that there was, some how or other, a great change in his manners. He had
ceased to be troublesome, and had become quite a pleasant travelling
companion. And the effect was exactly as Jonas had foretold. His father
and mother liked very much to have such a still, pleasant little boy
sitting between them; and at last they began almost to