"

The boys disputed some time longer upon the subject, and finally, when
Rollo came out of the house, they both appealed to him very eagerly to
settle the dispute.

"Isn't a balloon higher than Nathan's head?" said James.

"Is it as high as a house?" said Nathan.

"Why, I know," said Rollo, "that a man made a balloon once about as high
as Nathan's head, because my father said so; but perhaps it was a little
one."

"Yes," said James, "I know it must be a little one; for balloons are big
enough for men to go up in them."

"O James," said Nathan, "I don't believe it. Besides, the fire would
burn 'em."

"What fire?" said James.

"The fire they burn under the balloons, to make the air hot," said
Nathan.

"I don't believe they have any fire," said James.

Just then Nathan, happening to look around, saw Jonas standing behind
them; he had just come out of the house, and was going out to his work.
Hearing the boys engaged in this dispute, he stopped to listen. The boys
both appealed to Jonas.

Jonas heard all that they had to say, and then replied,--

"I cannot tell you much about going up in a balloon, but I can tell you
something about getting along pleasantly down here upon the earth, which
I think may be of service to you."

"What is it?" said James.

"Why, that you will neither of you get along very pleasantly until you
can bear to have any body else mistaken, without contradicting them.
James, you think Nathan is mistaken about the size of a balloon, do
you?"

"Yes, I know he is," said James.

"Well," said Jonas, "now why not let him remain mistaken?"

"Why,--I don't know," said James.

"He isn't willing to be convinced, is he, that a balloon is as big as a
house?"

"No," said James, "he is not."

"Then why don't you let him remain unconvinced? Why should you insist on
setting him right, when he don't want to be set right?"

"And you, Nathan, suppose that James is mistaken, in thinking that the
balloon is so big."

"Yes," said Nathan, "and that men can get into it, and go up in the
air."

"Well, now, if he wants to believe that balloons are so big, why are you
not willing that he should? Why should you insist upon it that he
should know that they are smaller?"

"Because I _know_," said Nathan, very positively, "that they are small;
and, besides, the paper would not be strong enough to bear a man."

"I did not ask you," said Jonas, "why _you_ believed that men could not
go up in balloons