day that something was the
matter, and feared that you had been doing something wrong. What is it?
Tell me."

"We, we--perhaps we have shot a child!"

"What do you mean?" cried his mother, now thoroughly alarmed, for she
instantly recalled having seen the doctor hurry by to the cottage when
they were at dinner.

"It cannot be! Do tell me all about it, clearly, so that I can
understand."

And Wili gave as good an account as he could, of what he and Lili had
been about that morning, and of their being so frightened at the cry of
pain which followed the shooting of the arrow, that they had run away as
fast as possible. And now they were so very miserable, that they did not
want to live any longer, and both wanted to die, and to be done with it
all.

"Now you see, my Wili, what disobedience leads to," were the mother's
serious words after she had listened to the boy's sad story. "You did not
mean to do anything but play a little while with the bow, but your father
knew very well when he forbade your touching it, how great the danger was.
We do not know what evil consequences may follow your disobedience, but we
will pray the dear Father in heaven to avert the evil, and turn it to good
if possible."

Then Wili repeated after his mother a short prayer, and never had he
prayed so earnestly as now, with his heart full of dread for the results
of his naughty conduct. Indeed he could scarcely stop praying; it seemed
to relieve his heart to lay all his sorrow before his Heavenly Father, and
beg his forgiveness and help.

And now he could look in his mother's eyes again as he bade her
good-night.

Lili was waiting in the next room, for her turn to talk to this same good
mother.

"Are you ready to say your prayers, Lili?" The little girl began, paused,
began again and stopped in the middle. Presently she stammered out,

"Mamma I cannot pray, for God is angry with me."

"What have you done, Lili, to make him angry?"

Lili was silent, and sat pulling at the sheet, for she was naturally
obstinate, and found it hard to own a fault.

"If the good God is not pleased with you, I certainly cannot be. Good
night, my child, sleep well--that is if you can."

"Mamma, do not go away, I will tell you everything; only stay with me."

Her mother gladly turned back.

"We were shooting with the bow, though papa told us not to touch it, and
we hit something and it cried out; and we were so frightened that we could
not be happy an