The Bad Boy

A BOY was out one day. It was Sam. He had his new hum top. He did say to his mam-ma : ” Oh! See my top ! Can I go out and try my new hum top?”

“Yes, my son, but do not go into the old hut.”

“Oh ! no, mam-ma,” Sam did say; and out he ran in the air.

By and by, a big boy did run up to him and say : “Sam, let me try the top ? oh ! do.”

Sam let the big boy try, and, my ! how the top did go! and did hum, hum, hum so, Sam did say it was a big bee.

But, oh! sad to say, the big boy did let the top fly off in-to the hut; and Sam did not do as he was bid, for he ran in to get it.

He saw an ax in the hut. “Oh! see the ax,” Sam did say, “I can try it on the old log, out in the lot; yes, I can see if it can cut.” Was he not a bad boy to say so? For his mam-ma did say to him one day: “You are but a bit of a boy; so you cannot do as a big man can do. Do not get the ax; if you do, you may cut off a leg or an arm, and you may die; so do not go to the hut at all, and to-day, too, she did say: ” Do not go to the hut.”But the bad boy got the ax, and ran out to the old log. And now, oh! oh! I am sad to say the ax did not cut the log. No! it cut off Sam’s big toe !

How he did cry and hop! His mam-ma ran out, and saw her boy out by the log; the ax was by him, and his big toe was off.

It is no fun at all to get a big toe cut off, for Sam had to lie in bed, and cry all day; and the pig ate up his big toe.

He cannot buy a new toe. He has but one big toe now. So you see how bad it is not to do as you are bid.