by Jacob Abbott
"A ROUND RAINBOW."
About six miles from the house where Rollo lived, there was a mountaincalled Benalgon, which was famous for bears and blueberries. There wereno bears on it, but there were plenty of blueberries. The reason why itwas so famous for bears, when in fact there were none there, was becausethe boys and girls that went there for blueberries every year, used tosee black logs and stumps among the trees and bushes of the mountain,and they would run away very hastily, and insist upon it, when they gotdown the mountain, that they had seen a bear.
Now, Rollo's father and mother, together with his uncle George, formeda plan for going up this mountain after blueberries, and they were goingto take Rollo and his cousin Lucy with them. Uncle George and cousinLucy were to come in a chaise to Rollo's house immediately afterbreakfast, and Rollo was to ride with them, and his father and motherwere to go in another chaise.
Rollo got his little basket to pick his blueberries in, all ready thenight before, and he got a string to tie around his neck, intending tohang his basket upon it, so that he could have both his hands atliberty, and pick faster. He also thought he would take all the heavythings out of his pocket, so that he could run the faster, in case heshould see any bears. He put them all on a window in the shed. Thethings were a knife, a piece of chalk, two white pebble stones, and aplummet. When he got them all out, he asked Jonas, who was splittingwood in the shed, if he would not take care of them for him, till hecame back.
"Why, yes," said Jonas, "I will take care of them if you wish; but whatare you going to leave them for?"
"O, so that I can run faster," said Rollo.
"Run faster? I do not think you will run much, up old Benalgon, unlesshe holds his back down lower than when I went up."
Rollo did not mean that he was going to run up the mountain, but he didnot explain what he did mean, for he thought that Jonas would laugh athim, if he told him he was afraid of the bears. So he said, "Jonas,don't you wish you were going with us?"
"I should like it well enough, but I must stay at home and mind mywork."
"I wish you could go. I will go and ask my father if he will not letyou."
Rollo ran into the house with great haste and eagerness, leaving all thedoors open, and calling out, "Father, father," as soon as he had begunto open the parlor door.
"Father, father," said he, running up to him, "I wish you would letJonas go with us to-morrow."
Now, Rollo's father had come home but a short time before, and was justseated quietly in his arm-chair, reading a newspaper, and Rollo came upto him, pulling down the paper with his hands, and looking up into hisfather's face, so as to stop his reading at once. Heedless boys veryoften come to ask favors in this way.
His father gently moved him back and said,
"No, my son, it is not convenient for Jonas to go to-morrow. Besides, Iam busy now, and cannot talk with you;--you must go away."
Rollo turned away disappointed, and went slowly back through thekitchen. His mother, who was there, and who heard all that passed, asthe doors were open, said to him, as he walked by her, "What a foolishway that was to ask him, Rollo! You might have known it would have doneno good."
Rollo did not answer, but he went and sat down on the step of the door,and was just beginning to think what the foolishness was in his way ofasking his father, when a little bird came hopping along in the yard. Heran in to ask his mother to give him some milk to feed the bird with.She smiled, and told him milk was good for kittens, but not for birds;and she gave him some crumbs of bread. Rollo threw the crumbs out, butthey only frightened the little thing away.
That night, when Rollo went to bed, his father said, that when he wasall ready, he would come up and see him. When he came into his chamber,Rollo called out to him,
"O, father, look out the window, and see what a beautiful ring there isround the moon."
"So there is," said his father; "I am rather sorry to see that."
"Sorry, father! why? It is beautiful, I think."
"It does look pretty, but it is a sign of rain to-morrow."
"Of rain? O no, father; it is a kind of a rainbow. It is a roundrainbow. I am sure it will be pleasant to-morrow."
"Very well," said his father, "we shall see in the morning." Then he satdown on Rollo's bed-side some time, talking with him on varioussubjects, and then heard him say his prayers. At length he took thelight, and bade Rollo good night.
Rollo's eye caught another view of the moon as his father was going,and he said,
"O, father, just look at the moon once more; that _is_ a rainbow; I seethe colors. I expect it will grow into a large one, such as you told mewas a sign of fair weather. I will watch it."
"Yes," said his father, "you can watch it as you go to sleep."
So Rollo laid his face upon his pillow in such a way that he could seethe moon through the window; and he began to watch the bright circlearound it, but before it grew any bigger, he was fast asleep.
