Mickey was a merry and active little fellow, and was a great favorite
with his master's children. The older ones taught him to read, and the
little ones played with him. During the day, Mickey took care of the
cattle, and at night he slept in a shed close by his master's house. He
might have been a happy boy, but he soon fell into sin and sorrow.
One evening he was in the cooking-house, eating his supper with another
native boy, his fellow-servant. The oven was hot, and the bread was
baking. Mickey opened the door of the oven, and looked in. That was
wrong; it was the first step towards evil. Mickey had eaten a good
supper, and ought to have been satisfied; but, like his countrymen, he
had an enormous appetite, and was always ready to eat too much when he
could. He took some of the hot bread, and gave some to his
fellow-servant. How like was his conduct to that of Eve, when she took
the fruit, and gave some to Adam!
That night Mickey was nowhere to be found, nor his little fellow-servant
either. Where could they be? Their master sent people to search for them;
but no one had seen them. It seemed strange indeed, that a boy who had
been so kindly treated, and who had seemed as happy as Mickey, should run
away. The good missionary and his children were in great grief, fearing
that some accident had befallen the lads.
But when the time came to take the bread out of the oven, they began to
suspect why Mickey had gone away.
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