"But, then," said Daisy, "what would it be right for you to do
about his nuts?"
"I don't care," said Hephzibah. " 'Tain't no odds. I'm a going
to get 'em. I guess it's time for me to go home."
"But, Hephzibah, — you have not done your lesson yet. I want
you to learn all this row to-day. The next is, f, a, fa."
"That don't mean nothin'," said Hephzibah.
"But you want to learn it, before you can go on to what does
mean something."
"I don't guess I do," said Hephzibah.
"Don't you want to learn to read?"
"Yes, but that ain't reading'."
"But you cannot learn to read without it," said Daisy.
Under this urging, Hephzibah did consent to go down the column
of two-letter syllables.
"Ain't you going with me after them nuts?" she said, as soon
as the bottom of the page was reached. "I'll show you a
rabbit's nest. La! it's so pretty!"
"I hope you will not take the nuts, Hephzibah, without Mr.
Lamb's leave."
"I ain't going to ask his leave," said Hephzibah. "He
wouldn't give it to me, besides. It's fun, I tell you."
"It is wrong," said Daisy. "I don't think there's any fun in
doing what's wrong."
"It is fun, though, I tell you," said Hephzibah. "It's real
sport.
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