" said George.

So James got the bench, and put it close to the side of the table where
George was, and stood upon it.

You should have seen how their merry black eyes sparkled, at the fine
feast they were going to have. They did not think that they were doing
wrong, for their Mother had often given them a little sugar.

So George took the spoon that was in the sugar, and helped James to a
spoonful, and then took one himself. He was very particular to give
James exactly as many spoonfuls as he took himself.

They were having such a delightful time, that, for some moments, they
did not speak a single word. George began first--

"This is nice," said George.

"I like sugar," said James.

"It is so sweet," said George.

"And so good," said James.

"We will eat it all up," said George.

"We won't leave a bit," said James.

"It is most all gone," said George.

"There is hardly any left," said James.

All this time they were talking, George had been stuffing his brother
and himself with the sugar.

Just then their Mother opened the door. She had opened it softly, and
the little boys had not heard her. When she saw them so busy--with their
round faces stuck all over with crumbs of sugar, and George sitting on
the table, dealing it out so fairly--she could not keep from laughing.

The twins heard her laugh, so they laughed too; and George cried
out--"Mother, this sugar is nice--I like it."

"And so do I," said James.

Their Mother lifted George from the table, and told them they must not
do so again, for so much sugar would make them sick. She washed their
faces, and sent them to play in the garden. There was a fine large
garden at the back of the house, where they could play without danger.

Three years after this, the twins were sent to school, where they soon
became great favorites, because they were amiable, and good, and always
willing to do as they were told. They looked so exactly alike, and were
dressed so exactly alike, that often very funny mistakes were made. I
will tell you something that happened, that was not funny, but it will
show you how hard it was to tell which was George, and which was James.

One day, the teacher gave the twins a spelling lesson, and told them
that they must know it perfectly that morning.

Now George, for the first time, was naughty, and instead of learning the
lesson, he was making elephants and giraffes on his slate; but James
studied his lesson, and soon knew it.