ar?' 'No, no,'
replied the naughty boy. 'Well, what _will_ you have then?' said his
mother, who was almost tired of him. 'I will have oyster patties,' said
he. 'That is the only thing you cannot have, my love, you know, so do
not think of it any more, but taste a bit of this pie; I am sure you
will like it.'

'You _said_ I should have oyster patties by dinner time,' said Alfred,
'and so I will have nothing else.' 'I am sorry you are such a sad
naughty child,' said his mother; 'I thought you would have been so
pleased with all these nice things to eat.' 'They are _not_ nice,' said
the child, who was not at all grateful for all that his mother had done,
but was now in such a passion, that he took the piece of currant tart,
which his nurse again offered to him, and squeezing up as much as his
two little hands could hold, he threw it at his nurse, and stained her
nice white handkerchief and apron with the red juice. Just at this
moment his papa came into the garden, and walked up to the table. 'What
is all this?' said he. 'Alfred, you seem to be a very naughty boy,
indeed; and I must tell you, sir, I shall allow this no longer; get down
from your chair, sir, and beg your nurse's pardon.' Alfred had hardly
ever heard his father speak so before, and he felt so frightened, that
he left off crying, and did as he was bid. Then his father took him by
the hand, and led him away. His mother said she was sure he would now be
good, and eat the currant tart. But his papa said, 'No, no, it is now
too late, he must come with me'; so he led him away, without saying
another word. He took him into the village, and he stopped at the door
of a poor cottage.

'May we come in?' said his father. 'Oh yes, and welcome,' said a poor
woman, who was standing at a table with a saucepan in her hand. 'What
are you doing, my good woman?' 'Only putting out the children's supper,
your honour.' 'And what have you got for their supper?' 'Only some
potatoes, please you, sir, but they be nicely boiled, and here come the
hungry boys! They are coming in from their work, and they will soon make
an end of them, I warrant.'

As she said these words, in came John, and William, and Thomas, all with
rosy cheeks and smiling faces. They sat down, one on a wooden stool, one
on a broken chair, and one on the corner of the table, and they all
began to eat the potatoes very heartily. But Alfred's papa said, 'Stop,
my good boys, do not eat any more, but come with me.' Th