'bout it," said Dick, showing the
whites of _his_ eyes.

"Did you, Sam?" said Mr. Washington, putting the same question to
another little woolly-head.

"No, mauster; don't know nothin' 'bout it," said Sam, likewise showing
the whites of his eyes.

The same question was put to Harry, who gave Dick and Sam's answer
word for word, and, to add force to his denial, showed the whites of
his eyes in like manner; and so on, till more than a dozen had been
questioned with the same result; when it came to Jerry's turn to make
denial, and show the whites of his eyes.

Now, you must know there was not a more audacious, mischief-making,
neck-or-nothing black brat than this same Jerry to be found on the
banks of the Rappahannock, which is a very long river indeed. As a
fish lives in water, or a salamander in fire, so did Jerry live and
breathe, and have his being, in mischief; or, in other words, mischief
was the element in which Jerry found his chief delight. If any mishap
befell anybody or any thing, at any hour of the day or night, on any
part of the plantation, on foot or on horseback, at rest or in motion,
it was sure to be brought and laid at Jerry's door. Being aware of all
this, Mr. Washington was now quite sure, that, as none of the rest had
cut the cherry-tree, Jerry himself must be the offender; and so he put
the question to him; to which Jerry, showing the whites of his eyes,
made answer, "No, mauster; I didn't cut the cherry-tree: indeed,
indeed, and double deed, I didn't cut the cherry-tree."

"Ah! Jerry," said his master, "if you always told the truth, I should
know when to believe you; but, as you do not, you must take the
consequences of your evil ways, and blame nobody but yourself."

Upon hearing this, Jerry began dancing and hopping around the room in
a very brisk and lively manner, even before his master was within ten
feet of him, as if he already felt the switch about his legs.

Just then, in the very nick of time, George came walking leisurely by,
hatchet in hand; who, upon seeing how matters stood, without a
moment's hesitation, ran up to his father, and, dropping his hatchet,
caught him round the leg, just as the first stroke of the switch was
about to descend on the calves of the unlucky Jerry.

"O papa, papa!" cried he, "don't whip poor Jerry: if somebody must be
whipped, let it be me; for it was I, and not Jerry, that cut the
cherry-tree. I didn't know how much harm I was doing; I didn't
indeed.