y it became more official than ever, and really more masculine than
life; and it alternated with his own tones of three years old. In these,
he asked with humility, "Will you let me go to heaven if I'm naughty?
Will you?" Then he gave the reply in the tone of affairs, the official
voice at its very best: "No, little boy, I won't!" It was evident that
the infant was not assuming the character of his father's tallest friend
this time, but had taken a role more exalted. His little sister of a
year older seemed thoroughly to enjoy the humour of the situation.
"Listen to him, mother. He's trying to talk like God. He often does."

Bulls are made by a less imaginative child who likes to find some reason
for things--a girl. Out at the work of picking blackberries, she
explains, "Those rather good ones were all bad, mother, so I ate them."
Being afraid of dogs, this little girl of four years old has all kinds of
dodges to disguise her fear, which she has evidently resolved to keep to
herself. She will set up a sudden song to distract attention from the
fact that she is placing herself out of the dog's way, and she will
pretend to turn to gather a flower, while she watches the creature out of
sight. On the other hand, prudence in regard to carts and bicycles is
openly displayed, and the infants are zealous to warn one another. A
rider and his horse are called briefly "a norseback."

Children, who see more things than they have names for, show a fine
courage in taking any words that seem likely to serve them, without
wasting time in asking for the word in use. This enterprise is most
active at three and four years, when children have more than they can
say. So a child of those years running to pick up horse-chestnuts, for
him a new species, calls after his mother a full description of what he
has found, naming the things indifferently "dough-nuts" and "cocoa-nuts."
And another, having an anecdote to tell concerning the Thames and a
little brook that joins it near the house, calls the first the "front-
sea" and the second the "back-sea." There is no intention of taking
liberties with the names of things--only a cheerful resolve to go on in
spite of obstacles. It is such a spirit of liberty as most of us have
felt when we have dreamt of improvising a song or improvising a dance.
The child improvises with such means as he has.

This is, of course, at the very early ages. A little later--at eight or
nine--there is a ve