WHAT ROB PAID FOR A JOKE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume V, Issue 49, 6 December 1890, Page 19

WHAT ROB PAID FOR A JOKE.

• A silver half-crown '. A real hard, heavy, shiny halfcrown ! Hurrah for Uncle George I Hope he’ll come again soon !’ ‘ For shame, Rob ! To want him to come again only because he gives us money !’ said little Bessie, shaking her head in dignified rebuke. ‘ Oh, you know I don’t mean that,’ said Rob, ‘but it’s so jolly to have a half-crown all to one’s self I What are you going to do with yours, Bess?’ ‘Oh, I don’t know. Keep it till I want something worse than anything else. What are you ?’ ‘ Dear me ! I want lots of things worse than anything else now. I want a printing-press and a magic lantern and a —oh !oh '.’ he looked up into the tree they were standing under—‘l wish half-crowns grew on trees like those cherries ‘ How do they grow ?’ asked Bessie. * Did you ever see any growing ?’ ‘ Why, no,’ said Rob, ‘ but you see, I never planted any.’ Rob was very fond of a joke, and thought this a good chance to make his little sister believe a ridiculous stoiy. ‘ How do you suppose they look, Rob ?’ she half-whispered. ‘ Why, I believe they would be on a bush, and after the blossoms were gone, we mightsee cunning little half-pennies all over it.’ Bessie laughed and clapped her hands. ‘ And then I suppose they’d grow into pennies.’ ‘ Yes ! yes !’ cried Bessie, in great glee. ‘And what next ?’ ‘ Then they’d grow into sixpences, ot course, and then into shillings.’ ‘And then?’ —Bessie’s eyes grew big'as she waited to hear more. ‘Half-crowns! Hundreds of them when they get ripe,’ said Rob, shaking his head solemnly. ‘ And, Bessie, I’ve been wondering—you know things turn yellow when the frost comes—what if the frost should turn the silver yellow ? Then it would begold, worth—my, I don't know how much ?’ Bessie was excited. ‘ Do brother,’ she said, ‘ let us plant our money right away '. Just think how much we’d have '.’ But Rob tossed his half-crown up and down, and said no ; he wanted to spend his, and couldn’t wait so long. Bessie did not exactly like the idea of hiding her pretty, bright money in the earth, either, so, after showing them to every one they met with, they were hidden carefully away in the corner of a drawer. But, durin" the long, light after-tea hours, when Rob was gone out to play ball, Bessie’s mind was full of the wonderful picture of the money bush. She could not cease thinking what a delight it would be to go out and pick a shilling whenever she wanted one ! The more she thought of it, the more she became resolved to plant her precious piece of money. As twilight gathered in she stole quietly to the drawer and got it. ‘ I'll plant Rob’s too,’ she said. ‘lf he wants it before it grows, he can dig it up. How glad he’ll lie when he sees the pennies and sixpences and things growing ! Perhaps we'll have a market basket full.’ She chose a place in a flower-border in the back yard. A little ragged boy who had been buying bottles in the kitchen, came by, and asked : • Wot ye doin’?’ Bessie did not tell him, ami covered up the money as fast as she conld, smoothing the place nicely over, and sticking in two little sticks exactly over her seeds

It rained hard all the next day. Rot got up late in the dark morning, and had to. hurry away to school, without taking time for a peep at his wealth. But, a- Boon as he got home at noon he went to the drawer, and Bessie soon heard him calling : ‘Where’s my half-crown? Who’s got my half-crown?’ She ran to him. ‘ Stop, Robbie : I planted yours when I planted mine — last night—and 1 shouldn't wonder if they had sprouted by this time.’ * You planted my half-crown ?’ said Rob, looking dismayed. *\\ hat did you do that for? Come and show me where it is.’ They got an umbrella and went ami poked and stirred the wet earth, though Bessie thought it a great pity to do so, when it might be just sprouting. But no money was to lie found ! Rob’s face grew blanker ami blanker. He spoke some very angry words to Bessie and then ran in to lay the case before his father. Poor little Bessie followed with tears on a very woebegone face. Papa heard her story and then asked : * W ho told you that money would grow in the ground, my little girl ?’ ‘ I did, papa,’ said Rob, rather shamefacedly. ‘ Is that true ?’ ‘ Why, no, sir. I only did it for fun.’ ‘ Did anyone see you plant the money, Bessie ?’ ‘ No—yes, sir—a rag and bone boy came along while I was doing it, but I didn’t tell him what I was doing.’ ‘ I fancy he gathered your crop, Bessie. Never mind, little daughter, here’—he took a half-crown from his pocket and gave her—‘you lost your money through no fault of your own. And as for you, Master Robert, if you have paid only a half-crown for the knowledge that it is neither wise nor witty to tell what is not true, you have got it cheap. lam sorry for your loss but it serves you right.’ * by, father !’ again exclaimed Rob, with tears of mortification running down his cheeks, • 1 told you I only meant it for a joke.’ ‘ Very well, sir, enjoy your joke. You have bought ami paid for it. ’ Sydney Dayre.