Maria Edgeworth

“ Ned struggled in vain, to get his hands into the pannier again; he could not; and, finding that he could not win by strength, he had recourse to cunning. So he pretended to be out of breath and to desist; but he meant, as soon as Charles looked away, to creep softly round to the basket, on the other side.
Cunning people, though they think themselves very wise, are almost always very silly.
[42] Ned, intent upon one thing, the getting round to steal the oranges, forgot that if he went too close to the horse's heels, he should startle him. ”

“ After they had been employed all the remainder of this evening, and all the next day, Owen went to his companions, and compared his work with theirs.
"How is this?" said he; "how comes it, that you have all done so much, and I have not done nearly so much, though I work quicker than any one of you, and I have worked as hard as I possibly could?—What is the reason [88] that you have done so much more than I have?"
"Because we have all been helping one another, and you have had no one to help you: you have been obliged to do every thing for yourself." ”

“ Little boys, who wish to be honest, beware of temptation; do not depend too much upon yourselves; and remember, [38] that it is easier to resolve to do right at first, than at last. People are led on, by little and little, to do wrong.
The sight of the oranges tempted Ned to touch them; the touch tempted him to smell them; and the smell tempted him to taste them.
"What are you about, Ned?" cried Charles, taking hold of his arm. ”

“ Charles was the only [45] person who said nothing; he helped Ned away to a bank: for brave boys are always good-natured.
"Oh, come here," said the orange-man, calling him; "come here, my honest lad! what! you got that black eye in keeping my oranges, did you?—that's a stout little fellow," said he, taking him by the hand, and leading him into the midst of the people.
Men, women, and children, [46] had gathered around, and all the children fixed their eyes upon Charles, and wished to be in his place. ”

“ Just when they were setting [55] out, Owen called to Marianne, who was turning into the lane.
"Marianne," said he, "you must not go by the lane to-day; you must go by the road."
"Why must not I go by the lane to-day?" said Marianne; "you know, yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, we all went by the high-road, only to please you; and now let us go by the lane, because we want to gather [56] some honey-suckles and dog-roses, to fill our dame's flower-pots." ”

“ Very little children, when they are asked a question, say "yes," [2] and "no," without knowing the meaning of the words; but you, children, who can speak quite plain, and who can tell, by words, what you wish for, and what you want, and what you have seen, and what you have done; you who understand what is meant by the words "I have done it," or "I have not," you may read this story; for—you can understand it.
Frank and Robert were two little boys, about eight years old.
Whenever [3] Frank did any thing wrong, he always told his father and mother of it ”

“ This was a good resolution; but Owen did not keep it many minutes.—In the bunch of cherries which Marianne gave to him for his share, there was one which, though red [76] on one side, was entirely white and hard on the other.
"This cherry is not ripe; and here's another that has been half eaten away by the birds.—Oh, Marianne, you gave me this bad bunch on purpose—I will not have this bunch."
"Somebody must have it," said Cymon; "and I do not see that it is worse than the others; we shall all have some cherries that are not so good as the rest ”

“ He wished extremely for Marianne to do it for him. He was once a full quarter of an hour in threading his needle, of which the eye was too small—Then he spent another quarter of an hour in looking for one with a larger eye; and he could not find it at last, and nobody would lend him another—When he had done [93] sewing, he found that his hand was out for plaiting ”

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