Jack did not love his book; he was i-dle, and was cross when he was sent to school, and one day when he ought to have gone, he play-ed a-bout the mea-dows in-stead; and he met Sam, who was go-ing to school, and he said, “Come and play with me, Sam, and we will have some fun.”

“No,” said Sam, “I must go and learn to read, or I shall be a dunce; so come with me, Jack, and then af-ter school is o-ver we will play.”

“But it is so hard to learn,” said Jack, “and I want to climb that tree to get a bird's nest.”

“No, do not get a bird's nest, for it is cru-el,” said Sam. “Come with me and try to earn the prize, come, Jack-y, to please me.”

Jack then went to school, and he found that when he tried to learn, it was not very hard, and he could soon read pret-ty sto-ries, and won a nice prize.