THIS boy's name is Alexander. One day he was out walking with his father, and they stopped and looked at some books at a bookseller's shop. Alexander asked his father to buy him one but his father said,"No; when I am more satisfied than I have been lately with the way you learn your lessons, I shall be only too glad to reward you."
The boy was silent, and sorry to find that, through want of diligence at school, he had now lost an interesting book, but made up his mind that for the future he would work harder, and thus seek to please his father.
Six months passed away, and Alexander was again at home. He had not forgotten what he had said he would do, so instead of coming home empty-handed, as he had done before, this time he brought with him no less than four prizes which he had gained at school.
His father was surprised and delighted with his son's success, and did not omit to reward him in a suitable way, so that Alexander had every reason to be glad that he had been more diligent than before.