14 PUSSY WILLOWS AND PURE WORDS 



bring to you he said naughty words. I just 

 wish he hadn't touched one of them. The other 

 day he said he would tell me a secret if I 

 wouldn't let anybody know it, and I said 'only 

 just my father and mother. If I can't tell 

 them I don't want to know it.' Then he would- 

 n't tell me what it was, and, of course, it must 

 have been something bad, and I am glad I did- 

 n't hear about it." 



That evening Aunt Hannah wore a spray of 

 Carl's pussy willows, and she gave him a cluster 

 of white flowers, because they were "white and 

 pure, like good words, good thoughts, and good 

 deeds." 



