Then said the dear old grandmother , ' I shall help you to remember , and put a check on this unruly part , ' with that she drew out my tongue and snipped the end with her scissors till the blood ran . That was terrible , you may believe , but it did me much good , because it was sore for days , and every word I said came so slowly that I had time to think . After that I was more careful , and got on better , for I feared the big scissors . Yet the dear grandmother was most kind to me in all things , and when she lay dying far away in Nuremberg , she prayed that little Fritz might love God and tell the truth . '' `` I never had any grandmothers , but if you think it will cure me , I 'll let you snip my tongue , '' said Nat , heroically , for he dreaded pain , yet did wish to stop fibbing . Mr. Bhaer smiled , but shook his head . `` I have a better way than that , I tried it once before and it worked well . See now , when you tell a lie I will not punish you , but you shall punish me . '' `` How ? '' asked Nat , startled at the idea . `` You shall ferule me in the good old-fashioned way ; I seldom do it myself , but it may make you remember better to give me pain than to feel it yourself . '' `` Strike you ? Oh , I could n't ! '' cried Nat . `` Then mind that tripping tongue of thine . I have no wish to be hurt , but I would gladly bear much pain to cure this fault . '' This suggestion made such an impression on Nat , that for a long time he set a watch upon his lips , and was desperately accurate , for Mr. Bhaer judged rightly , that love of him would be more powerful with Nat that fear for himself . But alas ! one sad day Nat was off his guard , and when peppery Emil threatened to thrash him , if it was he who had run over his garden and broken down his best hills of corn , Nat declared he did n't , and then was ashamed to own up that he did do it , when Jack was chasing him the night before . He thought no one would find it out , but Tommy happened to see him , and when Emil spoke of it a day or two later , Tommy gave his evidence , and Mr. Bhaer heard it .
School was over , and they were all standing about in the hall , and Mr. XXXXX had just set down on the straw settee to enjoy his frolic with Teddy ; but when he heard Tommy and saw Nat turn scarlet , and look at him with a frightened face , he put the little boy down , saying , `` Go to thy mother , bubchen , I will come soon , '' and taking Nat by the hand led him into the school and shut the door .
Bhaer Emil Fritz Jack Nat Nuremberg Tommy before day days