I s ` pose Paul Irving never tells whoppers and here I 've been trying awful hard to be as good as him , but now I s ` pose you 'll never love me again . But I think you might have told me it was wrong . I 'm awful sorry I 've made you cry , Anne , and I 'll never tell a whopper again . '' Davy buried his face in Anne 's shoulder and cried stormily . Anne , in a sudden glad flash of understanding , held him tight and looked over his curly thatch at Marilla . `` He did n't know it was wrong to tell falsehoods , Marilla . I think we must forgive him for that part of it this time if he will promise never to say what is n't true again . '' `` I never will , now that I know it 's bad , '' asseverated Davy between sobs . `` If you ever catch me telling a whopper again you can ... '' Davy groped mentally for a suitable penance ... `` you can skin me alive , Anne . '' `` Do n't say ` whopper , ' Davy ... say ` falsehood , ' '' said the schoolma'am . `` Why ? '' queried Davy , settling comfortably down and looking up with a tearstained , investigating face . `` Why ai n't whopper as good as falsehood ? I want to know . It 's just as big a word . '' `` It 's slang ; and it 's wrong for little boys to use slang . '' `` There 's an awful lot of things it 's wrong to do , '' said Davy with a sigh . `` I never s ` posed there was so many . I 'm sorry it 's wrong to tell whop ... falsehoods , 'cause it 's awful handy , but since it is I 'm never going to tell any more . What are you going to do to me for telling them this time ?
I want XXXXX know . ''
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