HERE are some children playing see-saw, over an old log. What a nice place they have for a play-ground. Their big brother is sitting on the log holding the baby, while mother is busily gathering twigs to build a fire.
There are three more boys watching them from a distance. They look as if they might soon come and join in the play. If we look at the picture closely we will see that one of the boys does not look as happy as the other one. What can be the trouble? Now we can see. The largest boy has taken the longest end of the board and is now resting on the ground and keeping the smaller boy high in the air. He seems to be laughing at his brother who looks a little bit frightened and holds to the board with both hands. The big brother seems to be laughing and enjoying the joke, but we cannot help wishing that he will tell his brother to let the smaller boy down from his high position and play see-saw in the right way. He would probably not enjoy being in his little brother’s place, and it would be far better if both boys were laughing instead of one.
Let us learn from this picture, never to tease any one even if we are good natured about it. We, ourselves, do not like to be teased and very often the teasing ends in tears and cross words. It is better to play kindly and happily with all of our playmates. The Bible tells us,
Let us try, as this verse would teach us, to put ourselves in the place of others when we are tempted to tease and may we learn to be always kind and considerate.
ML 04/13/1902