He Became Better
There are all sorts of boys in this world, good ones and bad ones.
Once there were two boys, a good boy and a truant. A magician came to them—it was Uncle Better.
He asked them:
“Would you like to be better?”
“I’d like to be better, uncle dear,” replied the good boy. “A good man is well off everywhere.”
“There’s no need for me to be better,” said the truant. “I am good enough as I am. Too much goodness might tear my mouth apart with yawning.”
“Well, remain a truant,” Uncle Better said to him. “As for you, my good boy, you will become so sweet that everyone will marvel at you.”
Then he went away.
The good boy became so sweet that he began to ooze with treacle. Hardly anyone was glad to see him. Wherever he went he made the place sticky with treacle. His mother was angry with him.
“On account of your sweetness,” she said, “it’s impossible to keep you supplied with clothes. I’d much rather see you a hooligan.”
The good boy enjoyed gathering in the outpour of treacle. So he remained. He grew up, and gave pleasure to others: he rolled pound horns out of paper, and poured treacle into them, and gave them to the poor.