Nonny was a very smart little boy. He knew this, because everybody said so. Mamma especially said so, and Gramma would nod her head and smile so sweet! Gramma would hold his chin with her very soft hand and say with a voice that you had to be quiet to hear, "Nonny, he’s smart. Very wise, that Nonny." And so he was.

Nonny was so smart, he could count, and he could say almost all of his A-B-Cs. He could button his shirt, and tie his shoes (with help on the bow part), and something else. Something very special. Nonny knew how to not get into trouble.

It was very easy. Whenever something bad happened, like a bowl got broken, or all the cookies got eaten, or maybe somebody pulled his sister Lee-Lee’s hair, Nonny would h-i-d-e. Then, when it was, oh, a little while later, Nonny would show up, maybe here, maybe there. And then Mamma would say, "Nonny? Do you know something about this?" Nonny would answer, "Noooo, Mamma."

That was a lie, maybe. Yes, most often. Well…usually. It was very hard for Nonny to stay away from broken bowls, and gone cookies, and crying little sisters. It almost seemed like they followed him sometimes.

But Nonny knew how to look good, and wise, and nearly as sweet as Gramma. He did have very pretty eyes, that Nonny.

Well. Mamma and Gramma had a talk. Mamma said, "What to do? I do not want to tell Nonny he is a liar."

"Is he lying, or not?" Gramma asked.

"Yes, of course. I did not see him, but I know," Mamma answered.

Gramma nodded. "Mammas know. This is very true."

"Do I call him a liar?" Mamma wondered to herself, and she was very sad.

"Wait and see," said Gramma. "Nonny is smart in many ways, but in some ways not so smart. Every little boy has so much to learn. Even Nonny."

"Yes," sighed Mamma, "even Nonny."

So. One day, Nonny was tired. He did not sleep right the night before, and he was crabby, and cranky, and in such a bad mood that even Gramma turned her soft eyes away.

That was when Nonny got caught doing a bad thing.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" cried Lee-Lee. "Nonny pushed me with his elbow! It huuuuuuurts!"

Nonny tried to be gone, but when he turned around he saw that Mamma was at the door, where she wasn’t a minute ago.

"Nonny? Do you know something about this?"

"Nooo, Mamma," said Nonny. He tried to look up with his pretty eyes, but they did not look wise, and he knew this. He looked over at Gramma, and she looked at him very hard. Nonny did not feel smart at all.

"Don’t you know, Nonny," Mamma said, "that even when you keep from getting into trouble for doing bad things, that trouble will find you later? Now you must be punished twice. Once is for hurting somebody, and twice is for lying about it. The lying punishment will be very terrible, because lying is so bad."

But then Mamma came and Nonny had to go for his lying punishment. He had to sit in his room alone and think about things. He missed his favorite cartoon show, and cookies with milk, and going for a walk to the store with Gramma. Nonny was very sad, and he felt very sorry for himself.

But then something happened! Nonny thought about things. He didn’t feel wise, maybe, but he did feel smart. Because he remembered that Mamma did not lie. Gramma did not lie, either. And once, when Mamma stepped on his foot accidentally, she said sorry right then and held him close.

Mamma called Nonny after Gramma and Lee-Lee came home from the store. Nonny ran out of his room, down the hall, and JUMPED into Gramma’s lap. She held him close and Nonny hid his face from her. But he was smiling.

Mamma stood in the door of the kitchen and asked, "Nonny? Did you learn something?"

"Yes, Mamma. I learned something."

Gramma looked down at Nonny with the softest, happiest eyes ever! She asked him, "What did you learn, little Nonny?"

"I learned that we do not lie, and even if I run away from my punishment, it will come find me."

Mamma sighed. "Yes, that is a true thing. Even if nobody sees you being bad, somehow you will be sorry later."

So Nonny decided to be very good after that. Even when he couldn’t be very good, he always said sorry just like Mamma did…

…and that was very wise indeed!