A selfish young boy named Johnnie May refuses to share his toys with his siblings, always pulling them away and claiming them as his own. His selfishness extends beyond possessions to his general behavior and willingness to help others. One morning, while warming himself by the nursery fire, Johnnie is asked by the nurse Mary to carry a parcel upstairs to his mother, as she cannot leave his little brother Charlie unattended until the other servant returns. Johnnie refuses, unwilling to leave his comfortable spot by the fire. Mary then asks him simply to watch over Charlie while she goes, but Johnnie ignores this responsibility as well, absorbed entirely in his own comfort and pleasure. While Johnnie sits idly staring into the fire, little Charlie climbs onto a high chair near the window, slips, and falls heavily against the corner of a table. The child's face is badly cut and bleeding, and he suffers a serious injury that leaves him ill for a considerable time afterward. The narrator makes clear that this accident could entirely have been prevented had Johnnie chosen to be kind and helpful rather than selfishly focused on his own comfort. The story uses this incident as a moral lesson, emphasizing that selfishness causes real harm not only to those around us but ultimately reflects a failure of Christian character. Readers are reminded that true goodness requires thinking of others before oneself, following the example of Jesus, who pleased not himself. The tale serves as a cautionary portrait of how a child's self-centeredness, even in small everyday moments, can lead to serious and painful consequences for the vulnerable people around him.
By Madeline Leslie · First published 1867 · Genre: Children's Literature, Moral Fiction, Coming-of-Age