The Story Hour: A Book for the Home and the Kindergarten
Page 7
BENJY IN BEASTLAND.
ADAPTED FROM MRS. EWING.
"With the genuine story-teller the inner life of the genuine listeneris roused; he is carried out of himself, and he thereby measureshimself."--FROEBEL.
Benjy was a very naughty, disagreeable boy! It is sad to say it, but itis truth. He always had a cloudy, smudgy, slovenly look, like a slatehalf-washed, that made one feel how nice it would be if he could bescrubbed inside and out with hot water and soap.
Benjy was the only boy in the family, but he had two little sisters whowere younger than he. They were dear, merry little things, and many boyswould have found them pleasant little playmates; but Benjy had shown howmuch he disliked to play with them, and it made them feel very badly.One of them said one day, "Benjy does not care for us because we areonly girls, so we have taken Nox for our brother." Nox was a big curlydog, something like a Newfoundland.
Now Benjy was not at all handsome, and he hated tubs and brushes andsoap and water. He liked to lie abed late in the mornings, and when hegot up he had only time enough to half wash himself. But Nox rose early,liked cold water, had snow-white teeth and glossy hair, and when youspoke to him he looked straight up at you with his clear honest browneyes. Benjy's jacket and shirt-front were always spotted with dirt,while the covering of Nox's chest was glossy and well kept. Benjy cameinto the parlor with muddy boots and dirty hands; but Nox, if he hadbeen out in the mud, would lie down when he came home, and lick hisbrown paws till they were quite clean. Benjy liked to kill all kinds ofanimals, but Nox saved lives, though he often came near losing his own.
Near their home was a deep river, where many a dog and cat was drowned.There was one place on the bank of this river where there was an oldwillow-tree, which spread its branches wide and stretched its long armstill they touched the water. Here Nox used to bring everything that hefound in the river.
I must tell you that Benjy did not like Nox, and with very goodreason. Benjy had had something to do with the death of several animalsbelonging to the people in the neighborhood, and he had tied stones ortin cans around their necks and dropped them into the river. But Noxused to wander round quite early in the morning, and very often found inthe river and brought out what Benjy had thrown in, and this is why hedid not like the brave dog.
There was another dog in the family, named Mr. Rough. His eyes hadbeen almost scratched out by cats, his little body bore marks of manybeatings, and he had a hoarse bark which sounded as if he had a badcold.
If Benjy cared for any animal, it was for Mr. Rough, although he treatedhim worse than he did Nox, because he was small.
One day Benjy felt very mischievous; he even played a cruel trick on Noxwhile he was asleep. As he sat near to him he kept lightly pricking thedog's lips with a fine needle. The dog would half wake up, shake hishead, rub his lips with his paws, and then drop off to sleep again.
At last this cruel boy stuck the needle in too far and hurt poor Nox,who jumped up with a start, and as he did so the needle broke off, partof it staying in the flesh, where, after a great deal of work which hurtthe poor dog dreadfully, the little sisters found it. How they criedfor their pet! The braver one held Nox's lips and pulled out the needle,while the other wiped the tears from her sister's eyes, that she mightsee what she was doing. Nox sat still and moaned and wagged his tailvery feebly, but when it was over he fairly knocked the little sistersdown in his eagerness to show his gratitude. But Benjy went out andfound Mr. Rough, and as he did not feel like being kind to any one, hekicked him, and Mr. Rough for the first time ran away. Benjy could notfind him, but he found a boy as naughty as himself, who was chasinganother little dog and pelting it with stones. This would have been verygood fun, but one of the stones struck the dog and killed him. So theboys tied something around his neck and threw him into the river.
Benjy went to bed early that night, but he could not sleep, because hewas thinking of that little white dog, and wishing he had not thrownhim into the river; so at last he got up and went to the willow-tree. Helooked up through the branches and saw the moon shining down at him, andit seemed so large and so close that he thought if he were only on thehighest part of the tree he could touch it with his hand. While he waslooking he thought of a book his mother had, which told him that allanimals went up into the moon after they left the earth.
"I wonder," said Benjy, "if that dog we killed last night is really upthere."
The Man in the Moon looked down on him just then, and, to his surprise,said:&&
"This is Beastland. Won't you come up and see if the dog is here? Canyou climb?"
"I guess I can," said Benjy, and he climbed up first on one branch, thenup higher on to another, till he stood on the very top, and all he couldsee about him was a shining white light.
"Walk right in," said the Man in the Moon. "Put out your feet,--don't beafraid!" So Benjy stepped into the moon and found himself in Beastland.
Oh! it was such a funny place, and yet it was very beautiful. There weremany more beasts there than in a menagerie, and they were so polite toeach other, too, and so merry and kind to Benjy, that it made him feelquite at home.
A nice old spider was anxious to teach him how to make a web. So he saidto Benjy:&&
"When you are ready, look around and find a spot where you can tie yourfirst line; then you have a ball of thread inside of you, of course."
"I can't say that I have," said Benjy, "but I have a good deal of stringin my pocket."
"Oh, well!" said the spider, "that is all right; whether it's in yourpocket or your stomach it is all the same."
Just as the spider was giving Benjy his lesson, one animal whispered toanother, and that one to another, who and what Benjy was. Dear me! in aminute the beasts all changed their way of treating him. They called himBOY! and up there that meant something not at all nice. Then they tookhim to the Lion, the king of all the beasts, and asked him what shouldbe done with the Boy.
The Lion said: "If you want me to have anything to do with this trouble,you must mind me. First, however, we will hear what Benjy has to say forhimself."
They all placed themselves in a circle, the Lion on a high chair,(because, you know, he was going to be judge, and all judges sit in bigchairs,) and Benjy sat in the middle of the circle.
"Now, what has the Boy done?" asked the Lion.
"He stones and drowns dogs, and he hurts and kills cats," shouted thebeasts all together.
"Mr. Rough kills the cats," said Benjy, because he was frightened.
"Very well," said the Lion, "we will send some one down for Mr. Rough."
So they all waited, and in a little while they heard the jingling of Mr.Rough's collar, and he walked into the circle with his little short tailstanding right up.
"Mr. Rough," said the Lion, "Benjy says it is you, and not he, who teaseand kill the cats."
"Well," said Mr. Rough, jumping about in an angry way, "am I to blame?BOUF, BOUF, who taught me to do it? BOUF, BOUF, it was that Boy overthere. BOUF-BOUF!"
Then Mr. Rough told them that Benjy had made him tease and worry thecats and dogs so often that he had quite learned to like it. All thebeasts were very angry at this, and said that Benjy must be punished.
The Lion said that he did not know just then what was best to be donewith Benjy, so he asked the beasts if they would wait till he had walkedaround and thought about it. They said yes, so he walked around thecircle seven times, lashing his tail in the grandest way; then he tookhis seat again and said:&&
"Gentle beasts, birds and fishes, you have all heard what this Boy hasdone, and you would like him to be treated as he has treated you. Wewill not abuse Benjy, but I do not think he is good enough to stay withus. We will tie a tin-kettle to him and chase him from Beastland, andMr. Rough shall be our leader."
This was no sooner said than done. The Lion gave one dreadful roar as asignal for the animals to begin the chase.
With the tin-kettle fastened to him and hurting him at every step, andwith Mr. Rough at his very heels, Be
njy was run out of Beastland. Whenhe got to the edge of the moon he jumped off, Mr. Rough after him.
Down, down, they went, oh! so fast and so far! Benjy screaming all theway and Mr. Rough's collar jingling. They came to the river, and makingall the noise they could, in they fell. As Benjy sank he thought of allthe unkind things he had done. He came to the top, but sank again, andsinking, thought of his papa and mamma and his little sisters, and ofhis nice little bed, and of the prayers his dear mamma used to hear himsay. He rose for the last time, and saw Nox standing on the bank, andthought, "Now he has come to do something to me because I have so oftenhurt him." Down, down he went, as a lark flew up in the summer sky. Thebird was almost out of sight when a soft black nose and great brown eyescame close to his face, and a kind, gentle mouth took hold of him, andpaddling and swimming as hard as he could, Nox carried Benjy to theshore and laid him under the willow-tree. There Benjy's papa found him,and took him home, where he was sick for a long, long time. When he gota little better he used to tell people of his visit to Beastland, butthey always said it was only a dream he had during the fever.
In the long weeks of his sickness he grew much kinder and sweeter. Butsomething happened when he was getting well which softened his littleheart once and forever.
While he was sick, Mr. Rough was given to one of the servants to becared for and fed well, but he did not treat him kindly, and besides,the dog wanted his little master; he wanted to see him, but no one wouldlet him; so poor faithful Mr. Rough got thinner and weaker every day,till at last he would not eat anything nor even go out for a littlewalk.
One day the barn door was open and Mr. Rough thought of Benjy and creptinto the house. When he got into the front hall he smelled Benjy and raninto the parlor; and when he got into the parlor he saw Benjy, who hadheard the jingle of his collar and who stood up and held out his armsfor him. Mr. Rough jumped into them, and then fell dead at his master'sfeet.
Yes, dear children, Mr. Rough died of joy at seeing Benjy again. Benjyfelt very sorry for him, and it kept him from growing well for a longtime, but it did him good in other ways, for as the tears rolled downhis cheeks on to Mr. Bough's poor little scratched face, he felt as ifhe never could hurt or be unkind to any animal again.