The Story Hour: A Book for the Home and the KindergartenWiggin, Kate Douglas Smith
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The Story Hour: A Book for the Home and the Kindergarten
Wiggin, Kate Douglas Smith
Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Children's stories; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Short stories
“When you are ready, look around and find a spot where you can tie your
first 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 string
in my pocket.”
“Oh, well!” said the spider, “that is all right; whether it's in your
pocket or your stomach it is all the same.”
Just as the spider was giving Benjy his lesson, one animal whispered to
another, and that one to another, who and what Benjy was. Dear me! in a
minute the beasts all changed their way of treating him. They called him
BOY! and up there that meant something not at all nice. Then they took
him to the Lion, the king of all the beasts, and asked him what should
be 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 for
himself.”
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 big
chairs,) 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 the
beasts 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 tail
standing right up.
“Mr. Rough,” said the Lion, “Benjy says it is you, and not he, who tease
and 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 over
there. BOUF-BOUF!”
Then Mr. Rough told them that Benjy had made him tease and worry the
cats and dogs so often that he had quite learned to like it. All the
beasts 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 done
with Benjy, so he asked the beasts if they would wait till he had walked
around and thought about it. They said yes, so he walked around the
circle seven times, lashing his tail in the grandest way; then he took
his seat again and said:&&
“Gentle beasts, birds and fishes, you have all heard what this Boy has
done, and you would like him to be treated as he has treated you. We
will not abuse Benjy, but I do not think he is good enough to stay with
us. We will tie a tin-kettle to him and chase him from Beastland, and
Mr. Rough shall be our leader.”
This was no sooner said than done. The Lion gave one dreadful roar as a
signal for the animals to begin the chase.
With the tin-kettle fastened to him and hurting him at every step, and
with Mr. Rough at his very heels, Benjy was run out of Beastland. When
he got to the edge of the moon he jumped off, Mr. Rough after him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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