The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-26
BEVIS OF
HAMPTON

folks stuffed with candy and sugar plums.
1t had been merry time, and now, when it
was all over. the children missed the ex-
element and the candies and the turkey.
So, the day after Christmas, while they
were all gathered in the best room, they
began to tease Uncle Frank for another
story. Now at that very time the young
man was standing at the big window, look
ing out upon the bare trees and the dull,
brown fields, which showed the tracks of
the old rascal, Jack Frost. Uncle Frank
could not help remembering the gay, beau
tiful life that had been all about Homecroft
when he went away to college in the early
autumn And as he saw how dead and
| bleak everything was now, old story
popped into his head which tried to explain
| how the change came about. So it hap
pened that when the little people asked
| him for a story he did not wait to be
coaxed Throwing himself in the great arm
| chair he said:
well, 1 shall tell you story about
something that happened long while ago
a story about the frost and the summer.
You must be very still and try to discover
| what the story means. But as very many
wise men are not certain just what the
shrewd little people indeed if you find out ="
BY this time all the children had seated
themselves comfortably. Little Mayblossom
crept very close to Uncle Frank and held
up her hand for all to be still. And then
the story-teler began:
I'm the good old days when the fairies
had not yet been driven from England
bright-eyed peasants used to look curl
ously at the bare rings which they had trod
in the green grass. He often wished that
he might discover the little people at their
| dances, and when he remembered that
where fairies lived those fierce, ugly beasts
called dragons and basilisks were also to
be found, his eyes glowed and his cheeks
flushed. For this boy was brave. and
longed to meet one of the monsters in a
| hand-to-hand fight. Once he told his father
of his wish; but the old man, patting the
boys curly head, spoke thus:
"'Ah, my son, the dragons are fearful
foes; with their long claws they could
easily tear the strongest man in pieces. In
the folds OF their cruel, Shiny tails you
would surely be crushed to death, even If
you were not burned to a cinder by the
flames from their mouths; and the basilisks
are verse yet No, Bevis, you had better
forget this foolish wish and be content to
work and live as 1, and my father, and my
fathers fathers have done
But at this Bevis only shook his curly
head and ran off to the woods, where he
looked at the fairy rings and the mistletoe,
and longed with all his heart to dance with
the little people to fight the cruel
dragons which lived somewhere in the dark
caves in the woods. But he was only lit
tie boy; and as he sat under an old oak
crying because he could not do these brave
things suddenly a voice seemed to come
from the inside of the tree-a tiny soft
voice, which said:
"'Not yet Bevis, not yet. The time will
come
when he heard these words the boy
sprang up, wonder and joy shining il his
eyes Carefully he looked at the tree, but ii
was lust like other oaks. There was not a
mark to show how any person could ever
have got inside. But Bevis was sure that
he had heard somebody from in there talk
ing to him, and so he went home greatly
encouraged and certain that some time he
should do great deeds. However, he thought
it best not to tell his father what he had
heard; for, to tell the truth. he was very
muCn AFRAID OF DelIS at.
After this. for many years Bevis helped
his father at the planting and harvesting.
AS the years went by he grew tall and
strong-so strong that he the best
wrestler in all the country. Once a wild
bear had attacked him as he went out into
the field to work; but the young man
seized it by the throat and choked it to
death as easily as you L might rabbit.
But however hard Bevis had to work, and
however tired he became. he never forgot
the voice in the oak. Sometimes, indeed,
as the years passed, he thought that he
must have been dreaming but when, at
those times, he went out into the woods
and sat in the old place under the tree, the
voice said again:
/" Not yet, Bevis, not yet. The time will
come
$50 you see, my little friends" contin-
ued Uncle Frank, "our hero has now be-
come a man, strong and able to do mighty
deeds; and he has always kept in mind the
wish of his boyhood. A happy thing it was
for Englandthat she held a man able and
willing and brave enough to risk his life for
her sake. For fearful things were happen
ing on the other side of the great woods
People who had away from there had
come through the fields where Bevis was
at work, and had told him of great mon
ster who came out of the dark caves al
nightfall and destroyed the grain fields OF
burned the houses and barns. Some even
said that the beast was killing the poor
people wherever he found them. You may
be sure that Bevis was not unhappy wheT
the poor runaways told him these terrible
news. For you remember he always wished
to fight a dragon, and this seemed to be q
very good chance for him to get his wish
So one evening, after the harvest was al
gathered, he went into the woods and sat
down under the old oak. AS before, he
heard a voice but this time it said:
" only a little while, friend Bevis. The
time has almost come"
Then Bevis went home anxiously wait
ing for the time when he should go out and
fight. While ne is waiting, my little friends
let US go into the country the other side
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