Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-19
Benny in Beastland = b
Jessie Miller

| Once there was little boy named
Benny. He would stone cats and dogs
and throw them into the river. he
liked to see them in pain. He had
two little sisters who were dear, merry
| little things and many boys would nave
liked to had them to play with put
Benny did not. There was two dogs at
Benjy's house: one dogs name was Nox
and the other Rough.
One day one Of his sisters SAID
| Benny does not care for us so we nave
taken Nox for our playmate. One day
| Nox was lying on the porch asleep
Benny crept up so as to prick the big
| dog with needle. This hurt poor Nox
very badly and he jumped up In pain
| and started away. Benny went out ano
| began to stone a little dog till at last
| one of the stones killed 1t. Then ne
| threw it in the river.
That night Benny could not sleep.
| Nox would go to the river and bring
out everything he thought ought not to
! be there and put them under q big will
| low tree on the bank. Nox would De
sure to be UP early in the morning and
! bring it out Then he would be found
| out and punished, so he thought 1t
| would be best to go and bring 1T out
through the willows. He thought if he
| were up in the top Of the tree he could
touch it with his hand. Then he thought
! Of story book in which it said that
all animals went to the moon when they
died l wonder if the dog I killed is up
there, said Benny. Won't you come up
and see it? But maybe you can't climb
Yes can. said Benny. He climbed from
one branch to the other until he was
on the topmost branch. Walk in, said
the man in the moon, put your feet
down and don't be frightened. Benny
put his feet down, down, down he went
until he thought he must be falling into
the river
But all at once he found himself in
beastland- 1t was full of animals. 1t was
a queer place, the animals were all kind
to him. The great elephant took him for
ride, the ants showed him the earth
cities. the prairie dogs showed him
their houses they made for themselves,
the spider wanted to teach him how to
make a web AS this lesson was going
on a little bird flew in and told them
what Benny was Dear me, what a
change that made. The animals were no
more friendly. They took Benny to the
lion, the king of beasts and what should
be done with him. The lion said, first
let's near what Benny has to say for
himself. So the animals placed them
selves around Benny. What has this
bad boy done, asked the lion. He stones
cats and kills them and kills dogs.
cried all the animals. No. Mr.. Rough
kills the cats, answered Benny.
Soon Mr.. Rough trotted into the cir
Gle. Mr. Rough, Benny says 1t Is you
and not he who kills the CATS Bow
Bow, who taught me to do it, that bad
boy over there. Benny was not only
cruel but he had taught the little dog
too, to be cruel. Then the lion said, let
us chase Benny from beastland. This
was done at once. Mr.. Rough was the
leader. Down, down he went and Mr..
Rough right at his heels, until he fell
into the river Mr.. Rough swan ashore
but Benny could not swim. AS he rose
he saw the big dog standing on the
shore. He thought, now Nox has come
to hurt me because 1 hurt him. But as
he sank the black nose he had once
hurt took hold of him. He took him to
the bank of the river and laid him by
the side Of two dead dogs, a kitten. and
and old hat Benjy's father found him
there and took him home. He was sick
long time. While he was sick Mr..
Rough was kept out of the room.
When he grew stronger he asked to see
him. When he heard him coming he
sat up and held his arms out and he
plunged into them and fell dead at his
feet. Benny thought he could never be
cruel to another animal.
This is one of my school compost
tons.
Jessie Miller, age s,