The Grateful Beasts

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Title:     The Grateful Beasts
Author: Patrick Kennedy [More Titles by Kennedy]

There was once a young man on his way to a fair with five shillings in his pocket. As he went he saw some little boys beating a poor mouse they had just caught.

"Come, boys," says he, "do not be so cruel. Sell me your mouse for sixpence, and go off and buy some sweets."

They gave him the mouse, and he let the poor little beast go. He had not gone far when he met a fresh set of boys teasing the life out of a poor weasel.

Well, he bought him off for a shilling and let him go. The third creature he saved, from a crowd of cruel young men, was an ass, but he had to give a whole half-crown to get him off. "Now," says poor Neddy, "you may as well take me with you. I'll be of some use, I think, for when you are tired you can get up on my back." "With all my heart," said Jack, for that was the young man's name.

The day was very hot, and the boy sat under a tree to enjoy the shade. As soon as he did he fell asleep, but he was soon awakened by a wicked-looking giant and his two servants. "How dare you let your ass trespass in my field," cried he, "and do such mischief." "I had no notion that he had done anything of the kind." "No notion? I'll notion you, then. Bring out that chest," said he to one of his servants, and before you could wink they had tied the poor boy, hand and foot, with a stout rope, thrown him into the chest, and tossed the chest into the river. Then they all went away but poor Neddy, till who should come up but the weasel and the mouse, and they asked him what was the matter. So the ass told them his story.

"Oh," said the weasel, "he must be the same boy that saved the mouse and myself. Had he a brown patch in the arm of his coat?" "The very same." "Come, then," said the weasel, "and let us try and get him out of the river." "By all means," said the others. So the weasel got on the ass's back and the mouse got into his ear, and away they went. They had not gone far when they saw the chest, which had been stopped among the rushes at the end of a little island.

In they went, and the weasel and the mouse gnawed the rope till they had set their master free.

Well, they were all very glad, and were having a great talk about the giant and his men, when what should the weasel spy but an egg, with the most lovely colours on the shell, lying down in the shallow water. It was not long before he had fished it out, and Jack kept turning it round and round and praising it.

"Oh, my dear friends," said he to the ass, the mouse, and the weasel, "how I wish it was in my power to thank you as I should like. How I wish I had a fine house and grounds to take you to where you could live in peace and plenty."

The words were hardly out of his mouth when he and the beasts found themselves standing on the steps of a grand castle, with the finest lawn before it that you ever saw. There was no one inside or outside it to keep it from them, so in they went, and there they lived as happy as kings.

Jack was standing at his gate one day as three merchants were passing by with their goods packed on the backs of horses and mules.

"Bless our eyes," cried they, "what does this mean? There was no castle or lawn here when we went by last time."

"That is true," cried Jack, "but you shall not be the worse for it. Take your beasts into the yard at the back of the house and give them a good feed, and if you can spare the time stay and take a bit of dinner with me."

They were only too glad to do so; but after dinner Jack was so foolish as to show them his painted egg, and to tell them that you had only to wish for a thing when you had it in your hand and your wish was granted. He proved it to be so. Then one of his guests put a powder into Jack's next glass of wine, and when he awoke he found himself in the island again, with his patched coat on him, and his three friends in front of him, all looking very downhearted. "Ah, Master," said the weasel, "you will never be wise enough for the tricky people that are in the world."

"Where did these thieves say they lived, and what names did they say they were called by?" Jack scratched his head, and after a while was able to tell them.

"Come, Neddy," says the weasel, "let us be jogging. It would not be safe for the master to go with us; but if we have luck we will bring him the egg back after all."

So the weasel got on the ass's back and the mouse got into his ear, and away they went till they reached the house of the head rogue. The mouse went in, and the ass and the weasel hid themselves in a copse outside.

The mouse soon came back to them.

"Well, what news?" said they.

"Dull news enough; he has the egg in a low chest in his bedroom, and the door is strongly locked and bolted, and a pair of cats with fiery eyes are chained to the chest watching it night and day."

"Let us go back," said the ass; "we can do nothing." "Wait!" said the weasel.

When bedtime came, said the weasel to the mouse: "Go in at the keyhole and get behind the rogue's head, and stay there two or three hours sucking his hair."

"What good would there be in that?" asked the ass. "Wait, and you'll know!" said the weasel.

Next morning the merchant was quite mad to find the state his hair was in.

"But I'll be a match for you to-night, my fine mouse," said he. So he unchained the cats next night and made them sit by his bedside and watch.

Just as he was dropping asleep the weasel and the mouse were outside the door, and gnawing away till they had scooped out a hole in the bottom of it. In went the mouse, and it was not long before he had the egg quite safe.

They were soon on the road again; the mouse in the ass's ear, the weasel on his back, and the egg in the weasel's mouth.

When they came to the river, and were swimming across, the ass began to bray. "Hee-haw, hee-haw," cried he. "Is there anyone like me in all the world? I am carrying the mouse and the weasel and the great enchanted egg that can do anything. Why do you not praise me?"

But the mouse was asleep, and the weasel dared not open his mouth for fear of dropping the egg. "I'll shake you all off, you thankless pack, if you won't praise me," cried the ass, and the poor weasel forgot the egg, and cried out: "Oh, don't, don't!" when down went the egg into the deepest pool in the river. "Now you have done it," said the weasel, and you may be sure the ass looked very foolish.

"Oh, what are we to do?" groaned he. "Keep a good heart," said the weasel. Then looking down into the deep water, he cried: "Hear! all you frogs and fish. There is a great army of storks and cranes coming to take you all out and eat you up red-raw. Make haste! Make haste!" "Oh, and what can we do?" cried they, coming up to the top. "Gather up the stones from below and hand them to us, and we'll build a big wall on the bank to defend you." So the fish and frogs fell to work like mad, and were at it hard and fast, reaching up all the stones and pebbles they found at the bottom of the pool.

At last a big frog came up with the egg in his mouth, and when the weasel had hold of it he climbed into a tree and cried out, "That will do; the army has got a great fright at our walls, and they are all running away." So the poor things were greatly relieved.

You may be sure that Jack jumped for joy to see his friends and the egg again. They were soon back in their castle, and when Jack began to feel lonely he did not find it hard to find a pretty lady to marry him, and then they two and the three grateful beasts were as happy as the days were long.

[The end]
Patrick Kennedy's short story: Grateful Beasts

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