Short Stories » Ben and Sue, and the See-Saw

Ben and Sue, and the See-Saw

CAN you go out to the see-saw today?" Sue did say to Ben.

"Yes, yes ! Let me see if mamma will let us. Yes, we can go: so you put on a hat, and let me get my cap, and we can run all the way."

Ben got his cap off of the peg, and Sue got her hat out of a box; and the two ran off. Tip, the big dog, ran too.

On the top of the see-saw sat an old cat; she sat on it, to try to spy out a rat, who had hid. The cat did not see Tip ; and, I am sad to say, he was now a bad dog ; for he ran at her, and bit her in the leg.

The cat put up her paw to hit Tip, and Tip bit her in her ear; and the cat had to run off with a m-e-w! my! was not Tip a bad dog ?

And now Sue and Ben got on the see-saw. Sue did go up, up, up, and Ben did go up, up, up. And it was fun ! Was it not?

Tip had his fun too, for he saw the rat. It had hid in a box by the see-saw, and the cat did not see it; but Tip did ; and oh 1 how he did fly at it! He got it in his paw and bit it, so it did die. The rat did not say it was fun to be out at the see-saw, as Ben and Sue did. No! It was no fun at all to be bit, and to die. Was it?

And now the sun was hot, and Ben and Sue got off the see-saw and ran up to the old red cow, to see her eat hay, and out to the pig sty to see the old fat pig, who ate all day.

“My!" Sue did say," see how fat the pig is! All she can do is to eat all day. I cannot eat all day ; can you Ben ?"

"Why, no,” Ben did say, "But I can eat one big pie in a day."

"Oh! so can I! Let us go in and ask mamma for a pie to eat now."

So the two ran, and Tip ran. And mamma had a pie; she cut it up for Sue and Ben to eat, and they did hop for joy and eat it all up.

"Did they? No I cannot say so, for Ben gave Tip, the dog, a big bit; and Sue did too. Ben was not a pig, and Sue was not a pig. So, you see, the two did not eat as the pig did; no! for Tip had his bit too.

Out on the log
The sly old cat
Did sit all day,
To get a rat.

But Tip, the dog,
Did run at her,
And in his paw
He got her fur.

She had to fly,
The sly old cat;
And now the dog
Has got the rat.