Bee Gentle

In the morning, another letter came from Mother. “Daddy and I are getting lonesome for you,” she wrote.

“We’re having a better time than Mother and Daddy are,” laughed Don. “If they had come with us to Grandpa’s, they would not have been so lonesome, would they, Joyce?”

“I should say not!” answered Joyce. “The days go by too fast for that; and besides, something is always happening. If it’s nothing else, the old turkey gobbler chases me around the tree.” Don and Grandma laughed heartily and Joyce joined in.

Grandma had promised to make some cookies this morning; so with Joyce on one side of her and Don on the other, she mixed up the dough and rolled it out on the large board. Then she got some cutters from the pantry, and cut out the cookies in all sorts of shapes. There were different kinds of animals: a bird for Joyce, and a queer little man for Don. His eyes, nose, and mouth were made out of raisins; also the buttons on his vest. Then she put the cookies in the oven to bake.

When they were done and Grandma took them out, Joyce’s bird stuck to the pan and its tail came off. And Don’s man had grown so fat that he had burst one of the buttons off his vest.

A long time ago, when the children’s mother had been Grandma’s little girl, she had lived on this very farm. In those far-off days she had planted a lilac bush and a cluster of prickly pear. Grandpa did not like the prickly pear, but he had let it grow all these years because his little girl had planted it.

“Isn’t the grass nice and soft here?” said Don. “It feels just like a velvet carpet. Watch me turn somersaults on it.”

With that, he began to turn somersaults, going in the direction of the prickly pear. Joyce called to him to be careful, but it was too late; he came down right in the middle of the cactus plant. The long thorns pierced him like sharp needles; and although he tried to be brave, he could not keep back the tears.

There was nothing to do but pull out the thorns one by one, and it took Grandma quite a while to do that. And although Don turned many somersaults afterward, he was always careful to keep away from the prickly pear.

When story time came, Grandma, gently rocking back and forth, began: “I shall tell you tonight about a bee that it is very necessary to have in the home; and it is also much needed by those who have anything to do with animals. Its name is Bee Gentle. Have you ever noticed how gentle Grandpa is with all his animals?”

“Yes, I have noticed it,” said Joyce. “And the horses love him for it, too. Whenever he goes to the pasture, they trot up to him and begin to nose about his pockets.”

“He usually carries something in his pockets to give them,” said Grandma. “He has raised all his horses from little colts; and he has always treated them kindly. Some men think they must treat animals roughly, to make them obey; but that is not so.

“Jake and Jenny were a brother and sister who loved each other dearly, but they were quite different in disposition. All the animals about the place were afraid of Jake, for he treated them roughly, and sometimes beat them. But they loved Jenny because she was gentle with them. The dog would follow her about, and the cat would curl up on her lap and purr itself to sleep. When she went to the pasture, the horses would trot up to her and rub their noses on her shoulder. She often gave them lumps of sugar, or other dainties that horses like. No matter how wild or shy they were with others, Jenny could always catch them easily.

“Of all the horses in her father’s pasture, Jenny loved best a beautiful swift-footed mare called Fanny. Sometimes she would ride about the country on Fanny’s back. But as gentle as the mare was with Jenny, she was afraid of Jake and would not let him catch her in the pasture.

“ ‘It would be much better,’ Jenny would often say to her brother, ‘if you would not treat the animals so roughly. See how easily I can handle Fanny—just because I am always gentle with her.’

“ ‘Oh,’ Jake would answer with a laugh, ‘that is all right for a woman, Jenny; but a man, you know, must show his authority.’

“Very early one morning, Jake’s father came into his room. ‘Jake,’ he said, shaking the boy, ‘wake up, son! Mother was taken very ill in the night. Catch Fanny and go for the doctor as quickly as you can.’

“The hired man was sleeping in the next room, and he heard what Jake’s father said. He also got up and dressed, and hurried out to the pasture to help Jake catch the mare.

“The two were gone quite a while. At last they came back to the house, and Jake said, ‘I can’t catch Fanny, Father. She has jumped the ditch a dozen times. What shall I do?’

“ ‘Try again,’ said his father. ‘I can’t leave Mother long enough to go to the pasture; and she must have help soon.’

“Just then Jenny came in. ‘I will catch Fanny for you, Father,’ she said, and hurried out to the pasture.

“ ‘Fanny, oh, Fanny!’ she called; and the beautiful creature turned her head and trotted toward her. But an instant later, to Jenny’s surprise, she galloped away across the field. Glancing behind her, Jenny saw Jake and the hired man coming up the lane.”

“ ‘She sees you coming,’ called Jenny; ‘that’s why she won’t let me catch her. Go back to the house and wait; I’ll bring her to you.’”

“Jake and the man went back; and Jenny went further into the pasture, calling, ‘Fanny, oh, Fanny!’ Instantly the mare turned and trotted toward her. She came close; and when Jenny gave her a lump of sugar, she rubbed her nose against the little girl’s shoulder.”

“Quickly she put the bridle on the mare, and led her through the lane to the barn. Then she harnessed her and hitched her to the buggy, and called to Jake. The boy hurried out, looking rather pale and worried; and as he stepped into the buggy Jenny stroked the mare’s neck, saying gently, ‘Now go along, dear Fanny, and do your best for Mother.’ ”

“Fanny rubbed her nose against Jenny’s shoulder again, as if to say, ‘I will, little mistress; you may depend on me.’ Then as Jake lifted the reins, she trotted down the road at a rapid gait.”

“Jake found the doctor just sitting down to breakfast. When he heard the boy’s story, he did not stop to eat. He rode right back with Jake, and in a short time he was at the mother’s bedside. She was indeed very ill. ‘If I had been a little later,’ said the doctor in a low tone, ‘I could have done nothing for her at all.’

“When Jake heard that, he went into the kitchen, sank down on a chair, and leaning his head on the table, he sobbed like a child. Jenny found him there a little later.

“She stood there beside him, gently stroking his hair. ‘Jake,’ she said at last, very softly, ‘don’t cry any more, because God was very kind to us and didn’t let it happen. But just think what might have been, if I hadn’t been able to catch Fanny this morning. Don’t you think it would pay to always be kind to the animals?’

“Jake nodded; he could not trust himself to speak.

“The sting of little Bee Gentle went very deep. Never again was Jake cruel to animals. He tried hard to make friends with Fanny; but she would have nothing to do with him. She remembered how roughly he had treated her in the past; and being only a horse, she did not understand that he never would do so again.”

“How glad Jenny must have been,” said Joyce, “that she had treated Fanny kindly! Because Fanny brought the doctor, the doctor saved her mother’s life.”

“And besides,” added Grandma softly, “people are always glad when they know they have done right.”