A nice old spider was anxious to teach him how to make a web.  So he said to Benjy:—­

“When you are ready, look around and find a spot where you can tie your first line; then you have a ball of thread inside of you, of course.”

“I can’t say that I have,” said Benjy, “but I have a good deal of string in my pocket.”

“Oh, well!” said the spider, “that is all right; whether it’s in your pocket or your stomach it is all the same.”

Just as the spider was giving Benjy his lesson, one animal whispered to another, and that one to another, who and what Benjy was.  Dear me! in a minute the beasts all changed their way of treating him.  They called him boy! and up there that meant something not at all nice.  Then they took him to the Lion, the king of all the beasts, and asked him what should be done with the Boy.

The Lion said:  “If you want me to have anything to do with this trouble, you must mind me.  First, however, we will hear what Benjy has to say for himself.”

They all placed themselves in a circle, the Lion on a high chair, (because, you know, he was going to be judge, and all judges sit in big chairs,) and Benjy sat in the middle of the circle.

“Now, what has the Boy done?” asked the Lion.

“He stones and drowns dogs, and he hurts and kills cats,” shouted the beasts all together.

“Mr. Rough kills the cats,” said Benjy, because he was frightened.

“Very well,” said the Lion, “we will send some one down for Mr. Rough.”

So they all waited, and in a little while they heard the jingling of Mr. Rough’s collar, and he walked into the circle with his little short tail standing right up.

“Mr. Rough,” said the Lion, “Benjy says it is you, and not he, who tease and kill the cats.”

“Well,” said Mr. Rough, jumping about in an angry way, “am I to blame?  BOUF, BOUF, who taught me to do it?  BOUF, BOUF, it was that Boy over there.  BOUF-BOUF!”

Then Mr. Rough told them that Benjy had made him tease and worry the cats and dogs so often that he had quite learned to like it.  All the beasts were very angry at this, and said that Benjy must be punished.

The Lion said that he did not know just then what was best to be done with Benjy, so he asked the beasts if they would wait till he had walked around and thought about it.  They said yes, so he walked around the circle seven times, lashing his tail in the grandest way; then he took his seat again and said:—­

“Gentle beasts, birds and fishes, you have all heard what this Boy has done, and you would like him to be treated as he has treated you.  We will not abuse Benjy, but I do not think he is good enough to stay with us.  We will tie a tin-kettle to him and chase him from Beastland, and Mr. Rough shall be our leader.”

This was no sooner said than done.  The Lion gave one dreadful roar as a signal for the animals to begin the chase.