Маленькие мужчины / Little men. Уровень 4

A Trouble-Maker

“Please, ma’am, could I speak to you? It is something very important,” said Nat one day, popping his head in at the door of Mrs. Bhaer’s room.

Mrs. Jo looked up and said, briskly,

“What is it, my lad?”

Nat came in, shut the door carefully behind him, and said in an eager, anxious tone,

“Dan has come.”

“Who is Dan?”

“He’s a boy I used to know when I fiddled round the streets. He sold papers, and he was kind to me, and I saw him the other day in town, and told him how nice it was here, and he’s come.”

“But, my dear boy, that is rather a sudden visit.”

“Oh, it isn’t a visit; he wants to stay if you let him!” said Nat innocently.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” began Mrs. Bhaer, rather startled by the coolness of the proposition.

“Why, I thought you liked to have poor boys come and live with you, and be kind to them as you were to me,” said Nat, looking surprised and alarmed.

“So I do, but I like to know something about them first. I choose them, because there are so many. I have not room for all.”

“I told him to come because I thought you’d like it. But if there isn’t room he can go away again,” said Nat, sorrowfully.

The boy’s confidence in her hospitality touched Mrs. Bhaer, so she said,

“Tell me about this Dan.”

“I don’t know anything, only he hasn’t got any folks, and he’s poor, and he was good to me, so I’d like to be good to him.”

“But really, Nat, the house is full,” said Mrs. Bhaer.

“He may have my bed, and I can sleep in the barn. It isn’t cold now, and I don’t mind, I used to sleep anywhere with father,” said Nat, eagerly.

Something in his speech and face made Mrs. Jo put her hand on his shoulder, and say in her kindest tone:

“Bring in your friend[11], Nat. I think we will find room for him without giving him your place.”

Nat joyfully ran off, and soon returned followed by a boy, who slouched in and stood looking about him, with a half bold, half sullen look.

“This is Dan,” said Nat.

“Nat tells me you will like to come and stay with us,” began Mrs. Jo, in a friendly tone.

“Yes,” was the gruff reply.

“Have you any friends to take care of you?”

“No.”

“Say, ‘No, ma’am,’” whispered Nat.

“How old are you?”

“About fourteen.”

“You look older. What can you do?”

“Almost anything.”

“If you stay here we shall want you to do as the others do, work and study as well as play. Are you willing to agree to that?”

“I can try.”

“Well, you can stay a few days, and we will see how we get on together. Take him out, Nat, and amuse him till Mr. Bhaer comes home,” said Mrs. Jo.

She did not know how to get on with this cool young person, who fixed his big black eyes on her with a hard, suspicious expression, sorrowfully unboyish.

“Come on, Nat,” Dan said.

“Thank you, ma’am,” added Nat, as he followed him.

“The fellows are having a circus[12] out in the barn; don’t you want to come and see it?” he asked, as they came down the wide steps on to the lawn.

“Are they big fellows?” said Dan.

“No; the big ones are gone fishing.”

“Let’s go, then,” said Dan.

Nat led him to the great barn and introduced him to the boys. A large circle was marked out with hay on the wide floor, and in the middle stood Demi with a long whip, while Tommy, mounted on Toby, was a monkey.

“You must pay a pin, or you can’t see the show,” said Stuffy, who stood by the wheelbarrow.

“I’ll pay for both,” said Nat, handsomely, as he stuck two crooked pins in the dried mushroom which served as money-box.

With a nod to the company they seated themselves on a couple of boards, and the performance went on. Ned was jumping over an old chair, and running up and down ladders. Then Demi danced a jig. Nat wrestled with Stuffy. After this, Tommy proudly advanced to turn a somersault. His somersault was received with great applause, and he was about to retire, flushed with pride, when he heard a scornful voice,

“Ho! That is nothing!”

“Say that again, will you?” and Tommy bristled up like an angry turkey-cock.

“Do you want to fight?” said Dan, promptly descending from the barrel.

“No, I don’t;” and the candid Thomas retired.

“Fighting isn’t allowed!” cried the others, much excited.

“I see,” sneered Dan.

“If you don’t behave, you won’t stay,” said Nat.

“I’d like to see what he can do, that’s all,” observed Tommy, with a swagger.

“Clear the way, then,” and without the slightest preparation Dan turned three somersaults one after the other and came up on his feet.

The audience were shocked by three more somersaults backwards, and a short promenade on the hands, head down, feet up. Even Tommy joined in the admiring cries which greeted the gymnast. Dan looked at them with an air of calm superiority.

“What will you give me if I’ll teach you?” said Dan.

“My new jack-knife[13]; it’s got five blades, and only one is broken.”

“Give it here, then.”

Tommy handed it over. Dan examined it carefully, then putting it into his pocket, walked off,

saying with a wink,

“Just learn, that’s all.”

A howl of wrath from Tommy was followed by a general uproar. Dan, finding himself in a minority, proposed to play stick-knife[14]. Whichever wins will have the treasure. Tommy agreed, and the game was played in a circle of excited faces. Tommy won and secured the knife in the depth of his safest pocket.

“Let’s have a walk, and I’ll show you round,” said Nat, feeling that he must have a little serious conversation with his friend in private.

What passed between them no one knew, but when they appeared again, Dan was more respectful to the boys, though still gruff in his speech, and rough in his manner. The boys had decided that they did not like him, and so they left him to Nat.

Mr. Bhaer, when he heard the story and saw Dan, shook his head, but only said quietly,

“The experiment may cost us something, but we will try it.”

If Dan felt any gratitude for his protection, he did not show it. He was ignorant, but very quick to learn. He had sharp eyes to watch what went on about him; a saucy tongue, rough manners, and a temper that was fierce and sullen. He played with all his might, and played well at almost all the games. He was silent and gruff. Few really liked him, but they admired his courage and strength, for nothing daunted him. He knocked tall Franz with an ease that caused all the others to keep at a respectful distance from his fists. Mr. Bhaer watched him silently, and did his best to tame the

“Wild Boy,” as they called him, but in private the worthy man shook his head, and said soberly,

“I hope the experiment will turn out well, but I am a little afraid it may cost too much.”

Mrs. Bhaer lost her patience with him half a dozen times a day, yet always insisted that there was something good in the lad, after all. He was kinder to animals than to people, he liked to rove about in the woods, and, best of all, little Ted liked him. Ted called him “My Danny”. Teddy was the only creature to whom Dan showed an affection.

But an unexpected and decidedly alarming event upset all their plans, and banished Dan from Plumfield.

Tommy, Nat, and Demi liked the bad boy. Tommy admired his skill and courage; Nat was grateful for past kindness; and Demi regarded him as a sort of animated story book. Dan could tell his adventures in a most interesting way. It pleased Dan to have the three favorites, and he exerted himself to be agreeable, which was the secret of his success. The Bhaers were surprised.

Mr. Bhaer did not approve of fighting, and did not think it a proof of either manliness or courage for two lads to pommel one another for the amusement of the rest. All sorts of hardy games and exercises were encouraged; but black eyes and bloody noses were forbidden as a foolish and a brutal play. Dan laughed at this rule, and some of the lads desired to know more about fights.

“Don’t tell, and I’ll show you how,” said Dan.

Getting half a dozen of the lads together behind the barn, he gave them a lesson in boxing, which quite satisfied the ardor of most of them. Emil, however, could not submit to be beaten by a fellow younger than himself. Emil was past fourteen and he challenged Dan to a fight. Dan accepted at once, and the others looked on with intense interest.

When Dan and Emil were fighting like a pair of young bulldogs, and the others with fierce, excited faces were cheering them on, Mr. Bhaer walked into the ring, plucked the combatants apart with a strong hand, and said, in the voice they seldom heard,

“I can’t allow this, boys! Stop it at once; and never let me see it again. I keep a school for boys, not for wild beasts. Look at each other and be ashamed of yourselves.”

“You let me go, and I’ll knock him down again,” shouted Dan.

“Come on, come on!” cried Emil.

“Who proposed this?” asked Mr. Bhaer.

“Dan,” answered several voices.

“Don’t you know that it is forbidden?”

“Yes,” growled Dan, sullenly.

“Then why break the rule?”

“They’ll all be molly-coddles[15], if they don’t know how to fight.”

“Have you found Emil a molly-coddle?”

Dan had a black eye, and his jacket was torn to rags. Emil’s face was covered with blood from a cut lip and a bruised nose, while a bump on his forehead was already as purple as a plum.

“Dan, if you break the rules again, you will be sent away. That was the bargain.”

The lads went off, and after a few more words to the spectators, Mr. Bhaer followed to bind up the wounds of the young gladiators. Emil went to bed sick, and Dan was an unpleasant spectacle for a week. But the lawless lad soon transgressed again.

One Saturday afternoon as a party of the boys went out to play, Tommy said,

“Let’s go down to the river, and cut new fish-poles[16].”

“Take Toby to drag them back, and one of us can ride him down,” proposed Stuffy, who hated to walk.

“That means you, I suppose; well, hurry up, lazy-bones,” said Dan.

Away they went, and having got the poles were about to go home, when Demi unluckily said to Tommy, who was on Toby with a long rod in his hand,

“You look like the picture of the man in the bull-fight, only you haven’t got a red cloth, or pretty clothes on.”

“I’d like to see one. There’s old Buttercup in the big meadow, ride at her, Tom, and see her run,” proposed Dan.

“No, you mustn’t,” began Demi.

“Why not, little coward?” demanded Dan.

“I don’t think Uncle Fritz will like it.”

“Did he ever say we must not have a bull-fight?”

“No, I don’t think he ever did,” admitted Demi.

“Then hold your tongue. Drive on, Tom, and here’s a red rag to flap at the old cow. I’ll help you,” and over the wall went Dan, and the rest followed like a flock of sheep; even Demi who watched the fun with interest.

Poor Buttercup was not in a very good mood. Just now she regarded all mankind as her enemies, so when the matadore came towards her with the red handkerchief flying at the end of his long lance, she threw up her head, and gave a most appropriate “Moo!” Tommy rode gallantly at her, and Toby recognizing an old friend, was quite willing to approach. But when the lance came down on her back with a loud whack, both cow and donkey were surprised and disgusted. Toby back with a bray of remonstrance, and Buttercup lowered her horns angrily.

“At her again, Tom; she’s angry, she will fight capitally!” called Dan, coming up behind with another rod, while Jack and Ned followed his example.

Buttercup trotted round the field, getting more and more bewildered and excited every moment, for whichever way she turned, there was a dreadful boy, yelling and brandishing a new and very disagreeable sort of whip. It was great fun for them, but real misery for her, till she lost patience. All at once she turned round, and rushed at Toby. Poor Toby tripped over a stone, and down went horse, matadore, and all, in one ignominious heap, while distracted Buttercup jumped over the wall, and galloped wildly out of sight down the road.

“Catch her, stop her! Run, boys, run!” shouted Dan.

Finally she was caught. The fish-poles were left behind; and every boy was red, breathless, and scared. They found poor Buttercup at last in a flower garden, worn out with the long run. Dan led her home, followed by a party of young gentlemen, for the cow was in a sad state. She had strained her shoulder, so that she limped, her eyes looked wild, and she was wet and muddy.

“Old Bhaer will send me off, I guess. Don’t care if he does,” muttered Dan.

“We’ll ask him not to, all of us,” said Demi, and the others assented.

Dan only said, “Don’t bother about me.”

When Mr. Bhaer saw the animal, and heard the story, he said very little. Buttercup was made comfortable in her stall, and the boys sent to their rooms till supper-time. Dan whistled briskly in his room. He knew they tried to help him, and at the bottom of his heart he was grateful, but his rough life had made him hard and careless, suspicious and wilful. He hated restraint of any sort, and fought against it like an untamed creature.

Mr. Bhaer came in, and said,

“I have heard all about it, Dan, and though you have broken the rules again, I am going to give you one more trial, to please Mother Bhaer.”

“I didn’t know there was any rule about bull-fighting.”

“As I never expected to have any at Plumfield, I never did make such a rule,” answered Mr. Bhaer. Then he added gravely, “But one of the first and most important of our few laws is the law of kindness to every dumb creature on the place. I want everybody and everything to be happy here, to love and trust, and serve us, as we try to love and trust and serve them faithfully and willingly. I have often said that you were kinder to the animals than any of the other boys, and Mrs. Bhaer liked that trait in you very much. She thought it showed a good heart. But you have disappointed us in that, and we are sorry, for we hoped to make you quite one of us. Shall we try again?”

Dan’s eyes had been on the floor, but when he heard the kind voice ask that question, he looked up quickly,

“Yes, please.”

“Very well, then, we will say no more, only you will stay at home from the walk tomorrow.”

“I will.”

“Now, go down to supper, and do your best, my boy.”

Dan tried for a day or two, but soon relapsed into his old wilful ways. Mr. Bhaer was called from home on business one day, and the boys had no lessons. They liked this, and played till bedtime. Dan, however, had a plan in his head, and when he and Nat were alone, he unfolded it.

“Look here!” he said, taking from under his bed a bottle, a cigar, and a pack of cards, “I’m going to have some fun. Here’s some beer, I got if of the old man at the station, and this cigar. You can pay for them or Tommy will, he’s got heaps of money and I haven’t a cent.”

“The folks won’t like it,” began Nat.

“They won’t know. Daddy Bhaer is away, and Mrs. Bhaer’s busy with Ted; she can’t leave him. We shan’t sit up late or make any noise, so where’s the harm?”

“Asia will know if we burn the lamp long, she always does.”

“No, she won’t, I’ve got a dark lantern[17]; it don’t give much light. We can shut it quick if we hear anyone coming,” said Dan.

Nat obeyed, and returned in a minute with Tommy half dressed, but quite ready for fun as usual.

“Now, keep quiet, and I’ll show you how to play a wonderful game called ‘Poker,’” said Dan, as the three revellers gathered round the table, on which were set forth the bottle, the cigar, and the cards. “First we’ll all have a drink, then we’ll smoke, and then we’ll play. Men do like this, and it’s jolly fun.”

All three drank beer, though Nat and Tommy did not like it. The cigar was worse still, but they dared not say so, and each smoked till he was dizzy or choked. Dan liked it very much. He drank, and smoked, and swaggered, and he soon began to swear.

“You mustn’t; it’s wicked to say ‘Damn!’” cried Tommy.

“Oh! Don’t you preach, but play. It’s part of the fun to swear.”

“I’d rather say ‘thunder turtles,’” said Tommy, who had composed this interesting exclamation and was very proud of it.

“And I’ll say ‘The Devil;’ that sounds well,” added Nat.

Dan scoffed at their “nonsense,” and swore stoutly as he tried to teach them the new game. But Tommy was very sleepy, and Nat’s head began to ache with the beer and the smoke. The room was nearly dark, for the lantern burned badly. They could not laugh loud, for Silas slept next door in the shed-chamber, and altogether the party was dull. In the middle of the game Dan stopped suddenly, and called out, “Who’s that?”, and at the same moment drew the slide over the light. A voice in the darkness said tremulously, “I can’t find Tommy”.

“It’s Demi! Go to bed, Tom, and be silent!” cried Dan, beginning to tear off his clothes, while Nat did the same.

Tommy flew to his room and dived into bed, where he lay, laughing till something burned his hand, when he discovered that he was still clutching the stump of the festive cigar, which he was

smoking.

Tommy was snoring in ten minutes. The cigar did not go out, but smouldered away, and a hungry little flame went along the bedcover. It caught the sheets, and then the bed itself. The beer made Tommy sleep heavily, and the smoke stupefied Demi, so they slept on till the fire began to scorch them.

Franz was studying that time, and as he left the school-room he smelt the smoke, dashed up-stairs and saw it coming in a cloud from the left wing of the house. He ran into the room, dragged the boys from the blazing bed, and splashed the water to the flames. It did not quench

the fire, and the children wakened and began to roar. Mrs. Bhaer instantly appeared, and a minute after Silas burst out of his room shouting, “Fire!” in a tone that raised the whole house. For a minute every one was panic-stricken.

Then Mrs. Bhaer sent Franz and Silas downstairs for some tubs of wet clothes which she flung on the bed, over the carpet, and up against the curtains. Most of the boys stood dumbly looking on, but Dan and Emil worked bravely, running to and fro with water from the bath-room, and helping to pull down the curtains.

The peril was soon over. Mrs. Bhaer and Franz went to see how the poor boys got on. Demi had escaped with one burn and a grand scare. Tommy had not only most of his hair scorched off his head, but a great burn on his arm, that made him half crazy with the pain. Franz took Demi away to his own bed, where the kind lad soothed his fright and hummed him to sleep as cosily as a woman. Nursey watched over poor Tommy all night, trying to ease his misery.

When Mr. Bhaer got home next morning he found a nice state of things. Tommy in bed, Teddy wheezing like a little grampus, Mrs. Jo exhausted, and the boys so excited that they all talked at once, and almost dragged him to view the ruins.

There was no school that morning, but by afternoon the invalids were better, and there was time to hear and judge the little culprits quietly. Nat and Tommy told their parts in the mischief, and were honestly sorry for the danger they had brought to the dear old house and all in it. But Dan put on his devil-may-care look[18].

Mr. Bhaer hated drinking, gambling, and swearing. It grieved and angered him deeply to find that the boy, with whom he had tried to be most forbearing, took advantage of his absence to introduce these forbidden vices, and teach his innocent little lads to think it manly and pleasant to indulge in them. He talked long and earnestly to the assembled boys,

“I think Tommy is punished enough, and that scar on his arm will remind him for a long time to let these things alone. Nat’s fright will be enough for him, for he is really sorry, and does try to obey me. But you, Dan, have been many times forgiven, and yet it does no good. I cannot have my boys hurt by your bad example, nor my time wasted in talking to deaf ears. So you can say good-bye to them all, and tell Nursey to put up your things in my little black bag.”

“Oh! sir, where is he going?” cried Nat.

“To a pleasant place up in the country, where I sometimes send boys when they don’t do well here. Mr. Page is a kind man, and Dan will be happy there, I hope.”

“Will he ever come back?” asked Demi.

“That will depend on himself; I hope so.”

As he spoke, Mr. Bhaer left the room to write his letter to Mr. Page, and the boys crowded round Dan.

“Will you like it?” began Jack.

“I shan’t stay if I don’t,” said Dan coolly.

“Where will you go?” asked Nat.

“I may go to sea, or out west, or to California,” answered Dan, with a reckless air.

“Oh, don’t! Stay with Mr. Page awhile and then come back here; do, Dan,” pleaded Nat.

“I don’t care where I go, or how long I stay, And I won’t come here again,” with which wrathful speech Dan went away to put up his things, everyone of which Mr. Bhaer had given him.

The wagon stood at the door, and Mrs. Bhaer came out to speak to Dan, looking so sad that his heart smote him, and he said,

“May I say good-bye to Teddy?”

“Yes, dear; go in and kiss him, he will miss his Danny very much.”

He heard Mrs. Bhaer say pleadingly,

“Can’t we give the poor lad one more trial, Fritz?” and Mr. Bhaer answer,

“My dear, let him go where he can do no harm to others, while they do good to him, and by and by he will come back, I promise you.”

Dan heard Mrs. Bhaer sigh, and he wanted to ask for one more trial himself, but his pride did not let him, and he came out with the hard look on his face, shook hands without a word, and drove away with Mr. Bhaer, leaving Nat and Mrs. Jo with tears in their eyes.

A few days afterwards they received a letter from Mr. Page, saying that Dan was doing well, and they all rejoiced. But three weeks later came another letter, saying that Dan had run away, and nothing had been heard of him. Mr. Bhaer said,

“Perhaps I could give him another chance.”

Mrs. Bhaer, however, nodded wisely and answered,

“Don’t be troubled, Fritz; the boy will come back to us, I’m sure of it.”

But time went on and no Dan came.

Naughty Nan

“Fritz, I’ve got a new idea,” cried Mrs. Bhaer, as she met her husband one day after school.

“Well, my dear, what is it?” and he waited willingly to hear the new plan, for some of Mrs. Jo’s ideas were droll, though usually they were quite sensible.

“Daisy needs a companion, and the boys will be the better with another girl among them. They pet and tyrannize Daisy, and she is getting spoilt. Then they must learn to be gentle, and improve their manners.”

“You are right, as usual. Now, who shall we have?” asked Mr. Bhaer.

“Little Annie Harding.”

“What! Naughty Nan, as the lads call her?” cried Mr. Bhaer, looking very much amused.

“Yes, she is wild at home since her mother died, and is a bright child indeed. When I met her father in town I asked him why he did not send her to school. He said he would gladly if he could find a good school for girls.”

“Do you really want to take this little gypsy to torment you?” asked Mr. Bhaer, patting the hand that lay on his arm.

“Oh dear, no,” said Mother Bhaer, briskly. “I like her. You see, Fritz, I feel a great sympathy for Nan, because I was such a naughty child myself that I know all about it. She is full of spirits. The tricksy midget will soon become a happy child. I know how to manage her, for I remember how my blessed mother managed me.”

“I only hope she won’t be another trouble-maker.”

“My poor Dan! I never can quite forgive myself for letting him go,” sighed Mrs. Bhaer.

At the sound of the name, little Teddy, who had never forgotten his friend, trotted to the door, and then trotted back again,