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 The Story of Little Boy Blue Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn. The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn; Where’s the little boy that minds the sheep? He’s under the haystack, fast asleep! He
had big blue eyes, and fair golden curls, and he loved his good mother
very
dearly, and was never more pleased than when she allowed him to help
her with
her work. And
so the years passed happily away till the boy was eight years old, but
then the
widow fell sick, and their little store of money melted gradually away.
“I don’t
know what we shall do for bread,” she said, kissing her boy with tears
in her
eyes, “for I am not yet strong enough to work, and we have no money
left.” “But
I can work,” answered the boy; “and I’m sure if I go to the Squire up
at the
Hall he will give me something to do.” At
first the widow was reluctant to consent to this, since she loved to
keep her
child at her side, but finally, as nothing else could be done, she
decided to let
him go to see the Squire. Being
too proud to allow her son to go to the great house in his ragged
clothes, she
made him a new suit out of a pretty blue dress she had herself worn in
happier
times, and when it was finished and the boy dressed in it, he looked as
pretty
as a prince in a fairy tale. For the bright blue jacket set off his
curls to good
advantage, and the color just matched the blue of his eyes. His
trousers were
blue, also, and she took the silver buckles from her own shoes and put
them on
his, that he might appear the finer. And then she brushed his curls and
placed
his big straw hat upon them and sent him away with a kiss to see the
Squire. It
so happened that the great man was walking in his garden with his
daughter
Madge that morning, and was feeling in an especially happy mood, so
that when he
suddenly looked up and saw a little boy before him, he said, kindly, “Well,
my child, what can I do for you?” “If
you please, sir,” said the boy, bravely, although he was frightened at
meeting
the Squire face to face, “I want you to give me some work to do, so
that I can
earn money.” “Earn
money!” repeated the Squire, “why do you wish to earn money?” “To
buy food for my mother, sir. We are very poor, and since she is no
longer able
to work for me I wish to work for her.” “But
what can you do?” asked the Squire; “you are too small to work in the
fields.” “I
could earn something, sir, couldn’t I?” His
tone was so pleading that mistress Madge was unable to resist it, and
even the
Squire was touched. The young lady came forward and took the boy’s hand
in her
own, and pressing back his curls, she kissed his fair cheek. “You
shall be our shepherd,” she said, pleasantly, “and keep the sheep out
of the
meadows and the cows from getting into the corn. You know, father,” she
continued, turning to the Squire, “it was only yesterday you said you
must get
a boy to tend the sheep, and this little boy can do it nicely.” “Very
well,” replied the Squire, “it shall be as you say, and if he is
attentive and
watchful he will be able to save me a good bit of trouble and so really
earn
his money.” Then
he turned to the child and said, “Come
to me in the morning, my little man, and I will give you a silver horn
to blow,
that you may call the sheep and the cows whenever they go astray. What
is your
name?” “Oh,
never mind his name, papa!” broke in the Squire’s daughter; “I shall
call him
Little Boy Blue, since he is dressed in blue from head to foot, and his
dress
but matches his eyes. And you must give him a good wage, also, for
surely no
Squire before ever had a prettier shepherd boy than this.” “Very
good,” said the Squire, cheerfully, as he pinched his daughter’s rosy
cheek;
“be watchful, Little Boy Blue, and you shall be well paid.” Then
Little Boy Blue thanked them both very sweetly and ran back over the
hill and
into the valley where his home lay nestled by the river-side, to tell
the good
news to his mother. The
poor widow wept tears of joy when she heard his story, and smiled when
he told
her that his name was to be Little Boy Blue. She knew the Squire was a
kind
master and would be good to her darling son. Early
the next morning Little Boy Blue was at the Hall, and the Squire’s
steward gave
him a new silver horn, (hat glistened brightly in the sunshine, and a
golden
cord to fasten it around his neck. And then he was given charge of the
sheep
and the cows, and told to keep them from straying into the meadowlands
and the
fields of grain. It
was not hard work, but just suited to Little Boy Blue’s age, and he was
watchful and vigilant and made a very good shepherd boy indeed. His
mother
needed food no longer, for the Squire paid her son liberally and the
Squire’s
daughter made a favorite of the small shepherd and loved to hear the
call of
his silver horn echoing amongst the hills. Even the sheep and the cows
were
fond of him, and always obeyed the sound of his horn; therefore the
Squire’s
corn thrived finely, and was never trampled. Little
Boy Blue was now very happy, and his mother was proud and contented and
began
to improve in health. After a few weeks she became strong enough to
leave the
cottage and walk a little in the fields each day; but she could not go
far,
because her limbs were too feeble to support her long, so the most she
could
attempt was to walk as far as the stile to meet Little Boy Blue as he
came home
from work in the evening. Then she would lean on his shoulder and
return to the
cottage with him, and the boy was very glad he could thus support his
darling
mother and assist her faltering steps. But
one day a great misfortune came upon them-, since it is true that no
life can
be so happy but that sorrow will creep in to temper it. Little
Boy Blue came homeward one evening very light of heart and whistled
merrily as
he walked, for he thought he should find his mother awaiting him at the
stile
and a good supper spread upon the table in the little cottage. But when
he came
to the stile his mother was not in sight, and in answer to his call a
low moan
of pain reached his ears. Little
Boy Blue sprang over the stile and found lying upon the ground his dear
mother,
her face white and drawn with suffering, and tears of anguish running
down her
cheeks. For she had slipped upon the stile and fallen, and her leg was
broken! Little
Boy Blue ran to the cottage for water and bathed the poor woman’s face,
and
raised her head that she might drink. There were no neighbors, for the
cottage
stood all alone by the river, so the child was obliged to support his
mother in
his arms as best he could while she crawled painfully back to the
cottage. Fortunately,
it was not far, and at last she was safely laid upon her bed. Then
Little Boy
Blue began to think what he should do next. "Can
I leave you alone while I go for the doctor, mamma?” he asked,
anxiously, as he
held her clasped hands tightly in his two little ones. His mother drew
him
towards her and kissed him. “Take
the boat, dear,” she said, “and fetch the doctor from the village. I
shall be patient
till you return.” Little
Boy Blue rushed away to the river bank and unfastened the little boat;
and then
he pulled sturdily down the river until he passed the bend and came to
the
pretty village below. When he had found the doctor and told of his
mother’s
misfortune, the good man promised to attend him at once, and very soon
they
were seated in the boat and on their way to the cottage. It
was very dark by this time, but Little Boy Blue knew every turn and
bend in the
river, and the doctor helped him pull at the oars, so that at last they
came to
the place where a faint light twinkled through the cottage window. They
found
the poor woman in much pain, but the doctor quickly set and bandaged
her leg,
and gave her some medicine to ease her suffering. It was nearly
midnight when
all was finished and the doctor was ready to start back to the village. “Take
good care of your mother,” he said to the boy, “and don’t worry about
her, for
it is not a bad break and the leg will mend nicely in time; but she
will be in
bed many days, and you must nurse her as well as you are able.” All through the night the boy sat by the bedside, bathing his mother’s fevered brow and ministering to her wants. And when the day broke she was resting easily and the pain had left her, and she told Little Boy Blue he must go to his work.  "For,”
said she, “more than ever now we need the money you earn from the
Squire, as my
misfortune will add to the expenses of living, and we have the doctor
to pay.
Do not fear to leave me, for I shall rest quietly and sleep most of the
time
while you are away.” Little
Boy Blue did not like to leave his mother all alone, but he knew of no
one he
could ask to stay with her; so he placed food and water by her bedside,
and ate
a little breakfast himself, and started off to tend his sheep. The
sun was shining brightly, and the birds sang sweetly in the trees, and
the
crickets chirped just as merrily as if this great trouble had not come
to
Little Boy Blue to make him sad. But
he went bravely to his work, and for several hours he watched
carefully; and
the men at work in the fields, and the Squire’s daughter, who sat
embroidering upon
the porch of the great house, heard often the sound of his horn as he
called
the straying sheep to his side. But
he had not slept the whole night, and he was tired with his long watch
at his
mother’s bedside, and so in spite of himself the lashes would droop
occasionally over his blue eyes, for he was only a child, and children
feel the
loss of sleep more than older people. Still, Little Boy Blue had no
intention
of sleeping while he was on duty, and bravely fought against the
drowsiness
that was creeping over him. The sun shone very hot that day, and he
walked to
the shady side of a big haystack and sat down upon the ground, leaning
his back
against the stack. The
cows and sheep were quietly browsing near him, and he watched them
earnestly
for a time, listening to the singing of the birds, and the gentle
tinkling of
the bells upon the wethers, and the far-away songs of the reapers that
the
breeze brought to his ears. And before he knew it the blue eyes had
closed
fast, and the golden head lay back upon the hay, and Little Boy Blue
was fast
asleep and dreaming that his mother was well again and had come to the
stile to
meet him. The
sheep strayed near the edge of the meadow and paused, waiting for the
warning
sound of the horn. And the breeze carried the fragrance of the growing
corn to
the nostrils of the browsing cows and tempted them nearer and nearer to
the
forbidden feast. But the silver horn was silent, and before long the
cows were
feeding upon the Squire’s pet cornfield and the sheep were enjoying
themselves
amidst the juicy grasses of the meadows. The
Squire himself was returning from a long, weary ride over his farms,
and when
he came to the cornfield and saw the cows trampling down the grain and
feeding
upon the golden stalks he was very angry. “Little Boy Blue!” he cried;
“ho!
Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn!” But there was no reply. He rode
on away
and now discovered that the sheep were deep within the meadows, and
that made
him more angry still. "Here,
Isaac,” he said to a farmer’s lad who chanced to pass by, “where is
Little Boy
Blue?” "He’s
under the hay-stack, your honor, fast asleep!” replied Isaac with a
grin, for
he had passed that way and seen that the boy was lying asleep. “Will
you go and wake him?” asked the Squire; “for he must drive out the
sheep and
the cows before they do more damage.” "Not
I,” replied Isaac, 'If I wake him he'll surely cry, for he is but a
baby, and
not fit to mind the sheep. But I myself will drive them out for your
honor,”
and away he ran to do so, thinking that now the Squire would give him
Little
Boy Blue’s place, and make him the shepherd boy, for Isaac had long
coveted the
position. The
Squire’s daughter, hearing the angry tones of her father’s voice, now
came out
to see what was amiss, and when she heard that Little Boy Blue had
failed in
his trust she was deeply grieved, for she had loved the child for his
pretty
ways. The
Squire dismounted from his horse and came to where the boy was lying. "Awake!”
said he, shaking him by the shoulder, "and depart from my lands, for
you
have betrayed my trust, and let the sheep and the cows stray into the
fields
and meadows!” Little
Boy Blue started up at once and rubbed his eyes; and then he did as
Isaac
prophesied, and began to weep bitterly, for his heart was sore that he
had failed
in his duty to the good Squire and so forfeited his confidence. But
the Squire’s daughter was moved by the child’s tears, so she took him
upon her
lap and comforted him, asking, “Why
did you sleep, Little Boy Blue, when you should have watched the cows
and the
sheep?” "My
mother has broken her leg,” answered the boy, between his sobs, “and I
did not
sleep all last night, but sat by her bedside nursing her. And I tried
hard not
to fall asleep, but could not help myself; and oh, Squire! I hope you
will
forgive me this once, for my poor mother’s sake!” "Where
does your mother live?” asked the Squire, in a kindly tone, for he had
already
forgiven Little Boy Blue. "In
the cottage down by the river,” answered the child; “and she is all
alone, for
there is no one near to help us in our trouble.” "Come,”
said Mistress Madge, rising to her feet and taking his hand; “lead us
to your
home, and we will see if we cannot assist your poor mother.” So
the Squire and his daughter and Little Boy Blue all walked down to the
little
cottage, and the Squire had a long talk with the poor widow. And that
same day
a big basket of dainties was sent to the cottage, and Mistress Madge
bade her
own maid go to the widow and nurse her carefully until she recovered. So
that after all Little Boy Blue did more for his dear mother by falling
asleep
than he could had he kept wide awake; for after his mother was well
again the
Squire gave them a pretty cottage to live in very near to the great
house
itself, and the Squire’s daughter was ever afterward their good friend,
and saw
that they wanted for no comforts of life. And
Little Boy Blue did not fall asleep again at his post, but watched the
cows and
the sheep faithfully for many years, until he grew up to manhood and
had a farm
of his own. He always said his mother’s accident had brought him good luck, but I think it was rather his own loving heart and his devotion to his mother that made him friends. For no one is afraid to trust a boy who loves to serve and care for his mother. |
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