Page:Fairy Tales for Worker's Children.djvu/48

 The little grey dog seemed to understand the grief of his friends, he nestled quite close to Hannah's coat, looking up at them with loving, clever eyes. Then Hannah cried loudly, "If they sell you, too, Tom, what will become of our poor child?" The little dog laid his paw on little Benjamin as though to say, "Don't fear, poor mother, I will take care of him."

Hannah noticed this, sobbingly patted the shaggy head of the dog, and said to him, "Guard my little boy, you good dog. We are all as helpless and deserted as you."

The following morning, poor Hannah, weeping bitterly, rode off with the young woman. Her family was not allowed to see her off, for Tom had to work in the field and Benjamin, like all the slaves, was forbidden to come near the house of the rich man.

Little Benjamin lived thru many sad days. His father was so unhappy that he no longer wanted to work, and many evenings he would return home with his back all bloody. Instead of the caressing and joy to which Benjamin was accustomed there was an unaccustomed silence in the house. Tom sat sadly on the ground, sometimes stroking sadly the wooly head of his little son, but never speaking. Only once in a while he would cry out, "Hannah!" and sigh deeply, while great tears rolled down his black face. And sometimes he would clench his fist, looking so angry that Benjamin took the little dog and crawled into a corner with him.

The overseer was always unsatisfied with Tom, he complained to the master of the laziness and obstinacy of the slave. Had poor Tom known the results of his disobedience, he would have worked as industriously as he used to, in spite of his anger and unhappiness.

The rich man celebrated his birthday. There was a great feast, chickens and calves and Iambs were roasted, rich foods could be smelled all thru the house, the servants brought countless bottles from the wine-cellar. After supper the young guests danced in the 42