Young Melvin
Do you like reading American folktales? Here is one of them.
Young Melvin lived on a farm in the country. When his father died, the boy decided to visit the city. He put on his only pair of shoes and ---called to Bug,his dog. Together they started down the road.
After a short time they came to a neighbor's house, and Melvin knocked on the door.
Old Man Blowdy came to the door and asked, "Who's there?“
"It's Melvin ,and Bug, my dog."
Old Man Blowdy opened the door and looked at them. Mr Blowdy was not a good man, and he thought that other people were as bad as he was himself.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"I'm going to the city, Mr Blowdy," said Melvin. "The city is fifty miles away, but I want to go there. I want to see the stores and the lights on the streets. So I've come here first to ask you for your help."
Mr Blowdy began to close his door. "Now , Melvin , I don't have any money to give you," he said.
"I don't want any money," said Melvin.
Slowly Mr Blowdy opened the door again. " What do you want, then?"
"I want you to keep my dog, Bug. My father is dead,so he can't keep him."
"Food for a dog cost money,boy," said Old Man Blowdy.
"I will pay for his food when I come back here to get him," said Melvin.
Mr Blowdy thought about it. Bug was a handsome young dog. Perhaps he could sell him.The boy Melvin was not intelligent.Everyone knew that.He was honest ,but he was simple.
"All right," he said, "I'll keep Bug for you. I'll be glad to do it since you're my neighbor."
So Melvin said good-bye and left his dog with Old Man Blowdy. "I will come back next week or next year. I don't know when I'll come back because it's fifty miles to the city and fifty miles back."
Weeks passed. Then one day Melvin came back. He went straight to Old Man Blowdy's house and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" asked Mr Blowdy from the other side of the door.
"It's Melvin."
"How are you,boy?" Old Man Blowdy asked, slowly opening the door.
"I'm all right. I walked as far as the city and saw everything there.Then I walked back here. I don't want to travel any more until I have a mule to ride."
"That's nice. I'm glad to hear that you had a good time," said Mr Blowdy.
"Now I want my dog. How much do I own you for his food?"asked Melvin.
"You owe me sventy-five cents. You can have that, and I'll pay you the other four dollars and twenty-five cents later. I didn't think food for a dog was so expensive."
"When can you pay the four dallars and twenty-five cents,boy?"
Melvin hesitated "Well, you have to wait until sell my corn .Perhaps I'll have the money then."
"That's a long time, boy, but I'll wait for it," said Old Man Blowdy. He began to close the door, but Melvin had his foot in it.
"Wait a minute! Where is my dog?"
"Bug? I almost forgot. I'm sorry to have to tell you, but your dog died."
"Bug died? How did he die?"
"Well, I put him in the yard to sleep. One night there was so many mosquitoes that they ate him up. The next morning I saw only bones."
Of course, Bug was alive, but Old Man Blowdy wanted to keep him.
Melvin, whose best friend was his dog, had tears in his eyes. "I loved that dog," he said.
He walked as far as Old Man Blowdy's fence. Then he turned around and asked, "May I borrow your mule to ride home? I'm sad and tired now, and I don't want to walk. I'll bring him back fo you in the morning."
Old Man Blowdy didn't want to lend his mule, but he wanted Melvin to go away. He didn't want him to hear Bug bark. Since Melvin was hones-t, he finally lent him him mule, and the boy rode away.
But the next day Melvin didn't return the mule, and the man began to worry.In the afternoon he walked over to Melvin's housing.
"Boy, why haven't you brought me my mule?" he asked.
"I couldn't because yesterday your mule grew wings and flew away," said Melvin, looking at the sky. "I'm very sorry, Mr Blowdy."
"But mules can't grow wings," Mr Blowdy said.
"Mosquitoes can't eat up big dog,either."
Now Old Man Blowdy knew that Melvin wasn't so very stupid. He returned Bug to his owner and forgot about the four dollars and twenty-five cents. Melvin returned the mule.
It is a interesting tale,Melvin is a intelligent boy.Old Man Blowdy is a bad and stupid man.
