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Benjy went to bed early that night, but he could not sleep, because he was thinking of that little white dog, and wishing he had not thrown him into the river; so at last he got up and went to the willow-tree. He looked up through the branches and saw the moon shining down at him, and it seemed so large and so close that he thought if he were only on the highest part of the tree he could touch it with his hand. While he was looking he thought of a book his mother had, which told him that all animals went up into the moon after they left the earth.

“I wonder,” said Benjy, “if that dog we killed last night is really up there.”

The Man in the Moon looked down on him just then, and, to his surprise, said:–

“This is Beastland. Won’t you come up and see if the dog is here? Can you climb?”

“I guess I can,” said Benjy, and he climbed up first on one branch, then up higher on to another, till he stood on the very top, and all he could see about him was a shining white light.

“Walk right in,” said the Man in the Moon. “Put out your feet,–don’t be afraid!” So Benjy stepped into the moon and found himself in Beastland.

Oh! it was such a funny place, and yet it was very beautiful. There were many more beasts there than in a menagerie, and they were so polite to each other, too, and so merry and kind to Benjy, that it made him feel quite at home.

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.