Meyer
Yale was the four year old friend of Benjy. He was a year or two older than the
Abner boy. A tough little kid he was, with a mind of his own. Meyer Yale
belonged to the Ben Dovids. For the longest time no one knew what his real name
was since it sounded just like Marryyayo. His mother would yell Marryyayo up and
down the street because this boy could rarely be found. He and Benjy would stray
away and play in fairly far away places. Sandy
too was a little friend of Benjy. Droozy
would often have to go and find her little brother, especially at dinner time
when he was to be at home with his family. One
time Marryyayo came home with Benjy to eat the fresh baked cheesecake that Mrs.
Abner had baked for the Schabbat. When he came near Mrs. A. he shouted out,
“Mrs. Abner, you stink like a skunk!” Droozy’s mother was very embarrassed
and ashamed. Although she was a
very clean lady, she did not have money to buy deodorant. Sandy
also upset Mrs. Abner. One day when the two boys were playing, four-year-old
Sandy and two-year-old Benjy everything seemed too quiet to be real. They played
peacefully together with Sandy’s toys for a long time. Suddenly a loud
piercing, frightful scream was heard coming from the living room. Mrs. Abner
investigated the situation and found Benjy sitting on the floor with blood
streaming from his forehead. Sandy had hit his little friend on the head with a
big toy truck. Sandy did not feel sorry in the least bit. He turned to Droozy
and Benjy’s mother and, pointing to little Benjamin, said, “Mrs. Abner, he
started it.” To Sandy that made everything ok! Perhaps Benjy learned a hard
lesson: That you don’t start fights, especially not with someone older and
bigger than yourself! |
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