Beethoven's First Trip

Beethoven sat on his Jacob's Ladder meditating, when Mrs. Ladybug came flying by with the daily news."She never comes at a convenient time,"he grumbled to himself.
She landed in front of him and said in her squeaky voice," Uh,oh, Beethoven! The boys' parents are taking them to D.C. to visit their sister living on the outskirts of the city. I saw them looking up the distance. It's a six hour drive!" she finished, out of breath.
"So what does that have to do with me?" the musician said irritably.
"I brought you the news because the little boy,Ken, asked if he could bring you," Mrs. Ladybug said in her fast way taking breaths as she spoke. "They are leaving in three days, on Monday morning."
"How long are they staying?" Beethoven asked, maintaining his outward calm with difficulty.
"Three days," the little ladybug added shortly.
"Three days!" Beethoven said, cracking. "I'll never live that long in such a huge city. If I make it, I'll die on the car ride!"
Mrs. Ladybug looked at him sympathetically. "Six days is torture," she agreed.
"Why six?" the musician asked cautiously.
"Oh, come now, Beethoven. I know you. You'll be stewing in sweat at least until you get back," the bug answered exasperatedly.
Ans she was right. Beethoven was thrust unceremoniously into a backpack with some granola bars and batteries. The only thing to pass the time was a grumpy toy dwarf who had been packed with him. The dwarf introduced himself as Gimli. He spoke very highly of a battle ax he remembered having. It was not on him but Beethoven was glad when they made it to D.C. and were unpacked and put on a shelf. The dwarf grew restless but thankfully Beethoven was used to this and suffered without complaint, which earned the dwarf's respect. They spent the time chatting amiably about this and that.
The trip was uneventful until the mouse came. Beethoven was just describing Zeus, the pet dog and a friend of his,"And he has big, brown eyes, bigger than my head. Irresistible, they are, and we..."
"Please, sir," said a tiny voice. Beethoven nearly fell off the shelf.
"What is it, my dear mouse?" Gimli said, quite politely.
"Please, sir," she said again timidly,"They said you were coming here. I did not believe them. But they want me to bring you to the mayor. Please come with me."
"The mayor," said Beethoven recovering from his surprise.
"Apparently," Gimli said thoughtfully,"We are in trouble."
The little mouse led them into a crack between the floor and the heater. As soon as they stepped in a loud voice boomed,"I said no, never, n-e-f- whatever, no, not ever. Mrs. Little Sticks I said do not bring those invaders into our defenseless abode."
An enormously fat mouse led six other mice armed with tooth picks and sewing needles up to Beethoven and Gimli. "What are you doing here, Invaders?"
"We are not invaders,"Gimli said defensively. "We are just looking."
"Ah, hah!" said the fat mouse, "Scouting the path ahead of the others, are you? Well, they will never hear the news. Guards! Attack!"
Just then Beethoven had an idea! He called to the mayor (the fat mouse)"Ho, great, governor, king, mayor, whatever, we are actually bringing a peace treaty to you from our king. He is starting a long campaign to take over the world starting here, and if you join him he will spare you." That stopped the guards in their tracks.
"You..ah..have a great army?" the mayor asked slowly.
"Oh, yes,"said Beethoven. "It is magnificent!"
The mayor thought for minute. You could see his gears working. Finally he said,"Very well. Tell your king I accept his peace. Go tell him....please."
Beethoven bowed and dragged the laughing Gimli behind him.
"That was brilliant," Gimli said. "I can't believe he fell for that."
"It was a stroke of genius," Beethoven chortled,"And you know what? I think I might even survive the trip home after all!"

Ocular Athletics

A United States Flag
by Ken

A U.S. flag has stars in the upper right hand corner. It has red and white stripes everywhere else. The flag I happen to be looking at is stuck in a bookcase under Ten Greek Plays.



Pepper
by Joe

Pepper almost always accompanies salt at the table and is used to spice food up. It comes in little balls called peppercorns which are actually seeds. I like to grind it up with a mortar and pestle, myself. That way it is a little fresher. Pepper is usually black but there is red pepper, and lemon pepper, and probably more. Pepper was a highly expensive Chinese spice in the Middle Ages.

Adam is the author of Mr. Beethoven's Adventures and will appear on Fridays!

The Amazing Adventures of Beethoven

If your take a step into our house and enter a certain bedroom you will see many things which include a faded blue rug, and two homemade bunk beds pushed into the corners. The beds are slept in and used for the storage of fondly cared for stuffed animals.

By one of these bunks is a large dresser. Two crates are placed on their sides and used as transportable shelves.Between them is an old shoe box which holds an uncountable number of audio tapes. CDs are neatly organized on top. Placed in front of all this is a folded Jacob's ladder. Seated on top is a little toy musician looking sternly ahead. We call him Beethoven. He spends most of his time here, alone, if no ladybugs visit, and he doesn't fall. If he gets bored I do not know. I haven't asked him. But I would think not because sometimes...he goes on adventures. To be continued...

Poetry Monday

Yet Gentle Will the Griffin Be
by Vachel Lindsay

The moon? It is griffin's egg,
Hatching tomorrow night.
And how the little boys will watch
With shouting and delight
To see him break the shell and stretch
And creep across the sky.
The boys will laugh. The girls,
I fear, may hide and cry.
Yet gentle will the griffin be,
Most decorous and fat,
And walk up to the Milky Way
And lap it like a cat.

Ocular Athletics

This week we tried something a little different. I read the list Chesterton made of his "equipment for starting on a journey to fairyland" which he wrote to his fiance, Frances (Gilbert Keith Chesterton by Maisie Ward) It starts with:
1st. A Straw Hat. The oldest part of this admirable relic shows traces of pure Norman work. The vandalism of Cromwell's soldiers has left us little of the original hat-band.

Here are the Hobbits' offerings.

Things I have in my Pockets by Ken
A rather battered jack knife.
A wrist watch or not a wrist watch anymore. It has lost its strap.
A wallet which has eight dollars in it.
And a lot of lint.

Stuff in my Bed by Joe

1. In my bed there is a sleeping bag that is in a very sorry state. But I like it because it is slightly longer than me, shoulder to toe, so I don't have to curl up. It has been with me on many exciting adventures including a sinking boat and many car rides.

2. Pillows not nearly as heroic as my sleeping bag.

3. A compass which has been on even more adventures than my sleeping bag but is not as interesting. (It points North)

4. Four pocket knives. (Not much to tell there, all new)

5. A blob of aluminum that melted in a fire.

6. A wallet.

7. A Crucifix broken in more than one place but lovingly repaired by my brother, Adam. (Who has good hands.)

8. A couple of bits and bobs that are less interesting than the wallet. (See item 6)



The Inventory to my Humble Sleeping Quarters by Adam

The many and strange things I keep in my sleeping quarters is about to be confided. This is the very first time I have ever even attempted to fathom my small but mysterious bed.

1. A flash light. Why I keep it I have no idea. It is useless in the fact that it does not work.

2. A small blue sleeping bag, looking torn and sorry but unpacked none the less.

3. The usual sleeping requirements. I just thought I would mention the sleeping bag just because it is important to me for some strange reason.

4. A small wooden cache box screwed into my wall. (Did I mention we (my brothers and I) all have a nice sturdy wall in our keeping?) It is crammed full of every object I can fit in it, which consist of: a pen knife which I have to had to bend back into position twice due to the fact that I carve too much. An arrow head which makes a rather bad necklace due to size and coldness. A box of quarters. A wallet which is regrettably empty. That is it for the box, but not half the bed. I guess it will remain mysterious. I like it that way.

Snow and Tom Sawyer

We are having our usual mid-winter interuption of declensions by lake effect snow. It is about 3 ft deep and rising. It has also been very cold so you would think those lakes would freeze already!
The hobbits had a Tom Sawyer moment when they convinced the neighbor boy that snow shoveling is the best work out ever!!!

Poetry Monday

How Far is it to Bethlehem?
By Frances Chesterton

How far is it to Bethlehem?
Not very far.
Shall we find the stable-room
Lit by a star?

Can we see the little Child?
Is He within?
If we lift the wooden latch,
May we go in?

May we stroke the creatures there--
Ox, ass, or sheep?
May we peep like them and see
Jesus asleep?

If we touch His tiny hand,
Will He awake?
Will He know we've come so far
Just for His sake?

Great Kings have precious gifts,
And we have naught;
Little smiles and little tears
Are all we brought.

For all weary children
Mary must weep;
Here, on His bed of straw,
Sleep, children, sleep.

God, in His mother's arms,
Babes in the byre,
Sleep, as they sleep who find
Their heart's desire.