The Butcher's
"Who are you," the butcher said harshley.
"My name is Meggie," the child answered.
"Where are your parents Meggie?" the butcher questioned.
"I don't rightly know sir. You see, they left me. Left me when
I was just a wee baby, scarcley old enough to feed myself. A woman
found me and fed and clothed me untill about ten years ago. Then she
turned me out and I've been a lookin' for food and shelter ever
since."
"How old are you?" the butcher questioned, softer now.
"I belive I'm about 15 sir."
"So that woman turned you out of her house when you were
five?"
"Yes sir," Meggie answered.
The butcher got a faraway look in his eyes for a moment. Then he
said, "Follow me. I'll give you a meal and then we'll see about
gettin' you a job in the mornin'."
The child slipped uneasily around the dog sleeping in the butcher's
yard. She crept up to the butcher's garbage can to look for scraps.
She had just begun when the dog awoke. Smelling something new he
quickly found where the child was crouching. The child froze. The
dog barked and the butcher came running out of his house, holding his
shotgun, to catch the intruder. He soon found the child crouched
miserably up against the wall, trying to stay as far away from the dog
as she could. The butcher called the dog off.
