Amos Beck and a six year old Fred were coming home from a hunting trip. Fred was on his shoulders and they were singing all the way back to the house. A song that goes to the tune of "Turkey in the Straw."
"O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skoler,
O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skolar,
O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skolar,
Sings posom up a gum tree an cooney in a holler,
posom up a gum tree, cooney on a stump,
posum up a gum tree, cooney on a stump,
posum up a gum tree, cooney on a stump,
Den over dubble trubble, Zip Coon will jump.
O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
O Zip a duden duden duden duden duden day.
O Zip a duden duden duden duden duden day.
Zip a duden duded duden zip a duden day.":
Amos sees his wife on the porch with a water bucket. "Looks like Leah's got a little job for you Freddy boy!" He smiled at him...but Fred immediately got quiet. Amos was wondering why the boy was acting so strangely. "Its allright son...You'll do just fine!" He and Fred walked up on the porch, with Fred carrying the wild game they had shot.
"Oh, just a measely, little pheasant? Why, it's a scrawny little thing! Barely amounts to anything!" Leah exclaimed, grabbing it from the six year old boy.
"Fred got it, sugar...And at least its something!" Amos said going inside to clean up and to go take a small nap.
"I suppose." Leah stared down at the boy. "Fred...I want you to water my flower plants..." She said and got in his face. "So help me...If you spill any of that water,...you know what's coming, boy." Leah left him with the water bucket and went inside.
Fred stood there in the yard, terrified. He gulped and grabbed the water bucket and began to water her plants. He was so afraid of Mrs. Beck, his hands were shaking. Then, the Beck's goat, Charlie, head-butted Fred and made him fall down. The water splashed all over the front of him!
"...That really hurt, Charlie." Fred groaned and glared at the goat as it ran off. Leah looked out the window and saw Fred soaked from head to toe. Anger boiled up inside her and she stormed outside. She grabbed Fred roughly by the arms and shook him. "What did I tell you?...What did I tell you, boy?...Look at what you've done!...Go get the strap and meet me in the barn!" She said and shoved the boy away.
"But...But..." Fred whimpered.
"Don't you back-talk me, boy!...Now go!"
Terrified, Fred grabbed the whipping strap from inside the house and quickly went to the barn. Mrs. Beck gave Fred such a beating that he felt he was un-able to sit down for a week! Leah told him to go to bed without supper and left and went back inside the house. Fred sat there in the barn, with his arms covering his face and cried for hours until he heard Mr. Beck coming in from the fields, as he was also finished with his job at the blacksmith shop. Fred calmed down and quickly dried his eyes with his shirt sleeves. When he saw that Mr. Beck had went inside, he slowly came into the house. He quietly walked through the kitchen and Mr. Beck caught him as he was about to climb the ladder leading up to the loft.
"Aren't you gonna have supper, son?" Amos asked.
"Ummm...No sir, Mr. Beck..." He looked at Leah, who was glaring at him. "I'm not very hungry right now."
"Well, come back down when you want somethin'. It'll be here waitin' for ya."
"Yes sir." Fred quickly said and climbed the ladder. When upstairs in his room, he carefully took off his shirt and examined his wounds in the mirror. His back was already bruised, and he knew for a fact that his rear-end was sore! He grabbed a gray nightshirt from his dresser and began to get ready for bed. Fred lay in awake in his bed, and all he could do was cry. He heard someone coming up the ladder, so he pretended he was asleep. Whoever it was set something on the end table by his bed and Fred felt a strong, but gentle hand on his back. Fred winced slightly at the gentle touch, for it hurt because of his beatings from the day. Fred felt more blankets covering him, and footsteps going across the floor and back down the ladder. Fred sat up in bed and saw that on the bedside table, was a plate of ham, mashed potatoes, corn and a freshly buttered bisquit. There was also a tall glass of milk to wash it all down with. He eagerly grabbed the plate and ate his supper right there on his bed. He was starving after all. He practically inhaled the glass of milk! Fred set the plate and the glass back on the little table, and now, with his belly all full, he layed down and drifted off to sleep...The next morning, Fred came down from the loft with the plate and the empty glass, and began to wash them.
"You enjoy your meal last night, son?" Amos smiled. Fred turned around and looked at Mr. Beck, who winked at him. Fred smiled and closed one eye to try and wink back at him.
A/N: Fred's beating for watering Mrs. Beck's flowers plants and spilling the water, is a true occurrence.
