The Horrid Little Boy

                  Benny was a horrid little boy. He was cross, spiteful, and snappy, and his mother often scolded him for being so unkind to his brothers and sisters.
                  'You always behave well when your daddy is at home,' said his mother.
                  'But as soon as he is out of the house you behave more like an animal than a little boy - growling and snapping and snarling at your brothers and sisters like a bad-tempered little dog!'
                  Now one day Benny behaved badly when his father was at home - which was a great mistake, because his father was strict and wouldn't stand any nonsense at all!
                   It happened at dinner-time. All the children were sitting round the table, eating, and their father and mother were one at each end. Benny was grumbling because he hadn't got as much fruit salad as the others - and when he thought no one was looking he thought no one was looking he scooped a big piece of pear from his brother's plate on to his own!
                  His brother saw him and tried to get it back. Benny made a noise like a growl, and slapped his brother in the face. Over went the plate of fruit salad and his father jumped up in a rage.
                  'Benny! You behave worse than the dog under the table! If you can't  behave like a little boy, you can join the dog. Go on the mat!'
                  Well! Think of that! Benny didn't know what to do! But he knew he had to obey, so up he got and went over to the mat.
                  'Lie down on the mat,' said his father in a stern voice, just as if he were speaking to Twister, the dog.
                  Benny lay down. He felt very silly, especially as all the other children began to laugh at him. 
                  He had to stay there till the meal was finished. Then he began to cry.
                  'I'm still hungry ,' he said to his mother. His father went to the kitchen and fetched a bone from the stock-pot.
                  'Here you are,' he said. 'he said. 'Here's a bone for you. Keep it on the mat.' 
                   Oh dear, oh dear! So Benny was to be fed like a dog too! He looked at the bone, but he couldn't touch it! Nasty, horrid, hard bone!
                  'I'm thirsty!' he whined.
                  His father put down a bowl of water for him.
                  'Now, any more whining from you, Benny, and I shall fetch the whip!' he