Benson Gets his Hair Cut

Once there was a young wombat whose name was Benson, who lived in a very nice wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss.

One morning Aunt Lillibet said, “Benson, you need a haircut.”

When Benson was happy, his hair stood up on end all over.

“Moss, you’d better come with us. I need a new hat, and you can help me pick one out,“ Aunt Lillibet said. Benson’s hair lay down all over. Buying hats with Aunt Lillibet was worse than having bull-ants in your socks.

Aunt Moss got her boots and her umbrella and they set off.

At the hairdresser’s, Aunt Lillibet said, “This is Benson. He needs a haircut. I’m just going over to the hat shop but I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

“Are you going to get something new and different, Lillibet?” said Aunt Moss.

“Oh, yes,” said Aunt Lillibet. “My old hat is too low on the top, and much too wide. I want something that stands up higher on the top, and comes in more at the sides.”

“Oh, higher on the top, then, and shorter at the sides,” said Aunt Moss.

“High on the top and short at the sides,” said the hairdresser.

“With some trailing bits down the back, I think,” said Aunt Lillibet.

“Oh, yes, trailing bits down the back would be lovely!” said Aunt Moss.

“Trailing bits down the back,” said the hairdresser.

“What colour are you thinking of?” asked Aunt Moss.

“A nice red, or bright maroon,” said Aunt Lillibet.

“Red or maroon,” said the hairdresser.

“I’ll be back shortly,” said Aunt Lillibet.

She and Aunt Moss went to the hat shop. They were there for a long time. They looked at hats, they tried on hats, lots of different colours, lots of different shapes. Aunt Lillibet bought a hat that was shaped like a letter box. It was blue, with black spots on it that looked like squashed mice.

They finally came back to the hairdresser’s to get Benson. His hair was very short at the sides, and very high on the top, with some trailing bits down the back. It was a nice maroon-y shade of red.

Aunt Lillibet couldn’t say a word. Aunt Moss said, “I wonder what your mother will say.” Benson was so happy that his hair stood up all over.