Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a nice little wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss.
One day Benson did a Very Bad Thing.
His mother was very angry with him and very upset. “I can’t believe you would do something like that!” she said.
Benson looked down at the ground and felt terrible.
Aunt Lillibet said, “I’m surprised at you, Benson. What a dreadful thing to do!”
Aunt Moss just looked at him very sadly and said, “Oh, Benson!”
Benson felt so bad he wanted to sink to the bottom of the deepest wombat hole and stay there forever.
He said, “I’m sorry,” in a very quiet voice.
His mother put her arms around him and said, “That’s all right, Benson, I forgive you.”
“I forgive you too,” said Aunt Moss, and patted Benson’s head.
Benson burst into tears.
His mother and Aunt Moss hugged him tight. “It’s all right, now, Benson,” they both said.
Benson stopped crying and felt a lot better.
“Now to make up for what you did, I want you to go and dig over Aunt Moss’s turnip garden and get out all the weeds and put them in the compost heap,” his mother said.
“All right,” Benson said. He felt much happier. “I really am sorry, you know.”
“I know,” his mother said.
Aunt Lillibet said, “It was a dreadful thing to do, Benson. You should never do anything like that again!”
Benson’s mother said sharply, “That will do, Lillibet. It’s over now and forgotten. Please don’t mention it ever again.”
Benson went out and dug Aunt Moss’s garden very happily, and he did an excellent job.
A Wombat Named Benson 