RASCAL THE RACCOON

[The Librarian]

A young boy (we'll call him Johnny), found a raccoon pup and raised him. He called his new pet Rascal. Rascal was very friendly and good company for Johnny, and he went everywhere with Johnny, even slept with him. Of course, Rascal was very curious, and as he grew up he became more and more curious and, sad to say, even destructive. He raided the neighbours' hen houses more than once, and the farmers began to get angry about Rascal's night-time excursions. So, Johnny was forced to put his pet in a cage to keep the farmers from killing him. 

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Johnny knew that Rascal would go crazy if he just imprisoned him all at once, so he devised a way to help Rascal get used to being in a cage. Johnny built the cage himself, and as he was building the cage he allowed Rascal to play with the wood and the wire and nails. As the frame went up Rascal could go in and out of the framework. It was a delightful game they played as the wire was attached to the wooden frame. Rascal followed Johnny around as he constructed each new part of the cage, climbing around and investigating every inch of what was to become his prison. Then Johnny built the door, and Rascal had fun going in and out of the door.

When the cage was finally finished, Rascal went inside, and Johnny shut the door. Rascal was so familiar with the cage that, even though he was now imprisoned, he didn't mind. The cage was now his home.

The moral of this story? Don't let Satan make a "Rascal" out of YOU!!


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