Benjamin Barnaby Brown

By Nan Doyle

Benjamin Barnaby Brown sat on the front step of his mother’s shop.
He was bored. He had nobody to play with and his Mum was a very busy woman.
“My name is Benjamin Barnaby Brown,” he announced as an old lady approached.
She was tall and rather bony. She had a long nose and wrinkly skin. She had blue eyes that twinkled.
She smiled. “My name is Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom,” she replied, and went into the shop to buy her morning paper.
He went out the back to his toy box and fossicked around until he found his cowboy hat.
He went to the broom cupboard, untied his trusty steed and walked into the shop.
“Good-bye Benjamin Barnaby Brown,” said Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom.
He frowned. “I’m not Benjamin Barnaby Brown. I’m a cowboy.”
“Oh! Is this your horse?”
“Yep.” he replied “You can have a ride if you want. Hop on behind me. Hang on tight.”

They rode through the shop. Up and down the aisles.
Past the breakfast cereals, round the soaps and detergents, and galloped by the tinned food.
Benjamin Barnaby Brown waved his hat and yelled “Yee Haa!”
Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom waved her hat and shouted “Yah Hoo!”

Benjamin Barnaby Brown sat on the step waiting for Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom to come for her paper.
‘Hello Benjamin Barnaby Brown,” she said.
He frowned. “I’m not Benjamin Barnaby Brown. I’m Superman.”
“Oh! That is interesting! Can you fly?”
“Yep.” he said, flourishing the towel that was attached to his shoulders with two large safety pins. “Would you like to come for a fly with me? You’ll have to be an aeroplane. You put your arms like this and go Z000ooom!”

They flew through the shop. Past the pet food. Past the toiletries and landed in the hardware department.
“That was fun. Thank you Superman,” said Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom. She paid for her paper and went home.

Benjamin Barnaby Brown stood on the steps.
His hat was on sideways and he wore a black patch over one eye.
“Goodness me, Benjamin Barnaby Brown! Have you hurt yourself?” asked Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom.
“I am not Benjamin Barnaby Brown. I’m a pirate. You can be one too. Pirates only have one leg and you have to hop like this.”
They hopped by the ice cream department, past the soft drinks and the sweets and fell laughing on the floor near the papers and magazines.
“I like being a pirate.” Said Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom.

Some days they were butterflies, flittering and fluttering through the shop. Sometimes they were birds, or Red Indians, or slithering snakes.
One day they sat on a nest while Benjamin Barnaby Brown tied to hatch a chicken from an egg he had taken from the fridge.
That took too long, so his mother cooked it for his dinner that night.
They sat in a rocket ship and flew off into the universe to visit The Man In The Moon.
They passed through The Milky Way and many unknown galaxies.
Benjamin Barnaby Brown and Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom played a game every single day.

One morning Benjamin Barnaby Brown stood on the steps with his mother.
He wore socks and shiny black shoes. A blue shirt with buttons and grey shorts.
He looked sadly at Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom.
“I am Benjamin Barnaby Brown, and I have to go to school. Will you come with me?”
“I’m afraid I can’t to-day.” she said “I am Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom and I have to look after the shop for your Mum.”
She bent low and smiled at him. “You have a good day, young man.”

On Saturday Benjamin Barnaby Brown sat on the step, looking miserable.
When Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom came to collect her paper, he said, “I am Benjamin Barnaby Brown and I want to go to the park to play with my friends from school.”
“Well, why look so sad?” asked Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom.
“My Mum is too busy to take me and I’m not allowed to go by myself. Do you have time, Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom?”

She raised one hand above her head and pointed to the sky.
She extended her other arm to the side and pointed that way.
“I am not Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom,” she declared. “I am a clock and I have all the time in the world.”

Benjamin Barnaby Brown raced into the shop to grab his hat and tell his Mum.
Benjamin Barnaby Brown and Miss Rossington hyphen Rosenbloom walked to the park.
Tick Tocking all the way.

© Nan Doyle 1999