Little Susan and her lamb

by American Sunday-School Union

When she had nearly finished her porringer, a man came by driving some sheep, which he was going to sell at the next town. Several of the sheep had little lambs with them, and some of these poor little creatures were so tired that they could hardly walk. One little lamb laid down just as it came to the place where Susan was sitting. The man tried to make it get up, but it could not rise, and seemed to be dying. “Well,” said he, “I’ll have your skin at any rate.” So saying, he was about to tie its legs together, and take it upon his shoulder, when Susan spoke to him, and begged very hard that he would leave the little lamb with her, and she would nurse it. “Why, as for that,” said the man, “I suppose I might as well give it you at once, for I don’t reckon you can make much hand of it; and I think I’ll e’en give it to you, for now I recollect, you are the little girl who ran after me over the common last summer, and told me of the boys who had driven two of my best sheep down yonder lane; I should not have found them again in a hurry, if it had not been for you. Well, if you like to have the lamb, take it and much good may it do you.”

He then called his dog, and drove his sheep on. Susan thanked him; she put down her porringer, and took up the lamb, and began to think what she should do with it: its eyes were shut, and it seemed dying. “Well,” said she, “it is no great matter to you, for I suppose they would have killed you to-morrow or next day, but I should have liked you to have lived and played with me. I would have tried to be kind to you, for the Bible says, we are to be merciful to poor dumb creatures like you. God made you, as well as me, and I recollect it is written, ‘that his tender mercies are over all his works.’”

While she was talking in this manner, the lamb opened its eyes a little way, and gave a faint bleat. Susan was delighted. “Poor little thing, perhaps you are hungry,” said she, and taking her spoon, she put a little of the milk into its mouth, and to her great joy saw that it was swallowed. Susan then gave the lamb some more, and wrapped it up closer in her apron. It soon revived with the warmth, and presently was able to stand, it then went to the porringer and drank the rest of Susan’s breakfast; you may be sure she did not grudge it.

Susan now went to her mother, and told all that had happened, and showed her the little lamb. Her mother said she might put it upon the grass-plot behind the cottage. The little girl did so, and before night it was quite well again.

Susan had to go every day to work, but you may be sure she did not neglect her little lamb; every morning when she had her own breakfast, she went and fed it very carefully;—and the lamb was always ready to come as soon as it heard her little mistress call.

Do not you think Susan felt very happy when she looked at the little lamb? She had been kind to it, and felt much more pleased than if she had not taken any care about it. I have known little boys, and girls too, who have taken pleasure in teazing poor animals, but I have always remarked that they were bad children. Those who can take pleasure in killing flies, or hurting dumb creatures, would delight in tormenting their brothers and sisters, or companions, if they dared to do so; and when they grow up to be men and women, unless their evil habits are broken off, they will prove to be wicked people. Our hearts are naturally inclined to do what is evil, and will always take pleasure therein, if they are not changed by divine grace. This is what Jesus told Nicodemus, as you may read in the third chapter of Saint John. Little Susan had been taught this. She felt that it was true, and prayed to God to give her a new heart. She prayed that she might love Christ and believe in him. Christ has said that those who ask shall receive; and in the book of Proverbs, which speaks of him as the True Wisdom, we read that those who seek him early shall find him.

Now, if Susan had not thought about these things, and been led to desire to do what was right, perhaps she would have helped the naughty boys in driving away the sheep, instead of telling them, as she had done, that it was wrong, and following after their owner when she found they would not do what was right. When we see others do wrong, we should always try to persuade them to leave their evil ways; but if they will not listen to us, then we should do all we can to prevent them from succeeding.

The lamb soon grew very fond of Susan, and followed her about every where. If she was absent from home longer than usual, it would lie down before the cottage door, and watch for her, and as soon as she returned, it would frisk about and look quite happy. It was just the same with Susan’s companions, they were always glad to see her, because she was gentle and kind to them.

When I have seen little boys and girls cross, and teazing each other, I have sometimes wondered why they could like to make others uncomfortable, for I have always observed that they did not look happy themselves. But when I recollected that the Bible tells us, that the heart of man is naturally inclined to do evil, I have not wondered any longer at what I have seen. I then thought how very sad it was, that children did not love the Saviour, for then they would have tried to be like him, and would have been much happier. I have longed to tell them about Christ, and how pleasant it is to know him, and to love him. Sometimes when little boys and girls have read “Janeway’s Token for Children,” and other little books which told them about children who have loved Christ, they have desired to be like them. Susan was like these good children; and if a poor man came to ask charity, she was always glad if her mother could spare any thing for him.