Latest / Stories of Don Quixote / Wopsy The Adventures of a Guardian Angel - Gerard F Scriven

Transcript

Wopsy The Adventures of a Guardian Angel - Gerard F Scriven · Stories of Don Quixote

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter one of Wopsy The Adventures of a Guardian Angel.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Wopsy The Adventures of a Guardian
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Angel by Gerald Scribbn w f forward. Have you thought
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: very much about your guardian angel? Have you wondered about
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: his size, or about the feel of his wings, or
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: how closely he walks beside you, or what he does
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: when you are asleep. We have asked many boys and
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: girls these questions, and everyone gives us different answers. One
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: little girl likes to think of her angel dressed in
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: a fluffy blue gown in gold slippers, but her brother
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: quickly disagreed, Ah, he can't worry that if he goes
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: fishing with me. Actually, your guardian angel is a pure spirit.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: Pure means that he is all spirit and has no body.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: It is hard for us human beings to imagine what
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: a spirit really is, and it is much easier for
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: us to think of angels was having bodies. So in
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: this book, Wopsey is like a lovable human being, and
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: no matter what picture you have in mind about your
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: guardian angel. He acts more or less like Whopsey. He
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: is busy day and night, loving God as hard as
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: he can by taking good care of you. Chapter one,
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: Taking Charge. Now, there wasn't heaven a very small angel
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: whose name was Wopsey. This wasn't really an angel's name,
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: for such names are usually beautiful. He was called Wopsy
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: because even the archangels had a hard time remembering his
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: real name, which had fourteen letters. Ever since, Wopsey could remember,
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: and he had a very good memory for such a
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: small angel. He has spent all his time loving God.
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: Then one day God called him by his long and
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: beautiful name, and Wopsey paid attention quickly because it was
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: so unusual. God said, you are going to be a
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: guardian angel and watch over people as well as loving me.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: When Wopsey heard this, he just couldn't help clapping his hands,
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: which were angel hands, of course, and made a beautiful
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: sound like little silver bells tinkling. You see, he had
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: always envied, in quite an angelic sort of way, of course,
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: the important angels who guarded people from harm and from
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: big and little devils. Whopsy wasn't a bit afraid of devils,
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: for whom he had a great contempt, quite out of
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: proportion to his size. Then God told Wopsy that because
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: he was only small and without any experience, he would
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: have to start guarding a very small person, in fact,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: just a baby who lived in Africa. Whopsy was so excited.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Oh how lovely, cried Wopsy, and his hands tinkled and tinkled.
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: He loved black babies, all the little angels did, because
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: they had big white eyes and such a beautiful shiny
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: black skin. May I call him shiny, asked Wopsey at once,
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: and God's he could call him anything he liked, because
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: he had only a horrible pagan name, which he who
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: eats too much. Besides, God said he hoped that if
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Wopsey looked after him well, he who eats too much
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: would one day be baptized and have a lovely Christian name.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: So Wopsy flew off his wings, making a noise like
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: butterflies when they are happy. First, he flew to see
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: some important guardian angels who were not busy just then,
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: but who had lots of experience, and he asked them
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: for some tips. They gave him so many that Wopsey
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: got them all mixed up. And had to spend quite
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: a time straightening them out. When all was ready at
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: last and the ideas were all neatly stirred away between
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: the feathers of his wings, Wopsy flew off and slid
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: right down a moonbeam because he was a very happy
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: little angel, and landed right in front of the hut
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: where he who eats too much lived with his parents.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: Wopsey clapped his hands outside the door, but no one came,
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: so he went right through the door, as angels do,
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: and look for the black baby. Oh dear, he said,
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: what an awful place to live in, And wherever are
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: you shiny? Just then he heard a tiny noise under
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: a piece of cloth in the corner, and there he
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: found the tiniest black baby he had ever seen. Oh,
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: said Wopsey, what a lovely black baby, and how beautifully shiny.
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: Then he kissed him with an angel's kiss, which made
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: the baby stop making a noise at once. It opens
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: its eyes, and Wopsey looked right down into its soul.
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: But suddenly Wopsey trembled and nearly fell over with horror,
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: for right down in the soul of Shiny he saw
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: nothing but darkness, and he knew it was caused by
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: original sin. Oh dear, said Wopsey, I must try to
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: change that. Then he went outside and sat on the
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: stone to think. But as soon as he sat down,
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: he started loving God as hard as he could, because
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: he knew that was the best way to find out
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: what to do. Poor Wopsey, it had been a shock
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: to find that the soul of a black baby was
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: as black as its skin. Wopsy had never seen a
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: soul like that before. It didn't have any like that
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: in heaven. It made him feel quite poorly for a
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: minute or two. Of course, it wasn't Shiney's fault that
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: his soul was black, but there it was, and it
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: did seem a shame. He really must do something about it.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: For quite a long time, Wopsey sat and loved God
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: as hard as he could. Then he sprang up and
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: flew off to do some exploring. First of all, though
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: he took another peep it Shiny to make sure he
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: was safe and sound and sleeping peacefully. Then he was
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: off in and out of the trees over the fields
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: and hills, seeing what he could do. What a lot
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: of queer beasts there were prowling about under the trees.
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: They were so wonderful, especially the lions and the elephants,
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: that Wopsey simply had to stop on the tree and
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: praise God about them for a bit. Just to be
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: on the safe side, and because he felt it his duty,
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: Wopsey flew back to Shiny for a minute. It didn't
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: take him long to get there, because small angels of
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: a simply marvelous way of getting about, even when there
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: are no moonbeams to slide down. He arrived just in
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: time to chase away two enormous beetles and a spider
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: that were going to wake Shining up and make him scream.
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: Then he flew off again, back over the trees faster
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: than any bird, until he came to a village where
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: he had a peep at lots of black men and women,
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: all fast asleep. Wopsey was glad to see all these
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: people so quiet and good. He said to himself, if
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: they're all like that, they can't be very difficult to
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: look after. But another guardian angel with loss of experience,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: who happened to be passing, said, you wait till they
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: all wake up. Honestly, you never saw such a crowd.
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: Wopsy didn't stay to have a chat, although he would
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: have liked to, for you see, he had to get
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: his bit of exploring done before daybreak off. He flew
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: again till he saw another village in the distance. Then
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: suddenly his wings fluttered and trembled, his eyes danced a
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: thrill angel joy, and with a song of happiness, he
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: flew straight towards a tiny building where our little lamp
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: was burning. Before you could say Jack Robinson, he was
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: inside and dancing about, tinkling his hands and fluttering his wings.
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: Then he knelt down and bowed very low and was
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: quiet for a long time. He was just loving God
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: as hard as he could, and thinking about shining with
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: the black soul that didn't shine at all. Presently, he
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: sprang up, waved his hand to say good bye, and
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: flew off over the trees again. It was nearly morning now,
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: and the tree tops were full of brightly colored birds,
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: singing away as hard as they could. It seemed to
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: Wopsey that they were all loving God too, and that
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: made him very happy. So he sat for a minute
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: on the topmost branch of a tree and tinkled his
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: hands together and sang his own song about loving God.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: It was a wonderful song. Now it sounded just like
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: the nightingale in the evening, Now like a little stream
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: chasing through the reeds and tumbling over the stones. Now
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: like a little breeze playing in the leaves. But all
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: the time there was another part which was more quiet
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: and beautiful, and that was the real angel part of
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: the song. When morning came and the sun peeped through
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: the trees, Wapsy flew back to the hut to keep
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: an eye on Shiny. He sat down beside him and
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: went on singing his angels song, thinking what a pity
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: it was that Shiny couldn't sing it to end of
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: chapter one, chapter two of Wopsy The Adventures of a
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Guardian Angel by GERALDF. Scriven w F Chapter two, A
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: very Happy Little Angel. Ordinarily, Wopsey wasn't too busy. There
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: were beetles and spiders to be kept away from Shiny.
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: There were snakes that had to be coaxed in another direction.
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: There were sunstroke and fever mosquitoes to be avoided, but
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: that was all in the day's work. One thing, however,
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: did bother Wopsy very much, and that was Shiny's soul.
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: If he had been a worrying sort of person, which
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: angels know. For ur Wopsey would certainly had been in
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: a dreadful state. I suppose bigger guardian angels were used
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: to unbaptize souls, but Wopsy wasn't, and he meant to
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: do something about it. So whenever he loved God, and
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: that was all the time, really, Wopsey brought up the
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: question of shiny soul. One day, when Shiny was playing
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: about on the ground in front of the hut making
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: mud pies. He suddenly got tired of his pies, as
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: babies do, and looked round for something else to play with.
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: All at once, he clapped his hands with joy and
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: toddled towards a fire which was burning in a hole.
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: Cooking pots were standing near it. When Shiny got near,
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: he leaned over the hole and stretched out his hands
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: to the flames. Wopsy was watching and was just going
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: to call the baby away with an angel song when
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: he heard God speaking. God told Wopsey to leave Shiny
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: to himself. Now, if Wopsy hadn't been an angel, he
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: would not have understood what God was saying, but he
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: knew for sure that God would not let anything happen
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: to sh if it were not really good for him.
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: Wopsey just loved God a bit harder and watched Shiney
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: leaned over with little gurgles of happiness. Then suddenly he
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: slipped and fell headlong into the fire. In a minute,
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: he was all fire. He began to scream as hard
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: as ever a baby could. His mother, Nakanaka, rushed out
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: of the hut and grabbed him by his toes, which
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: seemed to be the only part of him that was
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: not a light. Quickly, she wrapped a big piece of
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: cloth around him to put out the flames, but poor
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: Shiny was terribly burned. Wopsey sat there motionless, feeling very
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: sorry for Shiny, but trusting God as hard as he could.
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: He saw Knakanaka fetch a wooden bowl with oil and
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: poured it all over Shiny. He was very quiet now
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: and seemed to be asleep. Suddenly Wopsey heard God whispering
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: to him again and listened very carefully. A most wonderful
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: angel smile came to Wopsy's face, and he clapped his
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: hands again and again. Then he bowed his wings in
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: adoration for a few seconds, jumped up and flew off
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: over the tree tops, went Wopsey, gliding down the sunbeams
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: to the forest streams, then tumbling over the surface of
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: the water and down the waterfalls. For he was such
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: a happy little angel. Soon he came to a group
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: of buildings set in a garden where children were playing.
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: He had been here before, and he knew the building
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: with a little lamp spurning where God lived. This time though,
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: he did not go to the church, but to the
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: house next door. First, he peeped into a window on
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: the ground floor, where he saw a man dressed all
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: in white, wearing a long chain and cross around his neck.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: He was writing in a big book. That's the one,
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: said Wopsy to himself, and flew in through the window.
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: Just then the missionary, for it was a missionary, got
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: up to get another book from a shelf, and while
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: he was getting it, Wopsey blew the pages of the
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: big book over until he came to a page on
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: which was written Matongu. Nowmatongu was the name of the
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: village where Shiny lived. The missionary came back, sat down
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: and caught sight of the name on the open page. Oh,
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: he thought, I'd almost forgotten Matongu. And he read what
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: was written beneath. Then he got up and told another
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: priest in another room that he had just remembered he
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: had not been to Matongu for a long time, and
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: you must really go and see the people there that
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: very day. Wopsey smiled and sang and clapped his hands
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: as he watched the missionary get his motorbike ready. Then
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: he followed the priest along the forest paths. When they
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: got near the house where Nakanaka lived, right at the
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: edge of the village, Wopsey suddenly bent down and did
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: something to the motorbike, which gave a gasping noise, and
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: then stopped. I wonder what's wrong now, said the missionary
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: as he got down to have a look. At that
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: very moment, Naka Naka came out of her hut. She
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: saw the priest and came running over crying, Bwona, braona,
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: come at once. My baby is burned, oh, said the missionary.
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: That's why the engine stoped, is it. Then he took
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: a little box from the back of the machine and
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: went over to the hut. He very gently lifted Shiny
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: up and began to unwrap him. Then he got some
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: ointment from his box and some cotton and bandages and
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: rapped Shiny up again, till he looked like a baby mummy.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: Wopsy was watching carefully, and his eyes shining like stars.
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: He drew near and whispered something in the missionary's ear.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Then the priest took another good look at Shiny. Yes,
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: thought the missionary, this is a pretty sick little baby.
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: He may die. Then he took another little bottle and
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: some cotton from the box. Wopsey came near and knelt
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: down while his wings trembled with happiness. As the missionary
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: bent over Shiny, he said some words in Latin. Wopsy
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: understood the words of baptism, and he heard the word John.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: He jumped up and bent over Shiny to look down
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: through his eyes into his soul. How lovely it was now,
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: gom was all the stain of original sin. Shiny soul
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: was beautiful and clean. The missionary smiled at Shiny, said
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: good bye to his mother, and went off to his
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: motorbike again. To his surprise, it started right away, so
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: he set off down the road to Mutangu, very happy
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: and pleased. But Wapsy, having seen that Shiny had gone
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: quietly to sleep, flew off to heaven to see an
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: important angel who kept the Big Books of Heaven, with
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: whom he now had some business. End of chapter two,
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: Chapter three of Whopsy The Adventures of a Guardian Angel
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: Budgerodo Scribbin w F. This LibriVox recording isn't the public
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: domain recording by Maria Teres. Chapter three. What happens at night?
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: Most people think it a guardian angel stops working for
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: the night when the person he has taken care of
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: is safely as sleep. But what does he do? Does
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: he just fly off to heaven to get orders for
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: the next day and see that all the entries in
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: the big book are correct. Of course he has to
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: do this, but it doesn't take all night by any means.
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: For angels are very quick about everything. They think nothing
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: of popping up to heaven while you are taking a
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: deep breath. Many people go to bed feeling very sad
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: and wretched. Perhaps they've had to say goodbye to someone
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: they love very much, or perhaps their children have been
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: unkind to them. At night, their gradiing angel helps them
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: to get to sleep quietly, and then he strokes their
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: forehead with his angel hands to smooth their cares away.
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: They wake up in the morning, feeling quite happy. Again,
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: That's only one of the things an angel does. There
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: are many other things to do at night too. Devils
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: are particular the act of at night, though you might
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: not think so. Of course. One of the worst devils
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: is the midday devil, who never comes out at night.
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: But there is also one called the business, who walks
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: in the darkness. Wopsy had an encounter with the Business
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: one night, soon after Shiny had been burned so badly.
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: He had left Shiny sleeping peacefully having a pleasant dream
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: about mud pies, and went off to have a look
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: round the forest. He loved doing this, there were so
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: many exciting things to see. He flew up into the
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: trees and peeped into the nest of the birds to
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: see that all the little ones were snuggled up warm.
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: He peecked beneath the ant hills and saw them all
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: asleep in their dormitories. He played hide and seek with
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: the owls and other birds which cap late hours. He
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: slipped up and down the moonbeams and listened to the
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: song of the waterfalls that don't keep any hours at all.
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: Sometimes he heard the song of the nightingale, which he
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: turned into love of God and sent up to heaven.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: On this particular night, Wopsy had done all these things
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: when suddenly he knew in a way the Guardian angels
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: know that Shiny was in danger. Quickly he shot across
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: the sky back to the hut where his black baby lived. Yes,
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: as he suspected, the Business who Walks in the Darkness
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: was piling around. First of all, the business made sure
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: there were no holy water fonts or blessed candles about
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: things he couldn't stand. Then he sneaked into the hut,
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: trying to keep out of the light of the moonbeams.
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: Wopsey saw him, however, because he was blacker than any
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: other part of the night, and followed him in. The
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: business crept up to Nakanaka, SHINee's mother and started putting
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: ideas into her head. Dreadful ideas they were. You see,
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: the business was downright provoked that Shiny had been baptized
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: and now wanted to be Riddish Shiny before he grew
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: up and received instructions from the missionary. So the business
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: was suggesting that Shiny had been so badly burned that
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: he would never really get well again, but would always
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: be ugly and deformed. The business was suggesting that the
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: best thing to do with the black baby, who was
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: badly burned, was to leave him out in the forest
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: for the lions to take away. Otherwise the spirits of
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: Nakanaka's ancestors would haunt her and make her ill. Of course,
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: this all sounds very silly, but Shiny's mother was a pagan,
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: and it was not unusual for pagans to throw their
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: sick children away because they were afraid of their ancestors,
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: just as if a grandmother or a grandfather would want
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: to do anybody any harm. When Wapsey heard the suggestions
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: the business was making, he became very cross and indignant,
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: fancy throwing his shiny jawn to the lions the idea. Quickly,
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: he went into the hut where the baby lay and
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: began to shine, first like a tiny glow worm, then
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: brighter and brighter, until the sun seemed to have come
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: into the hut. When Wapsey began to shine, the business
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: simply faded away until he disappeared altogether. This goes to
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: prove that even the biggest devils can be got rid
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: of if only you said about it in the right way.
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: As soon as he had gotten rid of the business. Wopsey,
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: turning to Nakaraka, stroked her forehead very gently to smooth
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: away all the fear of spirits and ancestors. Then he
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: whispered to her that Shiny would get quite well again
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: if she took good care of him. He said that
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: Shiny was a very lovable little baby, and that he
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: might grow up to be a fine strong man who
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: would be useful to his mother. All this and much more,
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: Wopsy told Nakanaka. In the end, she had a lovely
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: dream about Shiny growing up and becoming a Buana missionary
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: like the white men. When Nakanaka woke up in the morning,
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: she only remembered the nice dream. So she went over
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: the Shiny and kissed him and whispered that she would
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: take good care of him so that he would be
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: a Bana one day. End of chapter three. Chapter four
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: of Whopsy The Adventures of a Guardian Angel by Gerard
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: Scriven w F. This LibriVox recording is in the public
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: domain recording by Maria Terrees. Chapter four, Wopsy goes off
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: on business. Naka Knaka was worried about Shiny at times,
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: but she carefully followed the instructions of the Bana missionary,
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: and little by little, Shiny got well again. No one
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: was more pleased than Wapsy, who helped with angel medicine.
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: Since this was the first time he was a guardian
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: angel to anybody, he didn't want it to end so quickly,
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: especially as Shiny was now baptized and could be called John.
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: Shiny became well and strong, and continued to get bigger
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: and fatter, as all babies do when fed right. Wopsy
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: simply loved to look deep down in Shiny's eyes and
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: see God in his soul. He saw other things there too.
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: They were the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, very small,
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: of course, but shining quite clearly. Wopsey did so want
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: these virtues to grow big and strong, but Shiny's mother,
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: being a pagan, wouldn't be any help. She meant well,
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: of course, but it never occurred to her to teach
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: Shiny his prayers. She didn't know any herself. She had
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: never heard of Jesus and Mary because she had never
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: been to the mission and the missionaries didn't often come
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: her way. Wopsey called to the Guardian Angel of Naka
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: Naka and asked him to keep an eye on Shiny
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: for a bit, as he had to go rather a
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: long way on important business. Mind he doesn't fall into
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: the fire, and see he does what his mother tells him,
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: Wopsey said. The other angel smiled because he knew Wopsy
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: was rather particular about Shiny, and told him not to worry.
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: Wopsey flew straight to a house on the outskirts of
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: a big town. It was a fairly big house of
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: a large garden, but Wopsey didn't stop to admire the flowers.
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: He went at once to peep in the windows. He
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: saw a little boy reading by the fire in an
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: arm chair. The boy was about nine, and he was
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: chuckling to himself as he read the story called Peter
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: Pan and Windy. Wopsy flew into the room through the
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: wall as angels do, and peeped at the book. Then
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: he laughed too, for after all, he said to himself,
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: Peter Pan was something like me. For a few moments,
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: Wopsey sat in another arm chair with his wings tucked away.
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: Then he nodded and smiled and said to himself, just
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: a sort of boy for me. Having obtained permission from
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: the boy's own guardian angel Walpsy flew over and started
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: whispering behind the boy. He wasn't really saying words for
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: angels don't need to. But if we could put it
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: into words, this is what it would be. Yes, Peter
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: Pan was a nice boy, but he wasn't really very useful,
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: was he. He didn't do much to help other people,
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: did he. Have you ever thought of helping other people? Yes?
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: I know you have, because you told mother you wanted
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: to be a priest some day, and priests are always
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: helping other people. Well, I want to tell you about
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: some people who need helping very badly. Out in Africa.
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: There are many poor pagans who don't know anything about God,
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: and they've never heard about Jesus and Mary because there
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: aren't enough priests to teach them. These pagans have no
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: idea how to get to heaven. Don't you think you
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: might perhaps be a missionary and go and help them.
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: Later that evening, Wopsey flew back to the little boy's
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: house again. The curtains were drawn, but Wopsey flew in
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: any way. There he saw mother knitting and father reading
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: a book. Suddenly mother looked up and said, has John
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: said anything to you about being a missionary. Father looked
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: up and shook his head quickly. Wopsey went behind him
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: and stood it whispering in his ear. Mother went on.
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: He came to me this evening and asked me if
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: I should mind much if he went away to Africa
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: to teach the Pagans. I didn't tell him that I've
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: been praying for that ever since he was a baby.
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: I jest said, we'd have to think about it. She
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: looked rather anxiously at father. Father sat gazing into the fire,
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: not seeming to notice that the little angel was still
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: whispering in his ear. At first he looked worried, but
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: after a few moments he shook his head again and
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: smiled well. He said, I had hoped we should be
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: able to keep him at home, but if God wants him,
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: there's nothing more to be said about it. But he's
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: very young and will have to wait. Wopsy didn't stay
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: to hear any more. He darted around and kissed them both,
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: which made him feel very happy, although they didn't know why.
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: Then he was off again. He has several more houses
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: to visit, and he had to pop into church again
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: to get directions. When he had made all his calls.
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: He flew high up over the clouds and flashed across
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: the sky. People looking up said, there's a shooting star,
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: but they didn't know the star was a Gerdian angel
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: flying in the sky. And less than no time Wapsy
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: was back in Matanngu, where Shiney lived. The big Gerdian
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: angel he had left in charge, said, you have to
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: be careful. Shiny John is getting bigger and he is
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: looking after most all the time. I saw a big
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: devil hanging around yesterday. That's a sure sign. Take my
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: advice and don't let him out of your sight. Wopsey
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: said he wouldn't, and thank the angel and told the
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: other angels all about his visits far away over the sea.
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: End of chapter four, Chapter five of Whopsey The Adventures
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: of a Guardian Angel by Gerardof's gribven w F. This
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Maria Therese.
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: Chapter five Wopsey Weep's Angel tears. All was sunshining cheerfulness
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: in the forest. The birds were singing. The crickets were
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: rubbing their back legs together, making no end of noise,
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: as they always do when they are happy, and even
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: the lions were purring in their dens. Shiny, or rather John,
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: was growing to be a sturdy little black boy. Wopsey
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: was busy these days, for John was always getting into mischief.
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: Up to the present, however, he had never done anything
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: really very naughty. On this bright summer day, he was
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: playing by himself in the forest catching butterflies. Wopsy was
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: catching them too, but they didn't mind being caught by him,
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: for he always let them go again. It was just
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: for fun. Naka Naka had told Shiny he could play
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: as much as he liked among the trees, but that
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: he must not eat any berries. Although he was small,
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: Shiny understood quite well. He was an obedient little boy,
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: and his mother always said that there wasn't another boy
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: in the village like him. Quite right, Wopsy would say
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: to himself, for he's the only one with a clean soul,
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: and that makes a difference. One of the butterflies was
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: very hard to catch, and Shiny chased it quite a
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: long way. At last, when it came to rest on
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: the bush covered with lovely red berries, Shiny almost had it,
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: but it flew off again and Shiny didn't go after it.
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: He just stood and looked at the berries. At that
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: very moment, some one came towards him, dodging behind the
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: trees and looking rather fearfully to where Wapsy was sitting
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: on a branch with butterflies flying round his head. It
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: was a peculiar looking creature, very big and bulky, in fact,
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: almost bumpy, with two buointant things sticking out of its head,
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: and a long tail trailing behind. Wopsey had noticed it
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: and was watching very carefully, although he pretended not to,
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: he knew what this particular creature was, and Wyat looked
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: as if it had once been very nice looking. Shiny
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: continued to look at the berries, and the person came
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: up and whispered in his ear, lovely berries. You can
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: be sure they taste lovely too. To himself, Shiny said,
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: mommy said not to eat berries. The person whispered back,
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: mommy won't know. She can't see. Quick as a flash,
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: Wopsey flew down. You ought to be ashamed of yourself,
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: he cried, A hulking devil like you coming to tempt
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: a little boy like Shiny. I've heard of you, Pong.
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: You're always going after children. Why don't you go after
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: someone your own size. Then he turned to shine and
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: began to whisper in his other ear, But Shiny had
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: already stretched out his hand, seized the branch of berries,
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: and begun eating them as fast as he could. Paum
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: was trembling all over, for the sight of a Gardian
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: angel always made him lose his nerve. But he began
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: to chuckle too, a horrible chuckle, like the rasp of
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: a file on a piece of iron. Poor Wopsy, he
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: was only a little angel, and this was the first
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: time Shiney had done wrong. He was just able to
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: whisper in Shiny's ear that he had better go home.
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: Shiny seemed to hear ran home, but Wopsey just sat
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: on the ground with his wings drooping in the dust
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: and big tears running down his cheeks. How could any
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: one be so naughty? Just then the big angel flew
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: by and caught sight of Wopsey. He came down, put
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: his arms around his shoulders and comforted him. He knew
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: what it was all about, of course, for angels don't
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: really need to talk at all. They can understand each other.
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: If he has spoken as we do, we would have
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: heard this. Never mind, Wopsey. I know it's hard the
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: first time, but you see, little boys are not angels,
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: and they all do wrong. Sometimes. You mustn't worry too
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: much about John, who is really a very good little boy.
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: The best thing you can do is to go make
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: sure he is sorry about it, and then begin all
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: over again. I know you will never get used to it.
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: It hurts every time, but it's all part of our job.
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: This comforted Wopsey a great deal, and he was really
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: very happy inside. It's difficult to explain what goes on
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: inside angels. They are so different from human beings, and
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: even when they are sad and want to cry, they
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: are not really unhappy. How can they be when they
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: are so near to God. Wopsy soon became a happy
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: little angel again and hurried off to make things right
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: for Shiny. Poor Shiny. Wopsy found him lying in the
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: hut with a very bad stomach ache while his mother
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: was explaining how hard she was going to thrash him
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: when he got well again. Now it was Wopsy's turn
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: to do something comforting, and he did it very well.
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: Soon he had Shiny feelings sorry for having been disobedient
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: and almost forgetting about the stomach ache. This was just
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: what Wopsy wanted. And when he was sure Shiny was
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: quite sorry, he flew off to Heaven to see the
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: important Angel who keeps the books, to make quite sure
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: that he had got the whole affair down correctly. He
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: was specially careful to explain the sheer Pong he had
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: had in the matter. Yes, said the big Angel, I
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: have had a lot of complaints about Pong lately. I
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: must speak to Michael about him. End of chapter five,
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: Chapter six of Wopsy The Adventures of a Guardian Angel
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: by Gerard F. S. Griven w F. The s Lipprivox
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: recording Isn't the Public domean recording by Maria Terce, Chapter six,
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: The Wanglings of Wopsey. That affair with Pong and the
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: berries made Wapsy very thoughtful for him some days afterwards.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: Of course, it hadn't been a very serious affair, really,
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: but Pong was sure to hang about again like the
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: wicked devil he was, and what could a little fellow
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: like Shiny do against him. He was baptized, it was true,
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: but he never said any prayers, he never went to church,
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: and as things were, he wouldn't ever be able to
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: go to confession and communion. No wonder his guardian angel
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: was worried. Even an old, experienced angel might have been disturbed,
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: but poor Wopsey was terribly upset. Something must be done
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: about it. So first of all he went round to
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: a number of other guardian angels who were working in
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: the Matongu district and who might have some tips for him.
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: One suggested that Shiny might die young and go straight
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: to heaven. Wopsey agreed this might happen, but he had
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: other ideas for his John. Another angel said that if
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: his mother and father died, the missionaries might come and
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: take Shiny as an orphan. This was not a bad idea,
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: but Wopsey didn't want John's mother and father to die
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: just yet. They were still unbaptized, and he knew their
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: guardian angels wouldn't like it at all. The third suggestion
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: was best. More missionaries simply must come to Matanu and
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: build a church in a house and live there. Then
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: he Wopsey would easily be able to arrange for Shiny
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: to go to Catechism and be brought up a little Christian.
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: One fine afternoon, when Shiney was busy eating the lunch
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: his mother had given him. Wapsy flew off over the
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: trees to the distant village where the missionaries lived. Again.
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: There was a long line of big Guardian angels waiting,
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: but Wopsey wouldn't be put off. This time. Wopsey found
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: Father George sitting in his chair, looking very tired and
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: reading his bravery. He was just saying, Oh, ye, Angels
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: of the Lord, bless an exult him forever. Wopsey read
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: the words and knelt to bless and exalt the Lord himself.
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: Then he went up and started whispering in the priest's
• 33:08
  Speaker 1: ear softly while he went on with his prayers. When
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: he had said what he wanted to Father George, Wopsey
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: popped into the church, knelt down with his wings fluttering happily,
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: and stayed quite still for a minute or two. Then
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: he jumped up blew a kiss to Jesus in the tarbernacle.
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: He was only a small angel, and flew off to
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: see how Shining was getting on. He found him quite
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: happy and safe, so Wopsy flew off again to the
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: mission The priest had finished his prayers and was talking
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: to another priest about villages that had to be visited.
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: He was just saying, it's a long time since we
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: had been to Matongu. You know, you remember there's a
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: baby there I baptized. I really ought to go and
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: keep an eye on him. It's such a pity there,
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: so far away from here. Why not go tomorrow, said
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: the other priest. You could take your tent and the boy,
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: then go on from there to Muongo and Ausangu and
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: Potou and still be back for Sunday. But what a
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: lot of work you will have while I'm away, said
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: Father George. There are the catechism classes and the confessions
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: and sick calls. Besides, you're not really well yet. You
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: still look a bit feverish. Never mind that, said Father Superior.
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: You get off to Matangu and the other places. I'll
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: mannage all right. Wopsey clapped his hands till they tinkled
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: and tinkled. Then he went up and hugged the two missionaries,
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: who suddenly felt very happy. Without quite knowing why. Wopsey
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: danced around and chatted with the other angels while Father
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: George got everything ready. He seemed to take a long time,
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: but of course he didn't know that an impatient little
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: angel was waiting for him to start, Otherwise he would
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: have hurried more. At last he was ready. There was
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: an oblong box on the back of the motorbike with
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: a neat little altar in it, a folded tent for
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: the missionary, and a Negro helper named Michael sitting on
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: top of the tent. There was a bang or two,
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: then a whizzing noise, a cloud of dust, and Father
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: George was off. So was the catechist, or very nearly,
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: but he just managed to keep his seat. He was
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: always a bit nervous when he went out with Father George.
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: Of course, he couldn't guess if they had three guardian
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: angels with them for this journey. The picky pickie, as
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: the native people called the motorbike bounced along past the
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: fields of maize, through the banana plantations, across the rickety
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: bridge over the river, then a long narrow path beneath
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: the shade of giant trees. The forest grew thicker and thicker.
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: The little monkeys scampered about among the trees, and all
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: the air was filled with the hum of thousands of insects.
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: Father George was used to all this, and he didn't
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: take much notice In fact, he was wondering whether he
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: had remembered to put that spare piece of string in
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: his pocket in case the exhaust pipe fell off as
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: it had last time. The Guardian Angels were vigilant, however,
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: because there were so many thorns in the way that
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: might have punctured the tires. Besides the whole that had
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: to be avoided. Wopsy was lending a hand, but at
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: the same time he was able to keep an eye
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: on the forest and all the strange things that lived
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: in it. After about an hour, the narrow path plunged
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: down into a valley. Father George drove down with not
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: a worry in the world. He couldn't see that the
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: Guardian Angels were looking quite concerned about something in front,
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: but he did notice when Michael, the catechist gave a
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: shout that sounded loud above the noise of the engine. Yes,
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: there was something on the path at the bottom of
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: the valley, and it did look very much like a lion.
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: Father George couldn't stop and turned round in time, And besides,
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: he had to go to Matanga that afternoon, so he
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: set up prayer to his angel, drove the bike as
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: fast as it would go and sounded his cracked old
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: horn to scare the animal away. The bike went fast,
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: but Wopsey and the other angels went faster. The lion
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: was already very confused by this queer, big noise that
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: was rushing at him. It was quite a new sort
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: of noise for him. Suddenly, with some then he couldn't see,
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: got hold of his tail and pulled. He forgot about
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: Father George and Michael for a minute. During that minute,
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: Father George roared by and started climbing the opposite hill.
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: Wopsey said to the other angels, you look after them.
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: Alsie did this, he hung on to the lion's tail
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: as hard as he could. The lion turned round, looking
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: most surprised and angry, but Wopsey didn't let go until
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: the motorbike was almost out of sight. Then he let
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: go the lion's tail, patted the lion on the tip
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: of his nose and told him to be a good
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: boy and go home. The lion turned and went home
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: like a lamb. As for Father George and Michael, they
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: were a bit scared, but the priest just wiped his
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: brow and thought of the good story he could tell
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: when he got back to the mission. The rest of
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: the journey was uneventful, except that the exhaust pipe did
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: fall off and had to be tied on, with the
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: pieces straying after all. End of chapter six Chapter seven
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: of Wopsey The Adventures of a Guardian Angel by Gerard F.
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: Scriven w F. This liprivox recording is in the public
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: domain recording by Maria Teres. Chapter seven, Father George says
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: mass at Matangu, Wopsey had enjoyed the tug with a
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: lion and flew on to prepare Nakaraka and Shiny for
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: the visitor. He flew quickly on to Matangu, leaving the puffing,
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: chugging motorbike far behind. Shiny had long since finished eating,
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: but the other animals assured Wapsey that they had taken
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: good care of him. In the meantime, Wopsey took one
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: look deep into Shiny's eyes to make sure all was well,
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: and it was. Nakanaka was out in the fields working,
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: but as soon as her guardian angel heard that Father
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: George was on his way, he whispered into her ear
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: and she decided it was time to go home. She
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: got back to her hut and found Shiny having a
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: fight with another little boy. They were great friends, really,
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: but they had to have a fight now and then
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: to make life more interesting. Whopsey thought this was good
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: for Shiny and didn't mind at all, but Knaka Naka
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: gave them both a box on the ears and sent
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: Shiny into the hut. Shiney didn't mind because he had
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: been getting the worst of the fight. There came from
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: the neighboring forest, a succession of loud bangs, a roar
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: like the sound of many lions, and a continuous rattling noise.
• 39:24
  Speaker 1: It was Father George arriving. The birds of the forest
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: did not know Father George, so they arose from the
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: trees and flocks twittering anxiously. Very few people in Ma
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: Tongu knew Father George's motorbike could make such noise, so
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: they rushed to the shelter of their huts and prepared
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: for the worst. It was a rather frightening noise, for
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: the exhaust pipe had fallen off again and couldn't be found.
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: There was a final roar, and Father George jumped off
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: the bike to see if there was anything else missing. Slowly,
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: black heads peeped down the openings of huts. Then one
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: by one the inhabitants came out, much relieved to see
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: that here is no change new beasts, but only Father
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: George and Pickeapickie. An excited chattering group gathered round the missionary.
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: Each one found that he had something very important that
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: he wanted to ask, while most of them discovered a
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: pain somewhere which required urgent attention from the missionary's medicine box.
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: Wapsey was there too, full of happiness because Father George
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: had come and because mass was going to be offered
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: next morning. Michael the catechist was happy too, because he
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: had arrived safely in spite of the motorbike. He began
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: putting up the tent at once. When it got dark,
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: one by one, the black heads were laid on the ground,
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: which was all the pillow they needed. Father George lit
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: a lamp and set his prayers before going to bed.
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: Shining too lay down in his hut, and Wopsey stroked
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: Shiny's forehead to give him happy dreams as he fell asleep.
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: Then he went to join the song of the birds.
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: It was to love and praise God that he did this,
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: for he knew that the birds sing for no other reason. Presently,
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: even the nightingales went to sleep, and all the forest
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: was silent. Walpsy sat on the tree top, enjoying the
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: moon and praising God. Next morning, the sun shone through
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: all the doors and windows of the forest. It shone
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: on the nests of the birds and awakened them to
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: a new day of song. It shone on the insects,
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: who began to buzz cheerily. It shone through the open
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: doorways of the huts onto black heads that turned and
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: went to sleep again. It shone in the tent of
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: Father George, who rose to his knees and began to
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: say his prayers. It awoke the catechist Michael, who jumped
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: up and began to prepare the altar for Mass. Before
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: the sleepy black heads had turned again, the sun was
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: shining on the white habit of Father George, who was
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: walking up and down making his morning meditation, thinking about
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: God as he did every morning before saying Mass. Beneath
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: the flop of the tent was a neat little altar.
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: All was ready, and Father George started putting on his vestments,
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: very special ones. They were then in light as a feather.
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: There was no one at mass but Father George and Michael,
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: And yet there was a great crowd. They couldn't be
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: seen around that little altar, for all the guardian angels,
• 42:05
  Speaker 1: for miles and miles around, came flocking there, even a
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: number of big angels to come down from heaven, especially
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: for the occasion. Of course, Wobsey was there with his
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: angel heart full of gladness, for God himself was to
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: be present on this little altar. Holy Mass began and
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: the Angel stood at taking the prayers up to Heaven.
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: Slowly and reverently, Father George said Mass, and then came
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: the great moment of the consecration. There was a hush
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: among the angels, while even the birds of the forest
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: seemed to still their song. For a moment. A little
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: bell tinkled, and all the angels bowed down, touching the
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: ground with their wings. Never were there such happy angels,
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: for this was the first time that Holy Mass had
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: been offered at Metangu. When the priest raised his hands high,
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: all that Michael could see was a snow white host.
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: But the angel saw much more. They could see our
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: Blessed Lord himself, just as they saw him in heaven.
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: Now the big angels, who had come especially for Mass,
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: were busy caring to heaven the prayers of Jesus himself.
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: They offered too his sacrifice for the people of the
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: whole world, but especially for the people who lived at Matangu,
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: and about whom nobody except Jesus and the angels and
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: the missionaries cared very much. Wopsy was praying hard too,
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: but of course he was thinking about Shiny and all
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: that he wanted God to do for him. When Father
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: George finished his Thanksgiving after Mass, he had a little
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: breakfast that Michael prepared for him. Then he went round
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: to see the people who were all awake. Now he
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: went to see Nakanaka and Shiny and spoke to them
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: for quite a long time. Wopsy was so proud he
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: simply danced with excitement. Father George talked to them about
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: God and about being good, and Nakanaka asked, why don't
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: you come and live with us and tell us always
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: more about God. We would, replied Father George, if only
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: there were more of us. When he had seen every one,
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: Father George sat down in the shade of a big
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: tree and began to say his office. Wapsey sat down
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: beside him and began whispering in his ear, for he
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: knew God didn't mind angels whispering to missionaries while they
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: were saying their prayers. It was all about shiny Matangu
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: and Nakanaka, so that when the missionary cut up to go,
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: his mind was full of it. All the people crowd
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: it round to say good bye, but they jumped out
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: of the way quickly when the motorbike began to roar again.
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: Father George couldn't stay. He had to go to Muanga
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: and Usangu and Poto and be back at the mission
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: for Sunday. He wasn't quite sure that the motorbike would last,
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: but it did, and on Saturday afternoon he arrived safely
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: back at the mission. That evening, Father George said the
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: Father Superior, the village of Matangu would make a splendid
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: center for a new mission. The people are unspoiled and
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: would welcome us. And there is quite a large population
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: within a few miles. Yes, said Father Superior. I've no
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: doubt you're right. But you know how few men the
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: Bishop hassed to send. Write to him if you like
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: and see what he says. End of Chapter seven, Chapter
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: eight of WAPSI The Adventures of a Guardian Angel by
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: Gerard F. Scriven w F. This liprivox recording is in
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: the public domain recording by Maria Terrees, Chapter eight WAPSI
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: and the Bishop, the Bishop of the country around the Tongu,
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: that is, of Yuruby Vicariate, lived in the palace in
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: the little town by the lake. It wasn't a very
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: splendid palace. The walls are made of bricks dried in
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: the sun, and the roof was of corrugated iron sheets,
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: which the bishop found very noisy when the rain came down,
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: and very hot when the sun beat upon them. Missionary bishops, however,
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: are not particular, so he didn't mind. One day, he
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: was seated at his little table opening some letters that
• 45:56
  Speaker 1: they come by the weekly mail. One of them was
• 45:59
  Speaker 1: from Father to George. As the bishop read it, he
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: began to smile to himself. Here's another one of them.
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: He was thinking, always telling me about new villages full
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: of likely Christians, chiefs who want missionaries, and people who
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: are too far from the church. What can I do
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: about it? He was just going to toss a letter
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: a sigh with a sigh, when a small guardian Angel
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: threw and through the open window. He greeted the big
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: guardian Angel, who took care of the bishop, and then
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: began at once whispering in the bishop's ear, while the
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: big Angel looked on and smiled. The Bishop looked at
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: the letter again and went on thinking about it. He
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: was saying to himself, there's old Father John a Asanga,
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: who is badly in need of arrest, and there's old
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: Father Joseph at Potto, who can't carry on much longer
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: and will simply have to be replaced. What's more, they'll
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: probably only send one priest again this year. Wopsey went
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: on whispering urgently, and he beckoned to the big Angel
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: to go to the bishop's other ear. The Bishop hesitated
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: for a moment, then, with another sigh, he but Father
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: George's letter aside and took up an envelope full of bills.
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: Wopsey gave one hurt look at the bishop and then
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: flew out of the window. He made straight for the cathedral,
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: a sturdy building next door to the palace, flew straight
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: inside and went up to the altar. He knelt down
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: before the tabernacle, A very sad little angel, his wings
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: were drooping, and you could almost see the tears in
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: his eyes. He stayed near the altar quite a long time.
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: He talked to our Lord about shining and with Tongu,
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: and about the people who lived there. Then he suddenly
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: jumped up and flew back to the bishop once more.
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: Wopsey began whispering in the Bishop's ear, and his lordship
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: stopped the work he was doing and looked out of
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: the window. Wopsey waited a moment, and he heard the
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: Bishop say firmly, no, it simply can't be done. If
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: Wopsey hadn't been an angel, he might easily have been discouraged.
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: But again, he flew straight over to the church and
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: knelt down from the tabernacle. You see, even guardian angels
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: don't always get what they want the first time they
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: asked for it. He stayed there for about a half hour,
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: this time hardly moving. It all. He wasn't only asking
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: for shining, he was also loving God as hard as
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: he could, because he knew that was the best way
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: to coax Our Lord into giving him what he wanted,
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: a mission at Matangu. At the end of the half hour,
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: he jumped up, clapped his hands with happiness and blew
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: a kiss to the tabernacle. Off to the palace again
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: he went. The Bishop was still sitting at his table,
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: with a lot of bills spread out before him in
• 48:30
  Speaker 1: a nearly empty cash box beside him. Wopsy went up
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: to the Big Guardian Angel and told him what our
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: Lord had said. The Big Guardian Angel looked very pleased
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: about it and smiled. Wopsy went up to the Bishop
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: and began telling him again about Matongu. Of course, the
• 48:46
  Speaker 1: Bishop did not know Little Angel was talking to him,
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: but he began to think about Father George's letter again,
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: and he said to himself, it's funny. I simply can't
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: get Matongu out of my mind. Let me see, I
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: was going to see the new priest to Mandana. That
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: wouldn't leave anyone to spare. Even if I sent him
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: to take Father George's place, there would be no one
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: to go with Father George. Besides, there is a question
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: of money. I simply can't do it just now. It
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: can't be done unless the Guardian Angels help out and
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: do something pretty quickly. Just at that moment, a missionary
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: came into the room holding two letters in his hand.
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: I am sorry, Bishop, he said, but I found these
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: among my own letters there for you. The Bishop took
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: the envelopes and opened them. As he did so, a
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: piece of paper fell out. He picked it up and
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: saw it was a check for the sum of one
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: thousand dollars. He read the letter. Then he turned to
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: Father Anthony and said, this is the hand of God working.
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: I was just thinking we couldn't possibly begin a mission
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: in Matanngu, and here are some good persons send us
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: one thousand dollars to start a mission. Now we only
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: lack the priests. Where will we get them? Then he
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: looked at the other letter, and with wonder in his eyes,
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: turned to Father Anthony again and said, now just listen
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: to this. They are not going to send this one
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: man this year, but three. That means we can certainly
• 50:08
  Speaker 1: found a mission at Matongu. I think you shall have
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: to thank the Guardian Angels for this very good news.
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: They have certainly been busy. Wopsy, too happy to remain quiet,
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: was clapping his hands until they tinkled again and again,
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: just like little bells. He didn't stay there a minute longer,
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: but flew back into the church to pay another visit
• 50:28
  Speaker 1: and say thank you to God. Then he flew off
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: over the hills in the forest, back to Shiny. Of course,
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: all this time he had not really neglected Shiny. Even
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: when guardian angels go away, they managed to look after
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: their charges at the same time. End of chapter eight
• 50:51
  Speaker 1: chapter nine of Wopsey The Adventures of a Guardian Angel
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: by Gerard as Given w F. This LibriVox recording is
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: in the public domain recording by Maria Teres, Chapter nine
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: WAPSI and the Poor Old Devil. Nakanaka was having an
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: important conversation with some of her friends. At least you
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: would have thought it was important. The black heads were
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: so close together. Every now and then they would look
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: around anxiously to see that no one was listening. No
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: one was listening, for there is nobody anywhere near. But
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: Nakanaka kept saying, don't talk so loud they might hear.
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: And every time she said this, a frightened look came
• 51:33
  Speaker 1: into the eyes of the other women, and their voices
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: were hushed. Still more, I've heard, said Meluyah in a
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: thrilling whisper, that there are people who leave their bodies
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: when they are asleep, and then their spirits go about
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: doing wicked things. They spoil the crops, and they creep
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: into the huts and make people ill. Eh oo oo,
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: said the other women in chorus, and sometimes went on Meluyah.
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: Sometimes their spirits go into animals and birds, and they
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: attack people. But one other animals. Once I heard of
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: a man in the village where I used to live
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: who became a leopard every night and kill people in
• 52:06
  Speaker 1: other villages. Then one night a leopard was killed in
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: the next village, and when he went to the man's
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: hut in the morning, we found that he was dead too,
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: and that proved it. Yes, said Nakanaka, nodding her curly
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: black head. Wisely, the words of Maluya are true words.
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: But there are some who are worse than the leper
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: men I have heard. And she looked all round fearfully.
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: That the poor old devil is in the woods these days.
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: Ah ooo eh exclaimed the other women. There is a
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: man in this village, went on Nakanaka, who has scars
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: on his face and on his back. I believe they
• 52:41
  Speaker 1: are the marks of the poor old devil, and I
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: think he is a poor old man. That means that
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: we must be careful about the children. The other day,
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: I was coming back through the forest with my little boy,
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: and I know that man was in front of us.
• 52:54
  Speaker 1: Suddenly there was a whistle in the bushes, and he
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: whistled too. I am sure that if I hadn't been there,
• 52:59
  Speaker 1: the poor old devil would have taken my boy away,
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: and I shouldn't have seen him again till he came
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: back with cuts and scars on his face, and back
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: then he would have been a poor old man. The
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: poor old devil doesn't walk like a man. He comes
• 53:11
  Speaker 1: flying over the bushes, whistling and howling. He's off with
• 53:15
  Speaker 1: a boy before you can look round. Be careful these days. Indeed,
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: Nakanaka was so worried that she called Shiny over and
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: warned him about going into the woods when it was dark.
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: The other women got up and went off to cook
• 53:28
  Speaker 1: their husband's banana suppers. Wapsey was glad Nakanaka had worn
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: Shiny about the poor old devil, who was really a
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: man possessed by the devil. Wapsy wasn't worried about the
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: other spirits the black women had talked about. He was
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: sure that some day the good missionaries would teach these
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: people about superstitions, but the poor old devil was different.
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: Some days after this, Shiny went off into the forest
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: with a friend of his call Majinja. They wandered on
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: till they came to where the path divided. Shiny want
• 53:57
  Speaker 1: it to go one way and Majinja want it to
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: go the other. So they had a fight about it.
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: As neither really won, they separated and each took a
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: different path. Wopsey didn't mind the fight, Shiny was always
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: having fights, but he was a bit anxious when Shiny
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: set off along the path by himself. Shinee didn't know
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: where that path went, but Wopsey did, and he didn't
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: like it. Wopsey even whispered in Shiny's ear, but the
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: boy didn't take any notice. Wapsy began to get very
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: worried and began flitting about the forest. The path where
• 54:30
  Speaker 1: Shinee walked was narrow, and you couldn't see more than
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: the yard into the dense forest on either side, but
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: Wapsey saw everything. He went to see where the lions
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: were and the snakes, so that they should not go
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: near Shiny. Farther on beside the path, he saw something
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: that made him more anxious than ever. He watched carefully
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: for a minute. Then he looked at Shiny, who was
• 54:51
  Speaker 1: still hurrying along the path. Wapsy flew off quickly through
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: the trees and stopped only when he came to a
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: den in the ground. Shiny hurried on, not quite knowing
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: where he was going, still thinking of what he ought
• 55:03
  Speaker 1: to have done to Mjinja. Suddenly, however, there was a
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: peculiar whistle in the bush just beside him. He stopped
• 55:11
  Speaker 1: suddenly frightened, but before he had time to do anything,
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: a pair of strong black arms caught round the waist,
• 55:17
  Speaker 1: and he felt himself being carried off. He cried and shrieked,
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: but there was nobody in the forest to hear him.
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: When Mobsy came to a certain den, he looked carefully
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: for a minute, watching four great eyes that shone in
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: the darkness within. He went in boldly and saw a
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: lion and a lioness lying there, with four cubs playing
• 55:35
  Speaker 1: around them. He went up to the lion, an enormous
• 55:39
  Speaker 1: one was, and whispered in his ear, for angels know
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: how to talk to lions. The lion growled softly and
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: began moving his great tail and suddenly stood up and roared.
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: It was a tremendous roar. At once there was a
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: great silence in the forest. All the birds stopped singing,
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: the monkey stopped chattering, all the four footed beasts, two
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: herds stood and looked all round with big, frightened eyes.
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: At the same time, on the forest path, a strange
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: man with scars on his face and back, stopped for
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: an instant and then hurried on quickly, while the small
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: boy under his arm became suddenly silent. Wopsy whispered once
• 56:16
  Speaker 1: more to the lion, who roared again, and then pat
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: it softly out of the den into the forest. Wopsey
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: sometimes flew in front of the lion. Sometimes he held
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: on to the lion's tail and flew along behind. Sometimes
• 56:28
  Speaker 1: he stepped on the lion's back and had a ride
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: all with the lion, while the timid things of the
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: forest scampered away on either side. But they need not
• 56:36
  Speaker 1: have been afraid. The lion wasn't looking for them. Straight on,
• 56:40
  Speaker 1: he went gliding through the tall grasses, jumping through the
• 56:43
  Speaker 1: hanging creepers like a great cat. Yet hardly a sound
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: did he make on he went till he came near
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: the forest path, and he crept even more quietly than before.
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: Suddenly he threw his head back and gave a mighty roar.
• 56:57
  Speaker 1: The scarred man, who happened to be quite near on
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: the path, gave a great leap, dropped Shiny, and rushed
• 57:02
  Speaker 1: off up the path. For an instant the lion stood still,
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: swishing his great tail backwards and forwards. That he leaped
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: into the air, but the black man leaped too, and
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: the lion just missed him. The man gave another leap
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: on to the branch of a tree and climbed up
• 57:17
  Speaker 1: as quickly as he could. The lion came and sat
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: under the tree while his tail gently brushed the ground
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: behind him. Meanwhile, Shining was running as fast as he
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: could in the other direction. He ran on and on
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: while Wopsey flew along over head. Suddenly, the forest thending
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: came to an end, and Shining knew he was back
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: at his own village. It was a very quiet Shining,
• 57:39
  Speaker 1: who crept into the hut, resolved that he would never
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: again go into the forest alone. He didn't know who
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: had frightened them the most, the big man or the lion.
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: He couldn't know yet that it was his own guardian
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: angel who had brought the lion? Could he end of
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: chapter nine Chapter ten of Whopsey The Adventures of a
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: Guardian Angel by GERARDV. Scriven w F. The slipprivox recording
• 58:11
  Speaker 1: is in the public domain recording by Maria Terrees. Chapter ten,
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: When Angels meet. Shortly after the affair of the poor
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: old Man, the guardian Angels of Matangu village arranged to
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: have a meeting. They didn't really need to have one,
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: for they could manage things quite well without. But angels,
• 58:30
  Speaker 1: just like human beings, loved to get together now and
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: then and discuss things, especially when anything important is going
• 58:36
  Speaker 1: to happen. And something important was going to happen at Matongu.
• 58:41
  Speaker 1: Only the angels and the bishop knew of the moment
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: what it was. But there was already a letter in
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: the mail to Father George. The angels were keeping an
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: eye on that letter, for it meant a great deal
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: to them. If you had been there, and if you
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: could have understood the angel talk, this is what you
• 58:56
  Speaker 1: would have heard. We've all heard the good news began
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: the angel Wopsey there seems to have managed it all.
• 59:03
  Speaker 1: And I must say that for such a small angel,
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: he has done remarkably well. In a few weeks time,
• 59:08
  Speaker 1: the missionaries will be here and we shall be able
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: to rest a bit. But between now and then there'll
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: be much to do. Has anyone noticed anything special lately? Yes,
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: of course, answered one of the other angels. The devils
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: are particularly busy trying to make the most of the
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: time that's left to them, because it'll be harder afterwards.
• 59:28
  Speaker 1: I've met the business that walks about in the darkness
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: quite often lately, skulking in the shadows. Thank goodness, we
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: managed to make him fade away each time before he
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: did any real harm. And then there's that fellow Pong
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: who's always going after the children, put in another angel.
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: If he weren't such a great coward, he would do
• 59:46
  Speaker 1: a lot of harm. And I've actually caught the midday devil,
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: added a fourth angel, actually collecting fear mosquitoes and spreading
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: him about the place to make the missionaries ill. I
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: had quite a time blowing them all away again. There
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: is still going to be trouble, said Wapsy very seriously.
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: You may be sure the devils will do all they
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: can to spoil things. At the beginning we shall all
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 1: have to help the angels of the missionaries. That is
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: an important point, agreed some one. We must make sure
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: that things go well at the beginning. Some of the
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: people here will be only too anxious to help the
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: devils all they can. I actually caught one of the
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: devils wondering whether a missionary would make good eating. I
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: shall watch him very closely. Because Wapsy should have the
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 1: least trouble with Shiny. He had better watch out for
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 1: any strange devils. You never know who might turn up
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: these days. That was what the angels were saying at
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: their meeting, or something like it. It is very difficult
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: to put down angel talk so that we can understand it.
• 1:00:44
  Speaker 1: Many other things they said too, by which we wouldn't
• 1:00:47
  Speaker 1: understand at all. The most important part of the meeting
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: came at the end, when they all praised and thanked
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: God together because the missionaries were coming at last. You
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: never sawst a happy crowd of angels. The song of
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: praise that they sang went straight to heaven like the
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 1: smoke from the incense in church, so that the angels
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: in heaven looked down on the tongu to see what
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 1: was happening. Of all the angels at the meeting, Wopsey
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 1: was the happiest, for he was the only one who
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: had a black baby with a clean soul to look after,
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: and he'd worked so hard to get the missionaries to Matangu.
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: Perhaps now the dream that he had dreamed in his
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: angel mind about Shiny and the plans that he had
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: made for himself might come true. What those plans were
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: could not be told yet, for they were still Wapsy's
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: own secret. End of chapter ten, Chapter eleven of Wopsey
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 1: The Adventures of a Guardian Angel by Gerardef's Griven w F.
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: The Lipprivox recording is in the public domain recording by
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: Maria Therese. Chapter eleven, Wopsy and the Meeting of the Devils.
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 1: Wopsey took very seriously histy of being on the lookout
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: for any strange devils that might pop up in the neighborhood.
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: This was quite an important commission for an angel who was,
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: after all, rather small. Often during the days that followed,
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 1: Wopsy flew around the Tongu, peering in all the holes
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: and corners or devils might be expected to linger. Nothing
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: happened for some days, and the angels began to think
• 1:02:22
  Speaker 1: that the devils hadn't heard what was happening. One evening,
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 1: when all the people of Matongu had gone to sleep
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: and even the birds of the forest had retired for
• 1:02:30
  Speaker 1: the night, Wopsy sat on a high tree, watching the
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 1: stars peep out one by one. It seemed to Wopsy
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 1: that each one was singing a little song as it
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: came out, until they all joined together in one great choir.
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: The song was one of praise to God, who had
• 1:02:45
  Speaker 1: made them. It wasn't a real song, however, until the
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 1: angels joined in and sent it up to Heaven. Suddenly,
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: Wopsy's wings began to flutter anxiously. Something was moving down
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: below among the creepers, something that had no right to
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 1: be there. There seemed to be shadows moving in one direction.
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: Wapsy was not afraid of being seen, for he knew
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 1: that devils never look up to Heaven. It gives them
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 1: a headache. He flew along quietly, in and out of
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 1: the trees. At last, the shadows came to a part
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: of the forest where the branches looked green and horrible,
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: and there was a smell of mold in the air.
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 1: Dark shadows were now coming from other directions too, until
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: there were quite a number grouped together in that part
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: of the forest. Even the animals of the jungle seemed
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: to know that something was going on, for you could
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 1: hear the scampering of little feet and the fluttering of
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 1: anxious wings. As the animals and insects hastened away, Wapsy
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: came closer to look, careful that his light should not
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: shine down below. Yes, it was as he had thought,
• 1:03:46
  Speaker 1: there was to be a meeting of the devils. There
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: were many strange and horrible faces among them, some of
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 1: which Wapsey recognized. There was the Business, for instance, uglier
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: than all the others. There was palms be an awkward
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 1: looking as ever, there was the midday devil, tall and
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: thin and pale, in one corner, making faces at the others,
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 1: said an impudent little devil called Konk, small but full
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: of craftiness. At the base of one of the trees
• 1:04:15
  Speaker 1: sat three very important looking devils. That is to say,
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: they looked much more horrible and ugly than the others,
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 1: And that is how you know an important devil. Wopsey
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 1: wasn't a bit afraid, for one small angel is equal
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: to any number of devils, no matter how horrible they are.
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: Suddenly there was a noise like the rasping of a file.
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 1: It was a big devil speaking rather devils. He said, brave,
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 1: pong and wildly conk devils of the mid day and
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: of the night, devils of Matangu. The dreaded day has
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 1: come at last. Now the missionaries are starting a mission
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: in Matangu. A shudder went around the assembly, and there
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: was a chorus of grins, hisses and grunts. Horns trembled,
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: and hoofs shifted fearfully. We have tried, went on the
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: big devil. We have done all the devils can do.
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: I called upon the poisonous snakes to bite the missionaries.
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 1: I summoned the lions to maul them. I tried to
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 1: make the missionaries lazy and selfish, but I could do
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 1: nothing while their angels were protecting them. At the word angels,
• 1:05:19
  Speaker 1: another shudder went through the group, and all the devils
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: looked around fearfully. None saw wopsey. Our plan is this,
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 1: continued the leader. We will wait until the missionaries are
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 1: here before we shall stir up the witch doctors and
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 1: the devil worshipers. While much more like this was said,
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 1: Wopsey listened and sang little song of the Love of
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 1: God by himself. He had no fear of the devils.
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 1: He was said that they should work so wickedly against God,
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: but he knew that God would win in the end.
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 1: Of course, on the other hand, if there were no
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: devils about, it would be too easy to get to Heaven.
• 1:05:54
  Speaker 1: People wouldn't earn such high places there, so there was
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 1: some consolation even in devils. Rosy soon decided that he
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 1: had heard enough of their plans and that it was
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: time to chase the devil's back where they could do
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: no harm for the present. He uncovered his face and
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: began to glow like a star. It was the business
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: who noticed Wapsey first, for he felt himself fading out slowly,
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: which was very embarrassing for a devil. The others looked
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 1: at what was left of him in horror. Then they
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: too saw the light streaming down from the tree top.
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: One by one, the devil's turnnes slunk away like rats.
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: As soon as they left the light, they ran as
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: fast as they could, with their tails between their legs.
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: Wapsy amused himself by chasing first one then another, until
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 1: they were all miles away from a Tongu, the three
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 1: big devils he chased all the way to the deserts
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: of Upper Egypt. What a crowd said Wapsy to himself
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 1: as he flew back. He was not afraid of their
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: coming back at once, because an angel's light gives a
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 1: devil a headache for weeks afterwards. Soon there was no
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: one left the Matongu but the village people sleeping soundly,
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: and their guardian Engel. End of chapter eleven, Chapter twelve
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 1: of WHOPSI The Adventures of a Guardian Angel by GERARDESK.
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: Grevin w. F. This LibriVox recording is in the public
• 1:07:17
  Speaker 1: domain recording by Maria Terrees, Chapter twelve. On the road
• 1:07:21
  Speaker 1: to Matangu. Through the forest surrounding the village of Matangu
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 1: ran a number of little pasts, winding round and round
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 1: like great serpents. In the old days, these pasts had
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 1: often echoed to the tread of savage tribes in search
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: of other heads to stick up on pools around the village.
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 1: One fine morning in June, when the sun was already
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: high in the sky, feet were again heard marching, and
• 1:07:45
  Speaker 1: voices were raised in song. It was not a war song.
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: This time it was a song all about Father George
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 1: and his belongings. Ah Yah, he is a great man.
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 1: He brings medicine that jumps, he has a box that talks,
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 1: He has a beastick of pickI picky. Ah Ya. He
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: is a great man ah ya. And his boxes are heavy.
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 1: Ah Ya, his boxes are heavy. To understand what this meant,
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: he must know that Father George had some rather powerful
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: remedies in his medicine box, that he had little victrola,
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: that he had a motorbike. And the song being sung
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: was that of the porterer's bringing all that was needed
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 1: for the new mission. It is not quite true to
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: say that the boxes held all that was needed. For
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 1: lots of things that were really needed Father George just
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 1: didn't have it, couldn't possibly afford to buy. But Father
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: George didn't mind. He was driving along on his motorbike
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 1: in the forest and his heart was glad because he
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: was coming to start a new mission. Wopsy was also glad,
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: very glad, for was he not guardian of the only
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: Christian in Almatonga village, And had he not had a
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: lot to do with the coming of Father George. Of course,
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: all the guardian angels for miles around were excited, but
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: Wopsy was most excited of all. Every few minutes he
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 1: flew off across the forest, taking it peep at the
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: Black Porters to make sure they didn't drop any of
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 1: the boxes, or watching Father George chugging away on the motorbike.
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: It was quite a problem for the angels to keep
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 1: that motorbike going. There were so many bits and pieces
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 1: that might fall off at any minute. Father George's own
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: guardian angel, it was quite glad to have a helping
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: hand now and then to make sure the machine didn't
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 1: stop altogether. On went the Black Porters. On went Father George,
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: disturbing things in the forest, small creepy things such as
• 1:09:29
  Speaker 1: brightly colored beetles and big hairy spiders, small timid animals,
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: stiff squirrels and mice, large fierce animals such as lions
• 1:09:38
  Speaker 1: and leopards. They did not know anything about the new
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 1: mission yet, but one of the small beetles pit the
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 1: leg of a little antelope not far from the Black Porters,
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: and the little antelope ran off into a dark part
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 1: of the forest near the lair where the lions lived.
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: One big line with the enormous Maine was feeling rather
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 1: hungry just then, so he growled and started off to
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 1: have a talk with the antelope, and the antelope ran
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: faster than ever back to where the porters were marching
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 1: and singing. Jes asked for the eighty seventh time the
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: porters it got to the line, he has a beast
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 1: that goes picky Pickie. They heard a huge roar close
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: behind them in the forest. Their song stopped suddenly. The
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: porter ski won frightened look in the direction of the roar. Then,
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 1: without any hesitation at all, they started off as hard
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: as they could go. You will be wondering what happened
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: to the luggage. Well, if Wopsey hadn't been flying by
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: just then, goodness knows what would have happened to it,
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: For the men just threw it down on the ground.
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: Certainly some of the boxes would have broken, and all
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 1: the glass would have cracked if Wopsey hadn't caught each
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 1: box as it fell and deposited it safely on the ground.
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 1: He had to be rather quick, of course, to do this,
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: but he managed it quite easily. He couldn't help smiling
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 1: at these men, for he was sure that the lion
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: much preferred antelope meat to human meat for his lunch.
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 1: That was why the lion did not stay, but went
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 1: off after the antelope. Wopsy meanwhile, took a look inside
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: the boxes. He didn't open them, angels don't need to
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 1: do that, but he went through them carefully. He found
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 1: some vestments for masts that looked rather old and worn.
• 1:11:14
  Speaker 1: Wopsy had hardly finished his inspection when black kes began
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 1: to peep around the trunks of trees, and black figures
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 1: dropped down from high branches. Then came the snort of
• 1:11:23
  Speaker 1: a motorbike. But even before Father George appeared around a bend,
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 1: all the boxes were back in their places, and a
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: new song was heard. Ah Yaw, he was a mighty lion.
• 1:11:34
  Speaker 1: His roar was like the thunder. His size was the
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: size of an elephant. Ah yaw, he was the mighty one.
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: But he saw n the Kappo in Nabouti. He saw
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: Tamba and Sebawo, and he fled into his lair. Ah Aw,
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 1: he was the mighty one, but we are the great hunters.
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: End of chapter twelve, Chapter thirteen of the Adventures of
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: a Guardian Angel by Jerard Scribven w f This Liprivox
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Recording by Maria Therese,
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen, the inquisitiveness of Shiny. Father George's motorbike broke
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 1: down three miles from Matanga village and he couldn't mend it.
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: The angels didn't help at all, for, as one of
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 1: them said, it was Father George's own fault for not
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: bringing a spare piece of string with him this time. Fortunately,
• 1:12:30
  Speaker 1: several strong, willing men from a Tongu had gone out
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 1: to meet the missionary, so they just slung the motorbike
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: gone some thick sticks and carried it to the village.
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: Naka Naka was one of the first to greet the
• 1:12:41
  Speaker 1: missionary with a joyful you use, which is annoys these
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 1: women make when they are pleased about something. Shiny was there, too,
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: eager to see everything. Wapsy was keeping a close eye
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: on him, for there was no knowing what he might do.
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: Wapsy was just a wee bit sad because Shiny did
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 1: not really understand the meaning of Father George's coming to Matongu.
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: For even if he was baptized Shining, he had never
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 1: been taught any catechism. The place for the new mission
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: had already been chosen. It was to be on a
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: little hill outside the village. There was room for a church,
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: a house for the fathers, and even other buildings. There
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 1: were big shade trees around, and the ground slipped away
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: to the edge of the forest. The cleared land would
• 1:13:25
  Speaker 1: make a fine garden with banana trees, beans, manioc and
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: other things that people eat in Africa. All the boxes
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: were soon carried to the top of the hill and
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: their motorbikeles laid carefully on its side. Then Father George
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 1: honked the horn as loud as he could so that
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: everyone heard and came to listen while he made a
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: little speech. He said that the missionaries were coming to
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 1: Matanu to teach the people about God, and that they
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 1: would also look after the sick and teach the children
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 1: how to read and write. Then he asked for ten
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: strong men who were willing to help him build a
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: hut to sleep in for the present. He had many
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: volunteers and at once sent them off into the forest
• 1:14:01
  Speaker 1: to cut down branches and tall grasses. The porters were
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 1: having a rest, telling everyone about the huge lion they
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: had chased away, but they too had to get up
• 1:14:10
  Speaker 1: and help. Shiney dressed in a nice new piece of
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: bark cloth which Nakannaka had made for the occasion, preferred
• 1:14:17
  Speaker 1: to stay with Father George, who was preparing to hope
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 1: in his cases. Shiny had never seen such wonderful things
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 1: as were in those cases. From one box there came
• 1:14:26
  Speaker 1: a big tent, which the porters began to put up.
• 1:14:29
  Speaker 1: Another contained all kinds of tools, another had all that
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: was needed for mass, while fourth was full of little
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 1: bottles and boxes, all carefully labeled. A young friend of
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: Shiney's called Nagmi was especially interested in this box. While
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 1: Father George was looking the other way, Nagomi snatched a
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 1: bottle with something bright and red inside and ran off
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 1: with it. Shiney thought it was a good idea, so
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: he too took a little box with little pink pills inside.
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: Wopsey tried to stop him, but Shiney wouldn't listen. He
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: put the box under his bark cloth and ran off
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: with it. Fancy being naughty like that when there aren't
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: even any devils about, said Wopsy reproachfully, But Shiny didn't hear,
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 1: or at least pretended not to, and ran often a Gomi.
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: Wropsey flew after them anxiously. He knew there wasn't anything
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 1: very dreadful in the box or in the bottle, but
• 1:15:22
  Speaker 1: they mustn't swallow too much of either. Under a big,
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 1: shady tree in the forest, the two boys sat down
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 1: to examine their treasures. Shiny tasted one of his pills,
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: then he gave one to the Gomi. They seemed nice
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 1: and sweet, so they both swallowed three in no time,
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 1: and might have gone on swallowing them if Shiny hadn't
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 1: sucked one for a change and found out that the
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: pill was as bitter as anything inside. Then they tried
• 1:15:46
  Speaker 1: the bottle, but one sip from that made them throw
• 1:15:49
  Speaker 1: it away as far as they could, which was just
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 1: as well. Wopsey was sitting near by, thinking of the
• 1:15:55
  Speaker 1: masks they were going to have next morning, and telling
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 1: God that Shiny didn't really mean to be naughty and was,
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 1: after all rather small. Shiny Nagmi did not like to
• 1:16:06
  Speaker 1: go back to the village and to Father George, just
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: in case he had missed the bottle in the box,
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: so they played hide and seek on the edge of
• 1:16:13
  Speaker 1: the forest for a bit. Before long, however, Shiny sat
• 1:16:16
  Speaker 1: down on a tree trunk and began rubbing his stomach.
• 1:16:19
  Speaker 1: Nigomi laughed at him at first, but soon he too
• 1:16:22
  Speaker 1: sat down and began to cry very quietly. At first,
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: the nodder and louder, until the birds hurried away frightened.
• 1:16:31
  Speaker 1: Just then Nakanaka, who had missed Shiny, came along the path.
• 1:16:35
  Speaker 1: She found them both rolling their big eyes and complaining
• 1:16:38
  Speaker 1: that they had fire inside. It wasn't really fire, only
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: a very bad stomach ache, but it seemed terrible to Knakannaka.
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: Wopsey flew down and began whispering to Shiny's mother. He
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 1: was reminding her that once upon a time, Father George
• 1:16:52
  Speaker 1: made Shiny better when he was badly burned outside, and
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 1: suggested that perhaps the Buana could hope now that her
• 1:16:58
  Speaker 1: boy was burned inside. Naka Naka picked up two little boys,
• 1:17:03
  Speaker 1: tucked one under each arm, and set off to see
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: Father George. She found him looking over his medicine bottles
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: and wondering what had happened to one of them and
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 1: to a little box of pills. As soon as he
• 1:17:14
  Speaker 1: saw Shining and a Gomi, he asked them what they
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 1: had eaten. With bloods of repentant tears, the truth came out.
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 1: Father George was not cross. In fact, he laughed and
• 1:17:24
  Speaker 1: said the pink pills were meant for pale persons and
• 1:17:27
  Speaker 1: not for little negro boys. Then he went to the
• 1:17:29
  Speaker 1: box and took out some more pills, black ones. This time,
• 1:17:33
  Speaker 1: he made them each take one and sent them both
• 1:17:35
  Speaker 1: home to bed. Early next morning, two small boys, looking
• 1:17:40
  Speaker 1: not quite so black as usual, woke up to find
• 1:17:42
  Speaker 1: that the pains had gone, and before nightfall they were
• 1:17:45
  Speaker 1: running about just as usual. Neither of them, however, went
• 1:17:49
  Speaker 1: near Father George's boxes again and the chapter thirteen chapter
• 1:18:00
  Speaker 1: of Wopsey, The Adventures of a Guardian Angel by GERARDAV
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: Scriven w F. This liprivox recording is in the public
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 1: domain recording by Maria Teres. Chapter fourteen, Wopsey pays a
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 1: visit to Heaven one evening. While Father George was saying
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 1: his prayers outside his hut and Shiny was sleeping peacefully,
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: Wopsey looked up to a silvery moon that was already
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: peeping from between the clouds. Suddenly he knew, as angels do,
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 1: that God was calling him. It must be important, for
• 1:18:32
  Speaker 1: God was using the beautiful long name that no one
• 1:18:35
  Speaker 1: else could pronounce. At once Wopsey flew up high above
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: the little round huts of Matongu, high above the great
• 1:18:41
  Speaker 1: trees of the forest, higher even than the mountains far
• 1:18:44
  Speaker 1: off on the horizon, until the whorld of like a
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 1: great top, spinning slowly round. On the way to heaven,
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 1: he passed hundreds and hundreds of angels, going up and
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 1: down with messages, taking things up to heaven and bringing
• 1:18:57
  Speaker 1: things down to the world, each one with some parteid
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 1: job to do. Some are guardian angels going up to report.
• 1:19:04
  Speaker 1: Others were archangels with special messages to bishops and kings.
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 1: There were angels called principalities who look after whole districts,
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: others called virtues, who keep the volcanoes boiling, stir up
• 1:19:16
  Speaker 1: the storms, and shake the world to make earthquakes. And
• 1:19:19
  Speaker 1: some call powers whose special job it is to deal
• 1:19:22
  Speaker 1: with important devils. Wopsey greeted them all respectfully as he passed,
• 1:19:26
  Speaker 1: but in less than no time he was in heaven.
• 1:19:29
  Speaker 1: He first met crowds of other little angels with whom
• 1:19:31
  Speaker 1: he used to play before he became a guardian angel,
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 1: Wopsy Wopsey. They cried, tell us all about little Shiny
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 1: but Wopsey just smiled and told them they would have
• 1:19:42
  Speaker 1: to wait awhile, as he had to go straight to
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: God about something on He flew past the wise Cherubim,
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: very important angels these on to where Seraphim were shining
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 1: like great suns, and to wear the thrones minister to
• 1:19:55
  Speaker 1: God in his mighty throne. As he came near to God,
• 1:19:59
  Speaker 1: Wopsey's wing trembled with joy and happiness, and he poured
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 1: out all his angel love for God. Then he knelt down,
• 1:20:06
  Speaker 1: bowing very low among the thrones, with a great Seraphim
• 1:20:09
  Speaker 1: shining almost burning all round him. He felt very odd
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 1: at being so near God, and yet not a bit shy,
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 1: for angels are never shy with God. Then he looked
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 1: at God, and God spoke to him. God didn't use
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 1: any words, but Wobbsey knew at once all that God
• 1:20:27
  Speaker 1: meant to tell him. God told him many things that
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 1: he was very glad to hear. First of all, God
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 1: explained how the bishop had prayed to the Guardian angels,
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 1: and how the bishop's own angel had brought his prayers
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: to God. Because it was a good prayer. God meant
• 1:20:42
  Speaker 1: to grant it from the first, but he thought it
• 1:20:44
  Speaker 1: would be rather nice if it was done through the
• 1:20:46
  Speaker 1: guardian angels. So he chose Wapsey to be a guardian
• 1:20:49
  Speaker 1: angel and to manage everything. Without knowing this, Wopsey had
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 1: done just what God wanted. Then came a lot about Shining.
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 1: You will remember the dreams Wopsey had had for Shiny,
• 1:21:01
  Speaker 1: which he had kept secret for himself. They were only dreams,
• 1:21:05
  Speaker 1: for even angels do not know what God intends to
• 1:21:08
  Speaker 1: do for people. But now God was telling him, and
• 1:21:11
  Speaker 1: Wopsy was full of happiness. God was saying that he
• 1:21:14
  Speaker 1: must take very good care of Shiny, for he wanted
• 1:21:17
  Speaker 1: him to be a priest one day, like Father George,
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 1: so that he could say Mass and hold God in
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 1: his hands and forgive people their sins. But Wopsy must
• 1:21:26
  Speaker 1: be very careful, for some day the devils would guess this,
• 1:21:30
  Speaker 1: and then there would be trouble. Other things too, God
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: told him, but they were secrets between God and Wopsey.
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 1: Wopsey was so pleased and happy that he could hardly
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 1: keep from dancing there at the very throne of God.
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 1: He did praise and thank God as hard as he could,
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: until finally he had to make way for other angels
• 1:21:49
  Speaker 1: who also wanted to come to the throne of God.
• 1:21:53
  Speaker 1: Wopsy went off to see the other little angels, who
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 1: were so interested in all he had to tell them
• 1:21:57
  Speaker 1: about Shiny and about the new mission that angou about
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 1: the poor old man and the devils. Having always been
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 1: in heaven, these angels had never had any direct contact
• 1:22:07
  Speaker 1: with devils, and it all seemed terribly exciting. They would
• 1:22:11
  Speaker 1: all have been very jealous, if angels could be jealous.
• 1:22:14
  Speaker 1: But you see, angels are always quite satisfied with the
• 1:22:17
  Speaker 1: job they have to do, and that makes things much
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 1: easier for everybody. Before Wopsey left them, they played a
• 1:22:24
  Speaker 1: game in which some were guardian angels and other were
• 1:22:27
  Speaker 1: negro babies, which soon became one of their favorite games.
• 1:22:31
  Speaker 1: While Wapsey was in heaven, he wanted to get some
• 1:22:33
  Speaker 1: special advice, so he also went to see some of
• 1:22:36
  Speaker 1: the powers and asked them about the special devils who
• 1:22:39
  Speaker 1: try to prevent boys from becoming priests. They told him
• 1:22:42
  Speaker 1: that there were ever so many big, powerful devils to
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: do no other work, for they consider this the most
• 1:22:47
  Speaker 1: important job. They warned Wopsey of all the different things
• 1:22:51
  Speaker 1: these devils might try to do. They would try to
• 1:22:53
  Speaker 1: make Shiny de young which made Wopsey tremble all over.
• 1:22:58
  Speaker 1: Then they might tempt him to do horrible things, things
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: like being proud and conceated. They might set the witch
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 1: doctors and the sorcerers on him. They might try to
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 1: make him homesick after he had started at school, and
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 1: they might suggest to him all sorts of other things
• 1:23:11
  Speaker 1: that would sound more attractive than being a priest. Altogether,
• 1:23:15
  Speaker 1: it was a very frightening future, and Wapsy felt quite flustered.
• 1:23:20
  Speaker 1: But the Power said he needn't worry, as God would
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 1: certainly help him to look after Shiny. If anything did happen,
• 1:23:26
  Speaker 1: it would most certainly be through Shiny's own fault. This
• 1:23:29
  Speaker 1: was undoubtedly true, but it wasn't quite satisfying. So Wapsy
• 1:23:33
  Speaker 1: went back to the Throne of God, knelt down in
• 1:23:35
  Speaker 1: a quiet corner where he wouldn't be in the way,
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 1: and prayed as hard as he could for his little
• 1:23:40
  Speaker 1: boy Shiny. After that, he felt much happier and set
• 1:23:43
  Speaker 1: off back to Matongu. It was evening now and the
• 1:23:47
  Speaker 1: busy little Guardian Angel felt very pleased as he saw
• 1:23:50
  Speaker 1: Father George sitting quietly outside his hut, smoking his pipe
• 1:23:54
  Speaker 1: and thinking about things. Wapsy knew that he was planning
• 1:23:57
  Speaker 1: the mission, making up his mind just where to build
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 1: his house in the church, and thinking how he would
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 1: arrange the catechism classes very soon. Wapsy was still happier
• 1:24:07
  Speaker 1: when he finally caught sight of Shiny sitting in front
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: of his hut. He seemed to be listening to the
• 1:24:12
  Speaker 1: soft night noises of the forest and watching patches of moonlight.
• 1:24:16
  Speaker 1: He is having dreams of his own, thought Shiny. So
• 1:24:20
  Speaker 1: he quietly folded his little angel wings together and settled
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 1: himself close beside Shiny and sent up perept to God.
• 1:24:27
  Speaker 1: Thank you God for the good news today about my
• 1:24:29
  Speaker 1: little boy Shiny being a priest. Some day. I promised
• 1:24:33
  Speaker 1: to watch over, guard and protect him. Thank you to
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: God for sending the missionaries who will help keep shiny
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 1: soul Shiny. Good night God. End of chapter fourteen. End
• 1:24:47
  Speaker 1: of Wapsey The Adventures of a Guardian Angel by GERARDA.
• 1:24:50
  Speaker 1: Scriven w F.