Naughty Brothers

Lil’ Henry’s

Naughty Brothers

Lil’ Henry’s

When Henry was born, his mom and dad had already had a lot of practice. Four

brothers had been born along with two sisters a long time before Henry first opened his

eyes.

So, it was a little unexpected when Henry’s parents asked their local church to have a

dedication service for him. They had not had a service for their other children, but as his

father would often say, “There’s just something different about Henry.”

It came to pass then, that when Henry was only six weeks old,

one of the elders in the church took Henry in his arms and

promptly proceeded to baptize Henry in a large bucket of sweet

clover honey. From that day onwards, Henry’s daddy always said

Henry was the sweetest thing.

But like other small children, Henry’s life was not always easy. When he was only 3

years old, his mother was really hard on him. One night at dinner, Henry’s mom served

fried chicken and mashed potatoes with chicken gravy. Out of all the great farm meals

that mom Hintermeister made, chicken meals were Henry’s favorite.

However, on this particular night, Henry’s mom said he could only

have one piece of chicken, then he had to eat other things on his

plate before getting his second piece of chicken.

You know what piece of chicken Henry was given to eat first? That’s

right, the tail!

No matter how hard Henry cried that night, his mother would not

change her mind. He had to eat that piece of chicken and then eat other

things on his plate before he could have any more chicken.

Though Henry was only 3, it was on that night he began to wonder if his dad was telling

him the truth that he was special. Eating the tail of a chicken sure did not seem special.

But, the worst was yet to come. After Henry choked down the chicken tail, he turned to

the rest of his food. His mom had put some creamy corn in one corner of his plate. It did

not take Henry long to eat those yellows kernels. Then he downed a big helping of

mashed potatoes and gravy.

Only one pile of food was left to eat. Then he could have

another piece of chicken and his mom promised this time it

would be a leg. Henry loved chicken legs and couldn’t wait.

But there was a problem, a big proble

was something Henry had not seen before. His mom called

it “spinach.”

That is not what Henry would have called it. It looked a lot

like something he had recently seen in the barn.

Though poor little Henry went to bed that night

learn one thing. In a family of 5 boys and 3 girls, it turned out he wasn’t special after all.

LIFE BECOMES EVEN MORE HARD

The next few years were years of growth for little Henry. He started to show signs

being a good athlete as he had to learn how to run away from his older and meaner

brothers.

One time Lyle and Don, two of his older brothers, chased him around

the barn and told him if they caught him they were going to drown

him in the water tank fr

Henry learned a life

got him out of death’s clammy grip.

There were a lot of hard life lessons that Henry’s brothers taught him in the next years.

When he was only 4 and very tender, both Don and Lyle encouraged him to climb into

the pen where a mother sheep and her newborn were resting.

In a protective mode, the mommy sheep charged Henry and

butted him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Henry thoug

As he looked up from the bottom of the pen, all he could hear was

the laughter of his two brothers who thought his agony was one of the funniest things

they had seen in their peculiar lives.

Maybe the worst time in Henry’s life came when he almost died in

At the age of 5, Henry was already doing a lot of the chores around the farm. Not

because he wanted to, but his older brothers made him do a lot of the hard work they did

not want to do.

One job they hated to do was to carry water from the stock tank outside to

a few calves in the barn. This was a job they told Henry that God wanted

him to do, so Henry was eager to please.

One night after the sun had gone down and the two older bro

But there was a problem, a big problem. Lying on his plate

was something Henry had not seen before. His mom called

That is not what Henry would have called it. It looked a lot

like something he had recently seen in the barn.

Though poor little Henry went to bed that night without eating any more chicken, he did

learn one thing. In a family of 5 boys and 3 girls, it turned out he wasn’t special after all.

LIFE BECOMES EVEN MORE HARD

he next few years were years of growth for little Henry. He started to show signs

being a good athlete as he had to learn how to run away from his older and meaner

One time Lyle and Don, two of his older brothers, chased him around

the barn and told him if they caught him they were going to drown

him in the water tank from which the cows drank. It was then that

Henry learned a life-long lesson that running hard and fast sometimes

got him out of death’s clammy grip.

There were a lot of hard life lessons that Henry’s brothers taught him in the next years.

y 4 and very tender, both Don and Lyle encouraged him to climb into

the pen where a mother sheep and her newborn were resting.

In a protective mode, the mommy sheep charged Henry and

butted him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Henry thought he was going to die. He could not breathe.

As he looked up from the bottom of the pen, all he could hear was

the laughter of his two brothers who thought his agony was one of the funniest things

they had seen in their peculiar lives.

t time in Henry’s life came when he almost died in –20 degree weather.

At the age of 5, Henry was already doing a lot of the chores around the farm. Not

because he wanted to, but his older brothers made him do a lot of the hard work they did

One job they hated to do was to carry water from the stock tank outside to

a few calves in the barn. This was a job they told Henry that God wanted

him to do, so Henry was eager to please.

One night after the sun had gone down and the two older bro

without eating any more chicken, he did

learn one thing. In a family of 5 boys and 3 girls, it turned out he wasn’t special after all.

he next few years were years of growth for little Henry. He started to show signs of

being a good athlete as he had to learn how to run away from his older and meaner

One time Lyle and Don, two of his older brothers, chased him around

the barn and told him if they caught him they were going to drown

om which the cows drank. It was then that

long lesson that running hard and fast sometimes

There were a lot of hard life lessons that Henry’s brothers taught him in the next years.

y 4 and very tender, both Don and Lyle encouraged him to climb into

In a protective mode, the mommy sheep charged Henry and

butted him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

ht he was going to die. He could not breathe.

As he looked up from the bottom of the pen, all he could hear was

the laughter of his two brothers who thought his agony was one of the funniest things

20 degree weather.

At the age of 5, Henry was already doing a lot of the chores around the farm. Not

because he wanted to, but his older brothers made him do a lot of the hard work they did

One job they hated to do was to carry water from the stock tank outside to

a few calves in the barn. This was a job they told Henry that God wanted

thers were in

the barn warming their hands on the four faucets of a couple of cows, they sent poor

Henry out into the dark night to get a few pails of frigid water from the stock tank.

But when Henry got out to the tank, the water had frozen on the top.

inches of ice on top of the water. Henry did not know what to

pail on the ice to break it, but the ice did not budge.

He tried other ways, picking up a stone and pounding the ice. But again, nothing

happened.

Henry was getting terribly cold. The Minnesota January wind was pulsing through his

poorly made clothes and parts of his wrists and ears were starting to freeze. He had one

last idea. Maybe he could jump on the ice and break a little hole through it.

He climbed up on the tank and jumped on the ice. Whoosh! The ice broke through and

obedient Henry fell straight through the ice. His wool coat quickly filled with water and

pulled him under the ice.

The last thing he saw as he went under water was th

created as he jumped through the ice. He panicked and tried to

breathe but water poured down his throat. “

he thought as he grabbed for the rim of the tank, only to have

his near lifeless hand slip

In one last desperate lunge, he threw his hands up towards the

surface and luckily grabbed the edge of the tank and slowly

pulled himself over the edge and out on the snow covered

ground.

He was freezing; his body shook. H

he could hear his brothers talking. His clothes were starting to freeze and with great

difficulty, he reached the handle on the barn door and opened it.

His brothers looked up from milking the cows an

chunks of ice falling from his sweet face. Henry hoped they would jump up, put their

warm arms around him and run carrying him to the house.

But instead, they laughed. “You had better get into the house and see if

other set of clothes dry. Next time try not to go swimming in the tank in January

With that, little Henry trudged towards the lights in the house and his last

hope of consolation, his mother.

might even hug me and tell me I am special like dad used to do.

Tonight, he thought,

eat that spinach.

the barn warming their hands on the four faucets of a couple of cows, they sent poor

Henry out into the dark night to get a few pails of frigid water from the stock tank.

But when Henry got out to the tank, the water had frozen on the top. There were several

inches of ice on top of the water. Henry did not know what to do. He tried to bang his

pail on the ice to break it, but the ice did not budge.

He tried other ways, picking up a stone and pounding the ice. But again, nothing

Henry was getting terribly cold. The Minnesota January wind was pulsing through his

poorly made clothes and parts of his wrists and ears were starting to freeze. He had one

last idea. Maybe he could jump on the ice and break a little hole through it.

He climbed up on the tank and jumped on the ice. Whoosh! The ice broke through and

obedient Henry fell straight through the ice. His wool coat quickly filled with water and

The last thing he saw as he went under water was the dim outline of the hole that he had

created as he jumped through the ice. He panicked and tried to

breathe but water poured down his throat. “I am going to die

he thought as he grabbed for the rim of the tank, only to have

his near lifeless hand slip off and into the water again.

In one last desperate lunge, he threw his hands up towards the

surface and luckily grabbed the edge of the tank and slowly

pulled himself over the edge and out on the snow covered

ground.

He was freezing; his body shook. He cried and started to crawl towards the barn where

he could hear his brothers talking. His clothes were starting to freeze and with great

difficulty, he reached the handle on the barn door and opened it.

His brothers looked up from milking the cows and saw him standing there, dripping wet,

chunks of ice falling from his sweet face. Henry hoped they would jump up, put their

warm arms around him and run carrying him to the house.

You had better get into the house and see if mom has your

other set of clothes dry. Next time try not to go swimming in the tank in January

With that, little Henry trudged towards the lights in the house and his last

hope of consolation, his mother. She won’t laugh, Henry thought.

ven hug me and tell me I am special like dad used to do.

, he thought, I am so glad to still be alive and warm that I will even

eat that spinach.

the barn warming their hands on the four faucets of a couple of cows, they sent poor

Henry out into the dark night to get a few pails of frigid water from the stock tank.

There were several

. He tried to bang his

He tried other ways, picking up a stone and pounding the ice. But again, nothing

Henry was getting terribly cold. The Minnesota January wind was pulsing through his

poorly made clothes and parts of his wrists and ears were starting to freeze. He had one

He climbed up on the tank and jumped on the ice. Whoosh! The ice broke through and

obedient Henry fell straight through the ice. His wool coat quickly filled with water and

e dim outline of the hole that he had

created as he jumped through the ice. He panicked and tried to

I am going to die,”

he thought as he grabbed for the rim of the tank, only to have

off and into the water again.

In one last desperate lunge, he threw his hands up towards the

surface and luckily grabbed the edge of the tank and slowly

pulled himself over the edge and out on the snow covered

e cried and started to crawl towards the barn where

he could hear his brothers talking. His clothes were starting to freeze and with great

d saw him standing there, dripping wet,

chunks of ice falling from his sweet face. Henry hoped they would jump up, put their

mom has your

other set of clothes dry. Next time try not to go swimming in the tank in January.”

With that, little Henry trudged towards the lights in the house and his last

, Henry thought. She

ven hug me and tell me I am special like dad used to do.

I am so glad to still be alive and warm that I will even