“Sherman Andrew” my father, Avery T. Beck was calling me. I was playing basketball on my dirt basketball court where my big wooden backboard was connected to the west side of our big wooden granary. I was eleven years old, about the same age as Aaron, Spencer and Caleb almost ready to be a deacon. I had a new basketball net on my basketball hoop and I was having a great time trying to make baskets. I was mainly practicing side shots where I would dribble the basketball either on the left or right of the hoop and bank the ball off the backboard into the hoop and when I did it right, the new net would make a swooshing sound that was so, so sweet! Such a sound is one of the sweetest sounds I know.
I knew I needed to answer my dad when he called, so I reluctantly put the ball down by the basketball goal and ran around to the east side of the granary which was my dad’s shop where he had a his tools and equipment and would repair farm machinery and things. “Sherm” my dad was saying, “I’m in the middle of this repair work on this sugar beet cultivator and need to finish today. I want to test it out this evening so I can use it behind the tractor at 5:00 AM on Monday morning.
I knew that my dad thought Monday was an important day of the week, and he considered getting a good start on the work on Monday was a very important thing. He used to wake my brother Paul and me up about 5:00 AM on Mondays; (he would wake up about 4:00 AM) by saying: “Wake up you guys………The day after tomorrow is Wednesday, the week is half over, and you haven’t got anything done yet!”
Then he would sing: “Wake-up and do something more, than dream of your mansion above…..doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, a blessing of goodness and light……….”
My father told me that he would like me to jump on my horse, Bonnie, take the big shovel and go down in the lower field and change the irrigation water from one end of an alfalfa field to the other side of the field. It would be rather easy, since I would mainly need to remove a canvas dam which was just a little larger than a baby quilt. I would pull it out of the water, clean the mud off with my shovel and place it on the ditch bank to dry. This would allow the water to flow on down the ditch and water the rest of the alfalfa field. I would need to take some dirt and dam up the small ditch where the water had been going so has to stop the water from continuing to water the part of the field that had sufficient water. It was easy assignment and I was happy to help my dad with this work. I liked assignments on the farm that would allow me to ride my horse.
I put my rubber boots on that went almost up to my knees, I put the bridle on my old horse, Bonnie, who seem to be excited to get out of her corral. I think she knew we were going down in the alfalfa fields where she would be able to pull some new green alfalfa up and eat it instead the old dry hay which we fed her when she was in her corral. As you likely know, hay is alfalfa that is dry and put in stacks to feed to cattle and other livestock.
I had put the shovel against a fence so that once I was on the horse’s bare back, I could put it over my shoulder and hold it with my right hand while I held on to the reins of the bridle with my left hand. The bridle is the thing made out of leather and metal which I had put on my horse’s head and in her mouth. Away we went and Bonnie was excited because without any encouragement from me, she began to lope, which is between walking and running for a horse. It felt good to be on the horse, I was sweaty from playing basketball and there was a slight breeze going across the fields as we headed down to the lower fields where we had a large field of alfalfa growing. Usually in one summer, you can harvest alfalfa three times: 1st crop, 2nd crop, and 3rd crop. We had already cut the 1st crop and the 2nd crop was almost ready to harvest, so the alfalfa was quite tall as we stopped close by the canvas dam which I needed to remove from the ditch to do my assignment from my father. I just dropped the reins on the ground since I knew that Bonnie would just wait for me, happy to eat fresh alfalfa right from the field. However, my horse seemed cautious and jumpy. As I jumped off her back and grasped the shovel which I had stuck in the field like a spear while I got off the horse, I saw what Bonnie was worried about. About 9 feet away right next to the canvas dam was a small skunk! Before I could hardly think, the skunk looked at me with fearful eyes and then up went his back right foot and zippy-zoom, skunk stink-water was shot right at my face. That skunk was an incredible excellent shot; the stink-water came at me just like he was aiming a powerful super squirt gun. I quickly put the metal shovel in front of my eyes and the stink-water hit right in the middle of the shovel and went all over the wooden handle of the shovel, on my clothing and especially my boots. Bonnie quickly backed away, but I don’t think any stink-water got on her, and she didn’t run away, thank goodness.
Oh my goodness sakes alive, I had never, NEVER, smelled anything so bad, absolutely dreadful and awful. I went to back away from the skunk, because I knew that most skunks can shoot stink-water at least twice and the skunk evidently thought I wanted to cause him hurt and trouble, but I tripped over myself and down I went. As I rolled on the ground, I put my fingers to my lips and stuck my tongue out and blew as hard as I could, calling Jasper, The Friendly, Talking, Saber-tooth Tiger.
Before that skunk could shoot again, JASPER WAS THERE! THANK GOODNESS!!!!!!!!! Jasper told the skunk, (I couldn’t understand skunk talk, but Jasper explained it to me later) not to be scared and not to shoot me again. He told the skunk, I wasn’t going to hurt him or cause him trouble.
I saw the skunk almost smile and then much to my relief, he put his back leg down, and I was out of danger from being shot with stink water a second time. Whew………that was too close. I was so thankful that Jasper came quickly.
I quickly pulled out the canvas dam and let the water go down the ditch, I quickly put some dirt in the little side ditch so the water wouldn’t leak into the wrong field and then with difficulty, I got on my horse. Bonnie did not want me to get on her back because I smelled so bad. Finally, however, I did get on her back and turned to tell Jasper ”thank you” and he told me” You are welcome,” and he said: “call me any time until you turn twelve” and then Jasper reminded me that he wouldn’t be available to help me after I turned twelve. I thought to myself, maybe I don’t want to grow up and be twelve after all, even though I had been looking forward to it until this experience.
I went back to the house. My dad and mom said I was so lucky the skunk’s stink-water didn’t get in my eyes because that stuff can make eyes go blind. My mom had me take my clothing off outside the house, and she burned my clothing and my rubber boots. My dad had to replace the wooden handle on the shovel, since we couldn’t get the stink out of the wood, it did come off the metal shovel.
So that time, I called Jasper on purpose and thank goodness he came quickly to help me and to tell the scared skunk not to shoot me a second time. Oh my, I was one lucky boy. OH MY GOODNESS SAKES ALIVE, I’M GLAD JASPER CAME QUICKLY AND EXPLAINED HOW THINGS WERE TO THAT LITTLE SKUNK.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
How Punka Met Jasper
Sherman Andrew Beck was 6 years old and lived on a big farm in central Utah in a neighborhood called Crowleyville. Crowleyville was about 7 miles south of a small town called Centerfield and was the location of the Gunnison Valley U&I Sugar Factory. Centerfield was in the middle of Gunnison Valley which was a small valley with mountains all around it and with highway #89 going thru the valley on a north/south route. North of Centerfield was a bigger town where the high school and the hospital were located called Gunnison.1 In about late July of 1944 when Sherman (Punkaman) was just six years old his family decided to go up twelve mile canyon for a picnic. Above Gunnison Valley, up the mountain from the small town of Mayfield, was a little campground. We took an old 1938 Plymouth car which my parents owned. My brother Paul, age 12 and my sister, Beverly, age 14 along with my mother, Elvona Marie Sorensen Beck who was 36 years old and my father, Avery T. Beck, who was also 36 years old put food and blankets in the trunk of the car and left our farm about noon and arrived at the twelve mile campground at the base of Mountain Baldy at about 2:00 PM.
Mom was expecting a baby in November (Aunt Judy) and so dad fixed a place for her to sit and gave her a blanket to put around her and then he told us Beverly and I that we go could play. He said that he and Paul would go find some wood so we could fix a fire in the fire pit. The campground had a wood fence around it and a cattle guard2 on the road which was a gravel road; it had just a few wooden tables and picnic sites. It had a one water tap and a couple of outside toilets with wooden seats and pits.
On one side of the campground was a stand of Quaking Aspen3 and the fence thru the Aspen was strings of barb-wire. Most of the wire was nailed right on a tree trunk and was designed to keep cattle out, but not much of anything else in or out.
I hurried over to the Quaking Aspen grove and before long had gotten down on my knees and crawled thru and under the barb-wire fence. What an adventure! I thought I would go find some wood and help Paul and Dad with the fire. So off I went down a little trail as happy as a squirrel. It wasn’t long until I was out of sight of the campground and when I noticed I was somewhat dismayed; however, I thought I can just follow the path back and so that is what I tried to do. But there were too many trails in the Quaking Aspen and I soon was mixed-up and didn’t know where to go.
OH DEAR………….WHAT SHOULD I DO? I started to run and then down I fell right on my face, my lips and nose into the rough dirt of the trail. I got up and was about to cry. I took both my hands and used my fingers to brush away the dirt from my lips and blew my mouth and tongue between my fingers trying to get the dirt out of my mouth and off my tongue.
I didn’t know which way to go. I wanted my Mom or my sister Beverly, but I did not know which way to go to find them. Should I go up the trail or down the trail? I was about ready to cry out when I heard an unexpected voice. It was a big voice, but not aloud voice. It was a deep voice, but not a scary voice. “Sherman, did you call me?” was what the voice said. I couldn’t tell who said it and the voice said again: “Sherman, did you call me?”
Then I noticed standing partly hidden by three Quaking Aspen growing close together actually from the same clump of dirt. There was a humongous big cat; a humongous tiger is exactly what I was looking at. A Saber-tooth Tiger4
I don’t know why I wasn’t scared out of my wits. Perhaps it was because this tiger was talking to me. I know that sounds crazy, but at the time it seemed kind of natural and normal. I was a lost child; this animal was speaking to me in a sweet smoothing voice. The voice was deep like my father’s voice, but sweet like my mother’s voice. I knew I was in trouble and while the Tiger didn’t say he could or would help me, somehow I knew that is exactly what he intended upon doing. I was so happy for some help that I didn’t consider how strange it was that this huge beast was talking to me. Without fear, I moved toward him, and as I came around the clump of dirt holding the base of the three Quaking Aspen, I was startled to see what a big animal he was. I mean, he was as big as a small bull, bigger than any of my dad's cows. Most all of my father’s cattle would weigh about 200 to 300 lbs. Once in a while a bull would weigh 800 to 1,000, lbs. and I think that is how much Jasper would weigh.
He was almost as tall as a small horse, but had much smaller legs than a horse. And those teeth….. I MEAN: OH MY GOODNESS SAKES ALIVE, HE HAD THE BIGGEST TEETH I HAVE EVER, EVER, EVER SEEN.5
He said he was “JASPER, THE FRIENDLY TALKING SABER-TOOTH TIGER.” And he went on to tell me that he was naturally friendly because of his family6, and that he had received a gift from a famous King named Rahjah so that he could speak to people and all animals and be their friend. He also said that he was sent by Rahjah to help all children under the age of twelve.
“WOW!” I said when Jasper told me this news. “But how did you know I had troubles?” I asked Jasper. “You called me” he said. “When you put your fingers to your lips and blew your tongue through them, which is the secret call for me to appear!” said Jasper. I didn’t tell him I was just cleaning dirt off my lips and tongue. I did not want him to think that I didn’t need him, because, I did need him. I was kind of lost. No, no, I was really lost; I had no idea which direction the campground was. Thank goodness Jasper had come and he could now tell how to get back to my family. I was so pleased and happy to have Jasper as a friend and I was especially glad when he took me to the barb-wire fence and I could see and hear my family in the campground. Then I heard Beverly yelling my name. “Sherman”, “Sherman Andrew” she said. “Here I am” I yelled back and I then turned to speak to Jasper, but Jasper wasn’t there. I don’t know where he went so fast, I had wanted my sister, Beverly, to meet him.
After we had stew and some of my mom’s home-made bread plus some cup cakes that Beverly had made my dad told us a story about my Grandpa Alexander Beck when he was a cowboy up in these very same mountains. We sang some favorite songs and Dad had Paul say a prayer, and we gathered up our stuff and put it in the car. Then Dad and Paul put out the fire, and we got in the car and started back to the valley and to our home in Crowleyville.
I fell asleep before we got home; however, before I went to sleep, I tried to figure out if I had really spoken to a Saber-tooth Tiger named Jasper of if it was just my imagination. What do you think?
The next story will be the about my second visit with Jasper and this time I called him on purpose rather than accidently as I did on our first meeting. The story after the next one will be when Merilee first met Jasper.
Mom was expecting a baby in November (Aunt Judy) and so dad fixed a place for her to sit and gave her a blanket to put around her and then he told us Beverly and I that we go could play. He said that he and Paul would go find some wood so we could fix a fire in the fire pit. The campground had a wood fence around it and a cattle guard2 on the road which was a gravel road; it had just a few wooden tables and picnic sites. It had a one water tap and a couple of outside toilets with wooden seats and pits.
On one side of the campground was a stand of Quaking Aspen3 and the fence thru the Aspen was strings of barb-wire. Most of the wire was nailed right on a tree trunk and was designed to keep cattle out, but not much of anything else in or out.
I hurried over to the Quaking Aspen grove and before long had gotten down on my knees and crawled thru and under the barb-wire fence. What an adventure! I thought I would go find some wood and help Paul and Dad with the fire. So off I went down a little trail as happy as a squirrel. It wasn’t long until I was out of sight of the campground and when I noticed I was somewhat dismayed; however, I thought I can just follow the path back and so that is what I tried to do. But there were too many trails in the Quaking Aspen and I soon was mixed-up and didn’t know where to go.
OH DEAR………….WHAT SHOULD I DO? I started to run and then down I fell right on my face, my lips and nose into the rough dirt of the trail. I got up and was about to cry. I took both my hands and used my fingers to brush away the dirt from my lips and blew my mouth and tongue between my fingers trying to get the dirt out of my mouth and off my tongue.
I didn’t know which way to go. I wanted my Mom or my sister Beverly, but I did not know which way to go to find them. Should I go up the trail or down the trail? I was about ready to cry out when I heard an unexpected voice. It was a big voice, but not aloud voice. It was a deep voice, but not a scary voice. “Sherman, did you call me?” was what the voice said. I couldn’t tell who said it and the voice said again: “Sherman, did you call me?”
Then I noticed standing partly hidden by three Quaking Aspen growing close together actually from the same clump of dirt. There was a humongous big cat; a humongous tiger is exactly what I was looking at. A Saber-tooth Tiger4
I don’t know why I wasn’t scared out of my wits. Perhaps it was because this tiger was talking to me. I know that sounds crazy, but at the time it seemed kind of natural and normal. I was a lost child; this animal was speaking to me in a sweet smoothing voice. The voice was deep like my father’s voice, but sweet like my mother’s voice. I knew I was in trouble and while the Tiger didn’t say he could or would help me, somehow I knew that is exactly what he intended upon doing. I was so happy for some help that I didn’t consider how strange it was that this huge beast was talking to me. Without fear, I moved toward him, and as I came around the clump of dirt holding the base of the three Quaking Aspen, I was startled to see what a big animal he was. I mean, he was as big as a small bull, bigger than any of my dad's cows. Most all of my father’s cattle would weigh about 200 to 300 lbs. Once in a while a bull would weigh 800 to 1,000, lbs. and I think that is how much Jasper would weigh.
He was almost as tall as a small horse, but had much smaller legs than a horse. And those teeth….. I MEAN: OH MY GOODNESS SAKES ALIVE, HE HAD THE BIGGEST TEETH I HAVE EVER, EVER, EVER SEEN.5
He said he was “JASPER, THE FRIENDLY TALKING SABER-TOOTH TIGER.” And he went on to tell me that he was naturally friendly because of his family6, and that he had received a gift from a famous King named Rahjah so that he could speak to people and all animals and be their friend. He also said that he was sent by Rahjah to help all children under the age of twelve.
“WOW!” I said when Jasper told me this news. “But how did you know I had troubles?” I asked Jasper. “You called me” he said. “When you put your fingers to your lips and blew your tongue through them, which is the secret call for me to appear!” said Jasper. I didn’t tell him I was just cleaning dirt off my lips and tongue. I did not want him to think that I didn’t need him, because, I did need him. I was kind of lost. No, no, I was really lost; I had no idea which direction the campground was. Thank goodness Jasper had come and he could now tell how to get back to my family. I was so pleased and happy to have Jasper as a friend and I was especially glad when he took me to the barb-wire fence and I could see and hear my family in the campground. Then I heard Beverly yelling my name. “Sherman”, “Sherman Andrew” she said. “Here I am” I yelled back and I then turned to speak to Jasper, but Jasper wasn’t there. I don’t know where he went so fast, I had wanted my sister, Beverly, to meet him.
After we had stew and some of my mom’s home-made bread plus some cup cakes that Beverly had made my dad told us a story about my Grandpa Alexander Beck when he was a cowboy up in these very same mountains. We sang some favorite songs and Dad had Paul say a prayer, and we gathered up our stuff and put it in the car. Then Dad and Paul put out the fire, and we got in the car and started back to the valley and to our home in Crowleyville.
I fell asleep before we got home; however, before I went to sleep, I tried to figure out if I had really spoken to a Saber-tooth Tiger named Jasper of if it was just my imagination. What do you think?
The next story will be the about my second visit with Jasper and this time I called him on purpose rather than accidently as I did on our first meeting. The story after the next one will be when Merilee first met Jasper.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Jasper Learns about Friendship and Meets People
Jasper was excited to be with PunkaDunkyWooWooWoo. He was very happy to have PunkaDunky as his friend and teacher. When he told PunkaDunkyWooWooWoo that he was thankful that he was Jasper’s teacher and friend, PunkaDunky said:
"good teachers are also friends and friends are also teachers….That is one of the reasons that you need to always choose good friends.”
PunkaDunky said this was important to remember. Jasper decided he had a lot to learn. And also decided he would think about how to be a good friend since friends are also teachers….
Until now, Jasper did not realize that being a good friend was so serious. "Actually, being a good friend is fun and serious" Jasper thought to himself. He promised himself he would always try and be a good friend.
PunkaDunkyWooWooWoo told Jasper that they would soon have a wonderful adventure. He told Jasper to please follow him into the jungle where he quickly came to a trail that was used by many animals in the jungle. Jasper’s teacher told him, “please be quiet, and soon you will see wonderful things come marching down the trail. You should stay behind the big tree.”
“Don’t let anybody see you Jasper!” said his teacher. “They will not know that you are a friendly tiger and it will scare them to see you because you are so big and strong and have such large sharp teeth. “ Jasper knew that this was good advice and was quiet and walked carefully as he followed his teacher into the jungle.
Soon Jasper could smell some elephants, a smell he had smelled before; however, he had never been close to elephants before, and he looked down the trail with anticipation. What was that other smell mixed in with the elephant scent? PunkaDunkyWooWooWoo seemed to know what Jasper was thinking…….. “People” said Jasper’s teacher. “The new odors you can smell are the scent of people, does it smell good or bad?”
Jasper whispered: “It’s is an interesting smell…………..I think it is a good scent, and it doesn’t smell bad or unkind.” “You’ve got a good nose” said PunkaDunkyWooWooWoo for most all people are interesting and kind; however, sometimes you will meet a person who is mean and likes to hurt other people or animals.”
Just then, Jasper could see the first of the five big elephants coming down the trail. He also saw creatures walking on only two legs beside the elephants, and they carried big sticks with sharp heads on them. His teacher said the things in the men's hands were called “Spears. People use spears and other tools to protect them since they don’t have big teeth like you.”
There was a man riding on top of the elephant’s head and neck who seemed to be able to tell the big animals which way to go and when to stop and start. Behind the driver, was a box on the back of the elephant and people were in the box sitting down. What an interesting sight this was for Jasper. On the third elephant Jasper could see in the box was a little person, she was so pretty and beside her was a strong looking man with a turban with a jewel on it. This man had a nice beard and was smiling as was the little girl beside him.
And so the story goes:
“A long, long time ago there lived a saber-toothed tiger in the jungles of Africa. His name was Jasper and he was all alone because his family had all died in a terrible fire. Jasper was a good tiger. He didn’t want to hurt anyone. He wanted to be helpful.
One day Jasper was hiding in the jungle when he saw a big parade of elephants marching through the trees. They were carrying King Rahjah and his daughter, the princess. Jasper could tell that Rahjah was magical and very kind.
Suddenly, the princess fell off her elephant and was about to get stepped on by the big foot of the next elephant! Jasper couldn’t let such a terrible thing happen to the little princess, so he ran as fast as he could and used his big teeth to swoop the princess out of the way. She was safe.
The King’s guards didn’t know that Jasper had saved the princess. They all grabbed their spears and knives and pointed them at Jasper. King Rahjah yelled, “stop!” He thanked Jasper for saving the princess. He could speak animal language. Jasper had never heard a human speak animal language before!
King Rahjah said, “Jasper, because you saved my little girl, you will now be Jasper, the friendly, talking, saber-toothed tiger. Whenever children under the age of twelve are in danger, they can summon you with the secret whistle. Children will love you forever.”
And so it is, centuries later, and children all over the world have a friend in Jasper the friendly taking saber-toothed tiger. Do you know how to call him?”
So King Rahjah gave Jasper special powers and his daughter, Sari, became Jasper’s very good friend. PunkaDunkyWooWooWoo and Jasper were welcome to visit Sari’s family any time they wanted. They came often and sometimes stayed for several days at a time.
Sari learned to call Jasper and because of the magic of her father, whenever Sari put her fingers over her mouth and then sticking her tongue between her fingers and blowing as hard as she can, Jasper hears and immediately runs and dashes to where ever Sari is. He talks with her and finds out what the problem she is having and then he helps her solve the problem.
All children, under the age of twelve, can call Jasper in this same way! He will appear and help the child no matter what troubles or problems the child may have. Jasper will protect and keep the child safe until the parents or other good adults come to help the child.
Next week on the blog: http://punkajasper.blogspot.
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