Gateway to the Classics: Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston

Franklin's Whistle

W HEN Franklin was an old man, he wrote a curious letter. In that letter he told a story. It was about something that happened to him when he was a boy.

Here is the story put into verses, so that you will remember it better. Some day you can read the story as Franklin told it himself. You will hear people say, "He paid too much for the whistle." The saying came from this story.

Too Much for the Whistle

As Ben with pennies in his pocket

Went strolling down the street,

"Toot-toot! toot-toot!" there came a whistle

From a boy he chanced to meet,

Whistling fit to burst his buttons,
Blowing hard and stepping high.
Then Benny said, "I'll buy your whistle;"
But "Toot! toot-toot!" was the reply.

But Benny counted out his pennies,
The whistling boy began to smile;
With one last toot he gave the whistle
To Ben, and took his penny pile.

Now homeward goes the whistling Benny,
As proud as any foolish boy,
And in his pockets not a penny,
But in his mouth a noisy toy.

"Ah, Benny, Benny!" cries his mother,

"I cannot stand your ugly noise."

"Stop, Benny, Benny!" says his father,

"I cannot talk, you drown my voice."

At last the whistling boy remembers

How much his money might have bought.

"Too many pennies for a whistle,"

Too many pennies for a whistle
Is what we all pay, you and I,
Just for a little foolish pleasure
Pay a price that's quite too high.