Fun and Frolic Part 3

NAUGHTY WILLIE.

Willie got punished at school to-day!

What did he do?

Why, he drew on his slate, in a comical way, Pictures of horses and oxen, and they Seemed to be dancing a real Irish jig!

Yes, and he, too, had a little wee pig Down in the corner, as cute as could be; All of us laughed such a picture to see!

That was the morning before recess, When he threw paper b.a.l.l.s at sly little Bess; And one hit her plump on her fat little nose, And made us all laugh, as you may well suppose; And he pulled some one's hair as they went out to spell, But who cried out n.o.body would tell.

And then, let me see; why he stepped on my toes, And balanced his book on the tip of his nose When the teacher wasn't looking, and then, O, dear me, He made some whiskers as black as could be With the cork of the ink-bottle rubbed on his cheek, And we all laughed till we hardly could speak.

The teacher caught him, and punished him well; Not half the words that were his could he spell; And in the arithmetic he had to guess Half of the answers and wished they were less.

All he has gained by his actions to-day, Is a black mark and his ill-timed play.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NAUGHTY WILLIE.]

NED BENTLY'S TEMPTATION.

When Ned Bently was a boy of about fifteen years of age he lost both of his parents by yellow fever, in New Orleans. The only remaining relative he had was a bachelor uncle, living in the mining regions of California.

Ned worked his way on board a s.h.i.+p, as a sailor boy, to San Francisco, and finally arrived at the diggings where his uncle was engaged in mining. In those early days of California mine digging the miners were generally a very rough cla.s.s of men. So it happened that soon after Ned's arrival a great gruff "digger" offered to treat Ned to a drink of liquor, and became very angry because he refused to touch it.

Ned scarcely shut his eyes all that night, for he was dreadfully afraid that the miners might yet force him to drink of that which he had been taught was certain ruin to body and soul. But to Ned's great surprise and joy, next morning the very man who the night before had offered to treat him took a bold stand in his defense against the other miners'

attempts to force him to drink.

"The lad's about right," said the gruff old digger. "If he can live out here without drinkin' liquor, he'll be able to buy and sell the whole of ye by'n'by." And so it proved, for Ned held fast to his resolution not to drink, and became one of the wealthiest mine owners in California.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NED REFUSING TO DRINK WITH THE MINERS.]

"HODGE."

Many have a dislike to cats; but when boys say they hate cats, it is to be feared that they mostly do so that they may have an excuse for hunting and ill-treating them. In some cases, however, there is a natural antipathy which those who possess it cannot help, though it seems very foolish and unreasonable.

James Boswell tells us that he was "unluckily one of those who have an antipathy to a cat," so that he was uneasy when in a room with one. It certainly was rather unlucky, for he was writing the life of Dr.

Johnson, and wis.h.i.+ng to be as much in his company as possible was frequently at his house. Now the Doctor had a favorite tomcat whom he called "Hodge," and Boswell relates how he "suffered from the presence of this same Hodge."

He says, "I recollect him one day scrambling up Dr. Johnson's breast, apparently with much satisfaction, while my friend, smiling and half whistling, rubbed down his back and pulled him by the tail, and when I observed that he was a fine cat, saying, 'Why, yes, Sir, but I have had cats whom I liked better than this,' and then, as if perceiving Hodge to be out of countenance, he added! 'But he's a very fine cat; a very fine cat, indeed.'"

Hodge was well taken care of, and did not have to catch rats for a living, for the Doctor was in the habit of treating him to oysters.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DR. JOHNSON AND HIS CAT.]

APRIL FOOL.

Most small boys are fond of April-fooling people. How often on the first day of April have we seen the small boy wrapping up a piece of wood or brick in the shape of a parcel bought at the store, carelessly place it on the sidewalk as if dropped by a pa.s.ser-by, and then hide himself near by and wait for some one to be "fooled" by it.

d.i.c.k and Frank Slemmons, one April-fool's day, concluded to get up an April-fool on a grander scale than usual. They procured an old pair of pants, a s.h.i.+rt, pair of boots, gloves, a dunce's cap, and a "false-face"

or mask. They took these articles to their father's barn, and by stuffing them with straw and putting a few extra touches of paint on the mask, they made a hideous looking Guy. To the back of this figure, near the shoulders, the boys fastened a string, and when it began to grow dark they carried it out into the yard and placed it in a sitting posture on the front fence, to fool people who were pa.s.sing by. Holding to the string they hid themselves behind the fence intending when any one pa.s.sed to let the figure fall forward as if it were about to drop from the fence. But they failed to fool anybody, for the first one to come along was Mike, their father's hostler, who at once discovered the boys, and, saying "Ah! see the little laddie-bucks over the fince!" he grabbed the guy and took it along with him.

So the boys themselves were the only ones April fooled.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

IN A STORM ON THE SEA.

Little David Loomis, only eight years old, was permitted by his father, Captain Loomis, to accompany him on a whaling expedition. While out at sea the body of a dead whale was discovered at some distance from the boat, floating in the water. Several of the crew manned one of the smaller boats and rowed away over the gla.s.sy sea to secure the carcase.

David was allowed to go with them. Before the boat reached the floating whale, however, a fearful squall suddenly arose; the wind screamed and whistled round their little boat; the waves, lashed to sudden fury, hissed and foamed, breaking over them like a deluge, whilst a terrible peel of thunder broke right overhead. David was scared almost out of his senses. He had never before seen such a storm. But he sat still, as one of the crew had told him to do, looking out, oh! how eagerly, for some signs of his father's vessel. Nothing was to be seen, however, but a wild waste of heaving, tumbling billows, over which the boat seemed actually to fly. Suddenly the clouds lifted, the wind ceased, and all was as calm as before the storm. Nothing was to be seen of the dead whale, and the crew was content to let it float where it would, while they rowed in search of their vessel. Ere long they were safe and sound on board with Captain Loomis. David could not help repeating from a poem he had recited at school, the words: "Isn't G.o.d upon the ocean, just the same as on the land?"

[Ill.u.s.tration: IN A STORM ON THE SEA.]

THE JAGUAR.

The jaguar, or American tiger, as he is sometimes called, is a native of South America. He is beautifully spotted with rings containing smaller spots on a deeper ground tint. He is a ferocious and destructive beast, inhabits the forests, and seeks his prey by watching, or by openly seizing cattle or horses in the enclosures. His depredations among the herds of horses which graze on the prairies of Paraguay are vast and terrible. Swift as lightning he darts upon his prey, overthrows it by weight, or breaks its neck by a blow of his paw. His strength is so great, he can easily drag off a full-sized horse. He is an expert climber, and the prints of his claws have been seen on the bark at the top of trees fifty feet in height and without branches. He sometimes feeds on monkeys, but they are generally too active for him; having the power to swing themselves from branch to branch with wonderful swiftness, they are soon beyond his reach. After horses, oxen and sheep are his favorite prey, and his devastations among them are often very extensive. On account of this, efforts are constantly made to destroy him. He is hunted with dogs, which run him to bay, or force him to seek safety in a tree, where he is kept till the approach of the hunters, who shoot him, or disable him with their long spears.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE JAGUAR WAITING FOR HIS PREY.]

MILITARY DOGS.

Big dogs, little dogs; black dogs, white dogs--all sizes and sorts of dogs are now carefully trained for use in the military service of France and Germany as messengers, scouts, and sentinels.

These "dog-children of the regiment" are not chosen from any special breed of dogs, because that would at once cause then to be recognized, and so become a target for the foe whenever seen.

These military dogs are chosen on account of the promise they give of "individual merit," and their education is begun as early as possible.

All are trained to silence--a most difficult lesson, and only learnt by long and patient teaching. In fact, it is at all times difficult to insure obedience when music strickes up, for the training poodles, fox-terriers, and collies are sorely tempted to give vocal accompaniment. Dogs selected for this service are thoroughly children of the regiment. They are never allowed to a.s.sociate with civilians, or to let any man wearing an unknown uniform approach them. They must not attack strangers, but are to keep at a respectful distance from all such. Thus their fidelity as letter-carriers is secured.