Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-02-09
BURLY BONES.
c. P. CRANCH.

Brrly Bones was the name of a big
young fairy who had idle habits, and
who got into difficulty, because he
wouldn't occupy himself usefully like
the other fairies. am going to tell
you some of his adventures.
One day, while he was wandering
through a neighboring wood, he found
under a tree bottle which had been
left behind by some picnic party, which
had been feasting there few days be-
fore. The bottle had held punch, but
was now empty, except few drops at
the bottom. 1t lay half hidden in the
grass, and Burly Bones, looking in to
see what was there, for the first time
in his life perceived the odor of punch.
Foolish fairy! 1t was luckless day
for him. No fly was ever more faci-
mated with lump of sugar than the
elf was with this punch bottle.
So he did not pause to reflect,
but crawled in, and drank and
drank. 1t was but drop, but it
was drop too much for fairy. The
result was that Burly Bones soon reel
ed away, addressing very foolish speech
es to the flowers, and trampling them
down, or knocking off their heads, be-
cause they did not not reply to him.
He tried to fly, but his wings seemed
glued to his back. He could hardly
raise one foot after another to walk. In
this state, he stumbled along, talking
to himself; and trying now and then
to sing; and not having the least idea
where he was going, he stuck fast in a
marsh.
Becoming alarmed, he roared for
help in vain. Presently some frogs
came to see what was the matter, but
finding him in tipsy candition, they
didn't treat him with much respect, but
jumped over him, and splashed him
with muddy water, and made mouths
at him, and awful cultural noises
Then the mosquitoes hocked around and
stung him, and the great dragon-flies
darted by him in a threatening way
Fierce-looking birds, with long bills
and legs, seemed ready to devour him,
and sometimes gigantic COW came
crashing through the flags, and several
times he thought he should be trodden
to death
After suffering horribly from his
fears, he at length succeeded IN draw
ing out one leg and then another; and
little sobered by the cold marsh wa
ter, he made out to get almost home
but in what condition. He was Gov
cred with clay and mud, which rem
dered his wings quite useless He tried
to avoid being seen by the other fairies,
and was making his way toward little
brook that ran through the wood, in
order to quench his thirst (for the
punch had made him very thirsty, as
well as to wash off the mud which
dishgured him. But he had the i'll
luck to meet party of merry elves
near the brook, who, as soon as they
saw him, greeted him with a great shout
of laughter Burly Bones tried to re-
treat, but the fairies surrounded him,
and determined to have some fun out
of him. Among them was pretty lit
tie maiden fairy, little wild coquette
of thing, whom Burly Bones had
made love to without success. Her
name was Whirligig, She was great
dancer and waltzer, and was eagerly
sought as partner by all the young
, gentlemen fairies in their moonlight
dances and reyels. Now, Burly Bones
was clumsy, big, awkard elf, and his
attempts at dancing were quite ridicu-
lous He usually tumbled down, OF
got tripped mp, and skulked home very
much mortified, and sorely jealous OF
all the gay and graceful cavaliers who
obtained the hand of Miss Whirligia
in the dance.
SO, though Miss Whirhgig did no,
smile upon him, she could afford some.
times to laugh at him. And this was
now the case on the present occa
sion. She encouraged the fairies t.
tease him. Whereupon, some of then
ran under his legs and tripped him up
Some splashed him with water. Som,
pricked him with thistle. thorns
Some pulled his hair. Some peltet
him with acorns. Burley Bones grew
desperate, and plunged and k cked ant
threshed about like a mailman, declar
ing that he would be revenged. A
last, one of them plucked large rip,
raspberry, and coming behind him
clapped it over his head, completely
covering it, and looking like red full
bottom wig. He tried in vain to pul
! it of. Then the wasps and flies at
tracted by the raspberry, flew upol
him and almost knocked him over Il
his desperation, he ran. but, blinded