Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-08-29
\ True story.
BY THOMAS X. BEECHER.

BY THOMAS X. BEECHER.
In the field back of my house, and
mp the hill, are two nice springs. From
one draw water to my house through
pipes, while the water from the other
goes to my barn, and my neighbours
house. The water runs very swiftly.
because it is running down hill. 1t is
far easier 10 run down hill than it is to
run up.
The pipe enters this spring. not at
the top of the water, nor at the bot.
tom either If it were at the top, the
scum would get into the pipe. and
floating bug now and then, would get
III. SO the pipe goes in about six inch
es below the top of the water.
When we are drawing water at the
barn for the horses. and my neighhor
draws water at the same time for her
washing day, the pipe sucks at a great
rate But it draws in nothing but
pure water, if all floating things keep
at the top, and all heavy things he
still at the bottom. Now for my story
One morning there was a gay young
frog about as big rs halt my thumb
too big for tadpole, too small for a
wise frog. He could go just where he
pleased. He did not have to float with
the bugs, for he knew how to dive. He
did not have to stay at the bottom with
the dregs, for he knew how to swim.
So he kicked out his little hind legs
and swan all round the spring, doing
very mach as he pleased.
One day he saw the little round black
hole of the pipe, where the water was
running in quite freely. lie wondered
where it led to. He put his nose in
and felt the water pull, and was little
such a funny feeling to be sucked that
way it felt kind of good round his
nose, and he swan up, and looked III
again. He went in as much as half an
inch, and then the water got behind
hum and he was drawn all in. "Hcro
qOeS said he. Z" / shdH see aUh0t /
shdU sect And along he went with
the water, till he came to where the
pipe makes a bend for my barn--a
sharp bend, straight up. As the water
was quiet there, he gave a little kick
and got up into Il still, dark place,
close by the barrel where the horse
drinks. "Well, said he, "it's a snug
place here, but rather lonely and dark. "
Now and then he thought OF the
spring, and the light, and the splendid
room he used to have to swim in, and
1e tried to swim back against the
stream. But the water was on him,
or running by him swiftly, and he had
no room to kick in the pipe So every
/ time he started to go back to the spring
! he would work hard for few minutes.
and then get tired and slip back into
/ the dark place by the barrel.
BY and by he grew contented there.
The water brought him enough to eat.
He shut his eyes and grew stupid,
stopped exercising and got fat, and as
he had no room to grow very big IN the
pipe, he had TO grow all long, and no
broad. But he grew as big as he could,
till at last he stopped up the pipe.
Then / had to go out and see what
was the matter, for the horse had moth
ing to drink. Ijerked away the bar
rel, pulled out the little plug and put a
ramrod down; felt springy, leathery,
something, and pushing, down 1t went,
and out gushed the water. /" what
lc0s Hotl Thought. SO Ipulled out
the big plug, and put down an iron
ramrod and churned it to two or three
times, and than let the water run, and
out came great, long, red and white,
and bleeding frog.
| couldn't put him together again.
Anything that gets sucked INTO that
pipe and grows mp in those dark places,
has to come out dead, and all in pieces.
| wondered how such a big frog could
ever have got into so small a pipe.
Then a wise lady in my house told me,
Why he went in when he was
little and foolish, and grew up in
there
/ cannot get that poor frog ont Of
my mind He was SO like some young
folks that | have seen. They frolicked
up 20 the door Of a theatre, or they
stood and looked into bar room, or
they just wanted to 60 to one bali, or.
got ont behind The barn to smoke q
pipe, or went of sleighrding with
some gay young man without asking