Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-08-28
A True Story.
BY THOMAS K. BEECHER.


In the field back of my house, and
up the hill ARE two nice springs. From
one I 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 It is
far easier to 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 a
floating bug now and then, would get
in. So the pipe goes in about sixinch-
es below the top of the water.
When we are drawing water at the
barn for the horses, and my neighbor
draws water at the same time for her
washing day, the pipe sucks at great
rate. But it draws in nothing but
pure water, if ali floating things keep
at the top, and all heavy things lie
still at the bottom. Now for my story
One morning there was a gay young
frog about as big as half 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 much as he pleased.
One day he saw thelittle round black
hole of the pipe, where the water was
running III quite freely He wondered
where it led to. He put his nose in
and felt the water pull, and was q little
scared and backed out. But it was
such funny feeling to be sucked that
way it felt kind Of good round his
nose, and he swan up, and looked in
again. He went in as much as half an
inch, and then the water got behind
him and he was drawn all in. Here
goes! said he. q Z shall see 2Uhat
shall see! y 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 still, dark place,
close by the barrel where the horse
drinks. "Well, said he, Its 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
Ae 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 a 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 Dig 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. [ jerked away the bar
rel, pulled out the little plug and put a
ramrod down; felt a springy, leathery,
something, and pushing, down 1t went,
and out gushed the water. q Whdt
aOas that" 1 thought. So pulled out
the big plug, and put down an iron
ramrOd and churned it to two or three
times, and then let the water run, and
out came great, long, red and white,
and bleeding frog.
[ couldn't put him together again.
Any thing that gets sucked into that
pipe and grows up 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
L cannot get that poor frog ut OF
my mind. He was so like SOM young
folks that have seen. They frolicked
up to the door of theatre, or they
stood and looked into bar room, OF
they just wanted to go to one ball, OF
got out behind the barn to smoke a
pipe, OF went off sleighriding with
some gay young man without asking
leave-Or some way put their foolish
noses into dark hole that felt funny,
and led, thoy didn't know where. Pref,
ty soon, i'll they go. When they want
to get back, they can't; and they grow
bigger, and wickeder, and all out oil
shape in that dark place. If they come
out at last, they are all jammed up,
knocked to pieces, sick or dying, OF
dead. When / see them in their collins,
| hear folks ask, Chow came he tc
throw himself away SOP" ''What
made him drink himself to death ,
How happened she to go off to in
fanny? " How came he to be gam.
bier
The questions [ shall answer as tho
wise lady told me about the frog. "They
went in when they were little and fool
1sh, and grew up there" A bad habit
hugs man tighter, and jams him out OF
shape worse than my pipes did thai
poor frog.