The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-01-05
Young Folks.
Simnln Peter.

pertinent might be.
One day sailor came to his fathers
house to stay all night. Old Mr.. Brant,
Peters father, did not keep tavern,
but travellers often stopped at his house
for a meal or a nights lodging. This
sailor had to wait some time for his din
ner, for they always had chickens when
there were any strangers to dinner, and
the fowls were very wild on the Brant
farm, So, while the sailor was waiting
he told stories of the sea, and old Mr..
Brantard his son Peter sat and listened.
The sailors stories were principally
about big fish, and the boy gave him
the greatest attention. Directly out
spoke Peter.
"Sailor," said he, sis whales pisen ?"
The sailor laughed good deal at this,
and old Mr., Brant remarked that his
son would be smarter if ho only had
more sense. Then the conversation
turned on sharks, and the sailor told
how they were sometimes harpooned.
Would pitchfork do for har-
poon ?' asked Peter.
"Well," said the sailor, "if 1 was to
see shark, and hadn't no hook to fish
for him with, and had a pitchfork handy
aud the shark was near enough, should
try to stick it into him."
Peter made no remark in answer to
this, but in a minute or two slipped out
into the yard and got piece of clothes
line, and then he went into the barn.
where he found pitchfork. With
these, he posted off, at the top of his
speed, to Bradley's dam. Before start
ing on such expeditions, it would have
been well for Peter to have done two
things. In the first place, he should
have ascertained whether there were
sharks in Bradley's dam, and, secondly,
he should have waited for his dinner,
for they did not have chickens every
day. But Peter did not bother his head
with thinking about these things. He
Just took his rope and his pitckfork,
and ran his very best to the dam. And
his very best was very good. There
was nothing the n.atter with his legs.
If the brains had been as active, things
would have been very different with
Peter. He tied one end of his rope to
the pitchfork, and he sat on the top of
the dam, at place where the water
came over the stones, and watched for
sharks all the afternoon. But he never
saw one. Just before supper-time the
sailor came along.
Halo ~ said he, "What are you
after there ?"
"Sharks," said Peter, "and I'll tell
you what it is, sailor, if / had seen one
I She uld have jabbed him sure"
And it is probable that he would, for
Peter was boy of wonderful energy.
The sailor laughed great deal more
than Peter thought was needful, and
then he said:
81 wouldn't fish any more for sharks,
if were you, but can tell you of bet
ter game than that. Tonight, after it
gets good and dark, you and I will 60
out and catch some Iflenkratshes"
"All right" said Peter, and he rolled
up his line and went home.
That night, after it was quite dark,
the sailor and Peter went to try to catch
some 1Aenkratshes. They took big
bag with them, and Peter was to stand
on the bank of the creek and hold the
mouth of the bag open, while the sailor
went up the stream and drove the Iflen-
kratshes down into it. When Peter was
properly posted, the sailor went up the
stream little way, just out of sight,
and then he quietly walked over to the
farm house and went to bed. Poter's
mind was full of the Ihenkratshes. He
had never seen one in all his life. He
wondered whether they were big and
feathery, like wild geese; or kind of
horny backed, like turtles. And then
he wondered how much longer it would
be before any of them came. He stood
there until he began to get quite chilled
with his eyes and the mouth of the bag
wide open as he could hold them. Some.
times they would all slowly shut up,
and Peter would be nearly asleep, but
he would wake up with jump and
stand all ready to close the bag the in.
slant an Ifleukratsh should enter it, and
hold it tight until the sailor should run
up and tie it with a string. Hours
passed on, and the stars which were at
the top of the top of the shy sank slow
ly down into the west, and at last it
began to get light.
81 might as well 60 home now," said
Peter, "for the sailor said you could
only catch them in the dark
So he went home, and had no sooner
got into bed than it was time for him
to get up and help with the milking.
At the break fast table the sailor told
the story, and everybody laughed at
poor Peter.
"It will be lesson to him." said the
sailor, "and teach him to think bit"
shouldn't wonder if it ,oas lesson
to him." said old Mr.. Brant.
This adventure was truly of great
service to Peter, though we don't by
any means approve Of the old sailors
conduct. 1t was very severe lesson,
but Peter never forgot it. The recollec-
tion of that cold night by the creek,
when he stood holding bag for things
that he ought to have known had never
existed, made him very cautious about
| similar undertakings. One thing is