The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-09-10
TWO SIDES OF A JOKE.

TWO SIDES OF A Joke.
TOMMY came home from school one
summer afternoon and went out into the
woodshed to do some carpenter work.
He had few pieces of board, some
nails, saw, hatchet and a jack-knife.
He worked industriously for some time,
until, after much labor and bruised fin
gers, he succeeded in fashioning sort OF
rude box with movable top or lid.
Having done this he stopped for mo-
ment and viewed his work with great
satisfaction; then picking up piece of
soft pine he began to whittle. Present
ly Millie came out for a basket of chips
"What are you making?" she asked
putting down her basket and looking at
the box.
making a squirrel-trap, answered
Tommy; going to set her down in the
woods. This is the trigger I'm making
now to touch her off, you know. Oh,
there Plague on't!"
"Why, Tommy Jennings" exclaimed
Nillie, severely "Iou oughtnt to talk
that way. Mamma said you must never
talk slang"
"That isn't slang; but then l cut my
finger" replied Tommy, holding up the
wounded member as an excuse. Didn't
cut it much, though" he added, as he
discovered he was more frightened than
hurt. "I'm glad it wasn't my jugger
naut vein."
whats that?"
ooh, that's vein way up in the neck" "
answered Tommy, in Il patronizing way.
eff you cut into that you're goner,
it,"
Millie was just going to ask another
question, with view to obtain more in
formation, when Bridget's voice called
from the kitchen door:
"Come, Millie, it's mesilf is waitin
for thin chips to be maxim the fire."
Millic hastily filled her basket and
hurried into the house. She came back
Immediately, however, and stood watch
ing Tommy as he worked.
"That kind of trap isn't bit like the
one Jack the Giant-killer made to catch
the giant in" she observed, as Tommy,
after finishing the trigger, began to place
it in position.
Ho! of course it isn't answered
| Tommy. Jack the Giant-killer just
dug deep hole and covered it over with
sticks and leaves. You couldn't catch
| squirrels in such trap as that; they'd
just jump out as soon as they fell in"
"Mebbe, though, if we made one
down in the woods we might catch a lit
tie Indian girl, or little bear, or some
thing" urged Milhc Wouldn't it be
real nice if we could? I'd like best to
| catch real live little Indian girl,
wouldn't your" And the blue eyes
sparkled under the big sunbonnet at the
thought.
Tommy shook his head doubtfully
81 don't believe there's any Indians OF
bears round here now," he said
"They're all gone long ago. But then
Oh! Mile! know what we'll do; well
make one anyhow" he added with sud
den thought.
Millie did not reply; she only looked
up with a questioning glance, for she
felt perfectly sure that whatever Tommy
proposed must certainly be just the thing
to do.
"Why, you see," exclaimed Tommy
"we'll make trap down in the path thai
leads up from the factory, and then wei
hide in the bushes and see the factory
boys and girls come along, and they'll
tumble into it like everything It'll JUS
be lots of fun, won't it,"
"When will we do it?" asked Millie.
"Why, right away; well have plenty
of time before the factory stops" an
swered Tommy, SO full of mischievou!
plans that the squirrel trap lost all inter
est just then, and he ran away to thu
barn to hunt up the spade.
| Now think Tommy and Millie die
not intend any wrong; they simply dit
not stop to think of what effect their fun
might possibly have. And right here
would like to give you little boys ant
girls piece of advice. Whenever yo,
think of playing joke on any one, asl
yourselves this question: !" Would l b.
willing to have the same joke played OF
mes" If your answer is no, then yo'
may consider it tolerably certain that tn
playing of that joke would be wrong.
Tommy soon found the spade; then h
and Millie hurried down toward tn
grove, through which a small footpatl
wound up from the factory to the village
It was somewhat difficult finding a goo'
spot to dig, for the ground in the patl
was so hard that Tommy's small strengtl
could hardly make any impression. Blu
after several trials they found plac
they thought would do, and then Tomm
began to work very industriously-mor
so, l think, than he would had it bee
/ some good, useful work-and at las
, completed hole about two feet deep.
!, "Therer' he exclaimed, throwing dow
+ the spade and wiping very red fac
! with his jacket-sleeve, II guess that
d do. Now we'll get the sticks and things
J. A quantity of sticks and leaves WEI
speedily brought and placed over Il