The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-08-21
HOW v.illie FeII INTO the Cis,ern.

How willie Fell Into the Cistern.
An old straw hat lyingon the ground,
and right out of hole in the straw hat
grew little tuft of curly yellow hair
How did it get there?
Two little shoes kicking in the air,
and right out from a hole in one of the
little shoes grew wee dusty toe.
How did it get there?
Ask Wi les mother.
There were blue eyes under the straw
hat, too-blue eyes that were almost
black from looking way down in dark
hole And for ali their looking, they
could Just see the piece of white bone
with bits OF red meat hanging to it, that
Willie had dropped into the cistern.
Poor old kitty was looking down, too,
and mewing for her dinner, for Willie's
mother had said:
"Now, Willie, take it right between
your thumb and finger, just so, and go
and call the old cat. Be quick, for
poor kitty is hungry"
And Willie meant to do it all right,
but kitty did new so hard he thought
it would be a good plan to teach her
Johnny Clark dogs trick.
"Now bark, said he, holding it
away off; "bark and 90 sail have it.,
kitty"
But kitty couldn't bark, and so she
jumped, and Willie jumped, too, and
forgot to Jump the bone, so down it
went with a thump that showed at least
there was bottom to the cistern. 1t
wasn't much of a cistern, to be sure
only great "hogshead sunk down
in the ground, and not particle of wa
ter in ii.
Still it had that awful name, and
wasn't Henry Scheid's little brother
drowned in cistern ?
Poor kitty, how she did new What
q mean, mean boy TO lose the old cats
dinner Willie thought he would
never dare to go into the house to eat
his own, for wouldn't she come in and
new it out to everybody?
Willie got long stick and poked,
but it only made the white bone go whirl-
ing around. He wondered what made it
so dark down there. What an awful
giant hog it must have been to have such
a head Perhaps they kept such pigs
at circuses. He meant to ask the show
man.
Just then kitty mewed louder. Willie
gave great push with his stick and
tumbled right down into it Into the
darkness Into the cistern
The bugs all ran, but great worms
came crawling over his hands to see if
they knew him, and big black spiders
got on his head and shoulders to haul in
the lines he had broken through. Up
above kitty's two eyes shone like fire,
and Willie thought he was drowning,
and began to call, Mamma, mamma. -
And mamma way off in the kitchen fry
ing doughnuts that sang very loud,
heard the call and ran to the back door.
"Mamma mamma %
She looked into the barn, she looked
into the shed. No Willie, but
" Mamma mamma ~
She ran up stairs, she opened all the
closet doors. No Willie, but
Mamma mamma -
She looked in the sugar bin and fioui
barrel, she went down cellar. No VIII
lie, but now it came palmer
Mamma mamma I'm drowning |!
Willie, where are you"
q" In the cistern."
Poor mamma. She caught a new rope
and ran out to the real, new cistern; al
was fast screwed down, but she ham
mered away until she got it open, anG
looked in. No torn straw hat floating
on the water No little fingers reach
ing up to it ! But still the
"Mamma mamma -
" Willie, tell me where you are"
"In ee pigs head, mamma, drownin
all dead -
And when mamma poked her sun
bonnet down there she could just see
little Willie all doubled up.
"Johnny Clark can have my top,
walled he, =" and give kitty all my din
ners. How long will it take to gee
drowned, mamma? Will 90 wait ?"
No, mamma went away. 1t sounded
as if she was crying out loud and {
great bug crawled up Willie's nose t.
see if he was good to eat F; then came
four legs kicking him on the head.
80 my there's horse stumbling
down here !"
"No, only Willie's high-chair Climl
up, little boy, and mamma will reach y
In mammals arms, with all the tears
kissed away How bright the SUI
shone ! How green the grass looked
Here's 90 bone, kitty. Needn'
never bark no more"
There was great smoke in tht
kitchen, for the doughnuts had sung
themselves black in the face; but Will,
sat upon the table and ate great on'
from off the pan. All dusty and dirty
working the little brown toe that peepe(
out from his shoe, thinking how scarce