Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-05-30
Ctr family Circle.
TOmmy's Cousins.

Tommy nad been cross all day. lie M
pulled Robbie's hair, and taken his pei
nuts from him. He had sat down q
Susie's lovely doll and flattened her nos
and he had put the kitten on top of II
bookcase. He had even been saucy an
hateful to his dear mamma, when she asl
ed if her little boy felt quite well, or if hi
long visit to the Aquarium yesterday ha
! tired him. Instead of answering pleasant
ly, Tommy had hunched up his shoulder;
showed out his elbows, and snapped ou
tiercely:
either.n
Every one was glad when bed-tim
came, and Master Tommy was taken up
stairs.
Il do declare, Master Tommy, you'll
turn into nasty, snappy turtle, or crab
some of these nights, when you're 81
cross" said nurse.
"Poohm said Tommy, II won't"
well, something will happen; you'll
see if it doesn't. I've read of Just sucl
things coming to boys in books" sale
nurse, as she tucked him into his bed.
Nurse thought he had become very quie
all ut once, and as she babe him Good.
night" she wondered if he was up to more
mischief. But he was already snoring as
she reached the door.
As soon as she had gone down stairs,
Tommy got out of bed, and felt under the
bureau for the piece of mnce.pie he had
hidden there He had taken it from the
pantry shelf, that evcning,-a good big
quarter of IL pie. 1t was rather dusty, but
tasted good, and Tommy sal up in bed,
and ate it in ten bites. Then he curled
down among the blankets and wished he
was II crab.
I'D crawl right down and bite nurse,
now" he thought. II wonder how it
would feel to be Il turtle, or Il crab, or "a
d"
"A very fine specimen indeed" said
grutf, strange voice.
Tommy looked around. Where was he?
Where was his bed, and bis room with
blue paper on the walsP
Oh, my! what is the matter?" caied
Tommy, lie was sitting upon bit of sea-
weed, in a great glass case full of water,
and rcdnosed man in spectacles was
looking at him.
"A fine specimen of fresh water urchin, ."
said the red-noSed man.
IL aint urchn," cried Tommy, indig-
nanily,
d" See him open his mouth! How ugly
he is' exclaimed II small boy beside the
rednosed man.
Tommy looked around for something to
throw at him, but right at his elbow sat
huge hermit crab, who stretched out four
claws, and said;
"Shake hands, cousin! Glad to see
roum
Pm not your cousin" said Tommy.
lrawing himself up.
"Oho! He says he is not my cousinm
queaked the hermit crab, 50 loudly that
I'll the skates came to see what was the
natter.
You're horrid ugly thingm scream
I'd Tommy. " saw you yesterday pinch
ng poor little crab, and poking your old
laws into his shell. I'm not yonr cousin"
Now, just hear that' said the hermit
,rab, with wicked smile. Here is an
lrchin who pinches his little brother, pulls
lis hair. and takes his peanuts away, and
yet he declares he is not my cousin!
Nonsense! OF course you are. Come
llong."
He was just stretching out his claws to
Irag Tommy off the bit of sea-weed,
When two little sea-urchns came rolling
long, and said:
Why, here's cousin Tommy
go 'waym exclaimed Tommy. 81
ever was such an ugly, prickly thing like
chestnut bur"
Ugly, prickly thing, indeedm cried the
ea-urchns. Didn't you pain your poor
mamma with your naughty, prckIy tenn
er,-you ugly little freshwater urchin!"
md both the sea-urchins gave him great
okcs with their sharp spiny sides, aud
len rolled away, laughing at his pain.
They had no sooner gone, than up came
whole family of thin little alligators, and
nth them whole family of fat little seals,
iggling, bouncing up and down, and eat,
lg mince-pie.
" Tommy, how dye do? How dive do,
ommy" said they ALL
They looked so mischievous, and so bic. !
lat Tommy began to cry. o
" Cry, baby,-cry! Haven't any pie!' I
ING all the fat little seals and thin little
ligators, jumping ut him and trying to {
lie his toes, till Tommy was frightened {
lf to death. !
Just as he made sure they were going I.
eat him. something wonderful happen. y
|. A beautiful sea-horse, with Silver ii
idle, came floating down, led by the -.
Veliest little mermaid that ever was u
en-. And rs she came close to Tommy. l."
e said: u
I" Poor Tommy Come with me. Mount II Il.
y little friend here, and we will take Won 81
way from these tormentors.
So Tommy got upon the sea-horse's y
hejust fitted there nicely, which u
rprised him, till he remembered that IN
ice he had become fresh-water urchin' III
had grown very small. III
They pranced away from the seals and JJ.e
igatorS, and all the skates smiled pleas lit
tly as they passed. Soon they came to W "
mermaid's hOuse,-a large pink conch- He
ell, with sea-weed climbing over it. and LII
ong avenue, marked by rows of pink 81 ~
s-ancmones, leading up to it. The sea- ue
emones bowed, and waved their fringes W
the mermaid, and welcomed her home 81
have here poor little urchin who &c
been naughty, and has been punished w
now he will be good, and happy" said pc
, mermaid. m
Then they went into the conch-shell. and nc 1T
,und and around. and up the spiral nv II.
irs, that were pinked ut every step. m Vi
last the mermaid put Tommy into a VIZ
lie bed like rosy pink sunset, and kiss. 50 80
him good night an
You won't want to get up and look for ui
again, will you?" said she. ~
| guess not !" answered Tommy; and pa
n he fell asleep while she sang 10 him ~,
gs about the sea. we
When he woke up, the sunshine was rn'
canning over him. pr
| did think of giving him some par no
ric, ma'am," nurse was saying. Bnt an
II a little while he stopped crying, so | SUI SUI
not get up WI
Why! must have dreamed it!n said me no
nmy to himself. Just then he looked az nlo
IN and saw some pie-crust crumbs in u, US
bed. | don't know, though" he Una
lght May be it was true. NAV be CTS cts
oally was-a-urchin. "-S. Nicholas S1py
June. orlI
not
LITTLE MIXED.-Some months AGO pur
Sunday School class, the bows were y
ling the chapter which records how :,
id 9 ho NUoll-o,l ,,,.,. Al. salt