The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-06-18

off the roof if Shang TIE had not caught
him by the pig-tail. "Save my dragon,
good Shang TIE, and you shall have my
tart for supper. Alas, it will be smashed,
am sure it will be smashed"
ooh no." said Shang TIE, who had
watched the course of the dragon while
his master had been crying. cit is
hanging safe and sound on tea bush in
the garden"
Though little bruised and somewhat
shaken, the dragon was comparatively
unhurt; but Sing Flu would not trust it
in the air again that day.
cit is an unlucky time for dragons,
that is clear" he said.
At night when everybody was fast
asleep the moon shone into the playroom
and made it almost as light as day, and
the playthings, sitting up and wide
awake, listened while the dragon told his
adventures.
~ went up" said he, far beyond
the clouds, and the beautiful, fat earth
lay beneath me. I looked north, south,
south, east and west, but could see no
land called England or France. Below
me was China, celestial, flowery China.
In my joy l resolved to fly to the sun
and learn about everything, and l tug
ged at my string until it broke. Away
I flew like bird, glad and free, straight
toward the sun. | felt certain light
ness in my head and grew warm, but l
retained my wits till reached the sun,
against which | struck with considerable
force. Indescribable sensations ran over
me, lost all consciousness, and then I
suppose fell to the earth, for soon af-
forwards our dear master clasped me in
his arms and called me his treasure"
The Chinese playthings made low
bow to the dragon, the tops even stood
on their heads to express their deep re-
spect, but the Sheffield penknife lay on
its back and said in tone rs sharp as
razor:
"Queer sensation! Very likely. You
doubtless turned more than a hundred
somersaults after your string broke"
Something may be forgiven our
friend the pen-knfe on the score of ig-
norance," said the dragon, gravcly.
"But we will not permit so great and
learned a person as yourself to endure the
abuse and scorn of an outlandish foreign
er," cried the silver puzzle, shutting up
all the blades Of the penknife and throw
ing it out the window.
We consider you the head Of the
family, and therefore we will not have
you made fun OF" said the big ball, and
then dropped with all his might on the
wax doll from Paris.
"Im very sorry you broke her head"
said the dragon. "She was very pretty,
and | have been thinking for some time
of making her my wife
"She would have given you great
deal of trouble" said the spinning top.
"There are very few of us, between you
and me, my dear dragon, who are pre-
pared to marry female who can talk
about intellect and knows the things she
did"
"She could not have troubled much,"
said the dragon, smiling, "smce [ have
been to the sun and know all the secrets
of the world"
"At last" cried the ivory toy, ave
have an authority in the play-room. |
predict he will be a great comfort to U.s."
And so it proved, for whenever the
playthings differed in their opinion or
wanted to learn about anything they
alwaps asked The dragon, who immedi-
ately told them what he had discovered
in regard to that particular subject when
he made his journey to the sun, and that
settled it.-Ch,istinn Union.