Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-11-13
Ths famils Cirels.
Mother GraygObble's Children.

back of the church. For the minister
was so loud spoken n man that Mother
Graygobble could hear every word of the
long sermon without being obliged to GO
inside.
Stop. children! stop quarreling | want
10 hear what that man says
Then Mother Graygobblc listened very
intently with her head close to he ground
keeping her eye on fat grasshopper. lest ii
should hop away too far.
'Oh. oh!' she exclaimed. a minute after.
IT'S come! knew it would. That horrid
thing! What shall do?'
why, mother! mother! what is the
matterP' exclaimed all the children, crowd.
ing around.
Matter? matter enough! That mans
reading that dreadful thing again. | knew
| it was most time
Most time for what? What do you mean.
Time for Thanksgiving. And they'll
take you all, every one of you, just AS they
did last year.
What's Thanksgiving
why, it's when everybody's relations
90 to see everybody, and they eat up all
he turkeys. And they'll eat you up-eat
you up
| 'Pshaw! | dont't believe word of 1t,
muttcred young Greentail, standing on one
foot and scratching his head with the 9th
or. I'D like to see 'em eat me up. They'd
better catch me first
Much you know about it. sir. Last
year had Just rs nice Il family as-jus
It's nice children as-why, just as nice rs
you are, every bit. Now, don't be jealous
| for ius nil
they were. And they went and took every
one of 'em and put EN- in Il coop. and fe
enl lots of corn till they got EN- AS fat a
fat turkeys. Then one morning they
cut their heads off! Hear that. GreentalI
| they II cut yours off, TOO.
" hat do they do that for''
why, they want you to cat. They'll
pick all your feathers out, every one o.
EN-, and they'll stuff you full Of some
thing, and then tie you up and put you il
hot place and reast you till you're
brown. Then they'll eat you, till they
can eat any more. That's what Thanks
giving's TOR
4 don't want my head cut off, whim
pered little Gray back. 1 don't want 10 be
brown
We'll, you can't help yourself unless |
get you away where they can't tin,l you.
Pm not bit airai OF their ttklng me.
| m too old and tough But you re young
md tender. We must get away tonight
Tor they'll surely shut you up tomorrow
morning
In the afternoon Mother Graygobble ant
her eight children started across the now
ing lot, back Of the barn, in the direction
Of the pine wood.
| whittier away, now, Mother Graygnh
bic 2 asked calf no was drinking ut the
brook.
Il am going to get my family away be
fore they are all killed for Thanks9 living,
she answered.
'Ah, that's right. that's right, said the
calf.
Where are you going, Mother Graygob
ble?' said II young colt who was eating AZ
early supper in the next field.
I'm taking my children over to the pine
wood, to keep them there till after Thanks
giving
| Il would, would said the colt.
| But when it began to grow dark the
Young Graygobbes wanted their suppers
I'm going home; NJ hungry said young
| Greent:i.
oh, my son, my SON. demonstrated
Mother Graygobble. if you go you vii
certainly be shut up. Do stay with us
Here is II nice worm for you. Now, mind
what say. l know best.
'Gobbe-eobbe! don't want the old
worm. want some corn and I'm going
nome to get my supper. That's all {
very foolish story and don't believe Il
word of it,
i'm hungry and | want some corn,
began all the rest.
SO they all followed Young Greentai a;
le struttcd away. Mother Graygobble
went, too mourning her children's bad
conduct and the sad fate thlt surely await
ID them.
The next morning came AMI went. and
he young Graygobblcs still strutted about
| Inmolested
| There! Who knew bestP' sncered young
| Greentai.
We'll, you're bad children, anyhow,
| md when YOU are all eaten up then you II
| wish you had minded me-
| The mother persuaded her flock, all hut
| Greentai, who could not be coaXed OF
| frightened into obedience, to 90 with her
| lgaln to the pine wood, hoping to KEEP
| h, m away Till the dreaded time was over
As soon as supper-ime, they were agar
| ,ungry. But hv dint of scratching anC
working, Mother Gray gobble found suiIi
.ient to satisfy them for time, and hey
vent to sleep on one of the branches of a
tall pine tree. The next morning however
the cry for breakfast began a. soon rs theil
yes were open, and persuasions and warn
| ngs were of no avail Back to the farm
yard they went.
"Indeed" said Greental, who was
Walking about the yard in lordly fashion
much you know--iooish things to be-
ieve such silly story! you see I'm safe
3 YOU are, and hal good supper, too
And didn't they cut your head off nor
smut You up?" asked Gray back.
"Of course they didn't. I'd like to see
en- catch me-"
Toward night mother Graygobbe ran
| great alarm to her flock.
1--WE must get over to the wood as
,iick AS we can. she said, and well gel
lp in the highest pine tree, where they
ant find us; for they're going to coop
.ou up tonight. l heard the mistress
say So"
| - Drumsticksm said Specklewing
lont believe any thing about IL. You're
llways getting up some hobgoblin story
II other don't intend to 60 without my
supper tonight.
| Nor l." said Greentai.
"Well. you are the most ungratefu
hildren J ever saw. After all the trouble
I've had to get you along so far. and then
% have you act so! While you're roasting
you'll have time to reflect"
"Pohr' said Greentail, "we've taken
,are of ourselves ever so long, and
ruess we can while longer. You needn't
trouble yourself about u.s."
The next morning saw the young Gray
gobbes shut up. with nothing to do but
to eat their fill of corn.
"Well, what do you think now" asked
Mother Graygobble.
Think" said Greentail, with little
strut. {" I'm satisfied. | don't see how it
could be better. We have just all the
corn we can eat"
"Well, I've done all could, and you
thought you knew best. You'll find out
YOU we're mistaken"