Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-05-01
Do Oppossums Play Possums A
Shoolboy's Test While the Mas
ter was Incoming.

MR.. EDITOR. Inc TedueTs OF the
HERALD, | presume, know very lit
tie about the oppossum. There are
none 10 this region, and since they
have read the article in the last
HERALD they know still less. A
genuine bona fide oppossum would
laugh at the idea of attributing his
mimicry OF death 10 a fit or syn
cope produced by sudden tear. The
writer of that article seems to think
the oppossum is like the soldier is
who fell in his first battle when no
bullet had grazed him, and who ev-
or after believed be was dead. The
writer endeavors to relieve this an.
imal of the charge of dupIicity and
intentional shamming of condition
which he knt WIS is q trick and fraud.
He says the oppossum is a simple
animal and to prove that he is NO
trickster or hypocrite, be accuses
him of lack of sense. Now the
'possum is the most cunning and
sly of all quadrupeds. 10 fact he
seems to possess more wit than the
aforesaid writer on whom be has
imposed successfully. The eyes of
the 'possum and their position on
each side of his sharp nose, their Pc
culiar expression, indicates more
cunning than any face of the same
acreage can show whether of man
or beast. There is no humor in the
'possum's face. He is always seri-
Gus, sour and sober, bul he is Gun.
ming and knavish, as every henroost
in the neighborhood where be re-
sides can testify He ID a miniature
elephant with the proboscis at the
other end. What the elephant can
do with bis trunk the oppossum can
do with his tail, and more too. The
'possum can hang By his tail to a
limb and enjoy himself hour after
hour in swinging to and fro. If the
'possum's syncope or aphothesis is
to be accounted for by sudden
fright how happens it that when be
falls to the ground and rolls himself
up and opens bis mouth and closes
his eyes that all his enemies regard
him as dead, dead, and leave him ?
remember when boy, of winning
a handsome purse of marbles of a
schoolmate who bet an oppossum |
had caught and whipped with the
masters birch was dead. Well, that
'possum could not be resuscitated
by ordinary means [ will tell you
how we tested it. If you have ever
lived south of Mason and Dixon's
line, you have often been stung by
a yellow insect similar to wasp.
The natives formerly called it the
"Indian bee" because it lived in i'm
mense swarms and made no 5oney
and was found in the country before
the white men settled it. 1t is no
other than the yellow jacket, but in
that country they live in old logs
ond hollow trees, and you can dis
Germ their nests at considerable
distance, as those coming and going
from the hive form sort of jet, q
sort of animated rainbow that can
not be mistaken. These insects are
most vindictive and warlike. School
boys make a practice of stoning
their nests. Where such war is
carried 90 you will see thousands of
them in front Of the orifce on
guard, ready 20 "pursue, kill and
destroy" their enemies.
There was just such nest near
toe school house. 1t was at noon
recess. We concluded we would
throw the oppossum into the nest
and if be was alive the yellow jack
cts would take care of his hypocrisy
and if be were dead they might at
tend to his funeral.
We hurled the 'possum into the
nest-a thousand of the bravest
yellow jackets were ready to re-
ceive him-such sight Such cru
city never was seen in the amphi-
theatre at Rome, where lions, tigers
and hvenas feasted upon Christians.
The buzziug, angry, Infatuated yell
low tends crawled into the 'possum's
open jaws, into his ears aud nostrils,
drove their barbed harpooDs into
his eyes. His hair became thick
with yellow jackets, that worked
their way close to his hide and sa-
tiatcd their rage by injecting their
poison into his epidermis. The suf-
ferer endured for few seconds like
stole or martyr. At length he
showed spssmodic signs of life. He
raised himself like General Jack .
sons game cock. He closed his
laws and brigade of bis enemies
were crushed. We heard the crash
ing and cracking oftheir scaly coats
of mail. The 'possam in his magni-
fceut indignation appeared to be an
avenging Nemesis. We hed, halt
through fear as well as guilt as be
rushed toward US. He ran like the
swine of old violently down steep
place into deep creek. We could
no,, dare not pursue He swan
with an occasional dive. His tor
mentors which could not extricate
their stings from his solid fiesh all
persisted. The whale dragged his