Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-08-28
Catching q Rooster.

You throw of your coat and after =
balf-hour's maneuvorinC succeed in get
ting the rooster beaded of in a corDea.
whore he stands upon one leg eycine
your approach with the most stoical in
difference. J ou advance cautiously with
arms spread wide out on either side
Of your body, until Just as YOU are con-
graduating yoursclfon a speedy capture,
and are beginning to pity his innocence,
bo gently slips over the fence and walks
of quite unconcernedly. ~lSy this time
you are stronly inclined to lose your
temper. but you remember that getting
mad will not help the matter. So you
resolve 10 try again, and start of whist
ling checrfully.
In due time your game is again "cor
nered." This time YOU determine 10
dispense with all caution. and by one
swift. bold dash, secure your prize. Ac-
cordingly. you brace yourself in con-
iidential manner. and. just AS you
imagine the fowl safely fallen Off into =
doze. maze the descent. Alasl for the
inconsistency Of human hopes and hui
name nticiIaiionS. You come down
upon your hands and knees and claw
your fingers into the gravel savagely. 50
10 start every nail: the rooster screams
loudly and iluticrs up into y2ur face,
cutting n cash in your cheeR~with his
claw. and filling your eyes with dust
and feathers until you are quite blind.
And your wife comes out on the back
stoop and yells to know IL you will be
All day catching that chicken. and if
you mean 60 tear the place down.
Your blood is up to boiling pitch. and
you rush madly forward. regardless of
all things save the object Of your wrath,
until suddenly you find yourself spraw-
ing fiat upon the ground. in conse-
Qucnce Of having inadvertently stumbled
over an old ash pan, that you could have
sworn was safe in the house an hour
before. You arise. muttoring impreca-
tions upon the ash pan and the person
that was always mcddling>with other
peoples things. and once more turn your
attention to the rooster. who has appar-
entity become quite sanguine over the
prospect of escape and is enjoying HIM
self nj the farther end Of the barnyard.
After series Of falls and blunders. in
termingled with numerous growls and
groans. you succeed in running him into
an old clubhouse, where he ensconces
himself among the barrels and hoops
and miscellaneous dobrts with which IL
is strewn.
You crawl In after him. confident that
success viii at least crown your labor.
You knock your head against a beam
and tear pantaloons, and burst the
buckles OF your suspcnders and finally
succeed in VIGOROUSLY dragging forth
the terrified biped. You start for the
house, exultingly wiping your brow as
you pro coed. and thankful that your
task Is nj least ended. But who can de-
scribe your emotions. when. upon pre-
senting the fowl TO your wife. she tells
YOU, with uplifted hands suggestive of
the deepest astonishment. that you have
not got the right one aficr all; that she
plainly told you 10 get the rooster with
the white tuft under his wing, end that
YOU can just turn him loose and 60 afer
The proper one, right straight BY the time
the rooster with the white tuft" is
captured. your dinner isspoiled and your
inclination 20 sleep quite gone.