The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-06-03
Pilikia.t


aetuslly occurred Avon, Y, and the innocent
victim of the joke is lady nearly ninety years of
age, greatly beloved and venersted in the COM
munity where she resides.l
A lady Of age, and experience rare
Sat knitting and rocking her old-time chair;
When on the cold wintry air there came to
her car
Through closed windows and doors, distinct
and clear,
The tell-tale cackle OF hens from the barn;
And laying aside her bright needles and yarn
She sighed, "Oh! to be young! But I'm not
too old now
To 20 hunting again for eggs in the NOV.
For since the iar-time when but a wee girl,
No ladder e'er scared me or made my head
whirl;
That old dominic hen thinks her nest hid
away,
But know her trick-she has laid in the
hay"
So straightway she entered the barns open
door,
Where a ladder invitingly stood on the floor,
And mounting as fearless as any hall stair,
She climbed the steep ladder with dexterous
care,
One step at q time, one round after round,
And q nest in the crisp, fragrant hay is soon
found.
Now soft faint peep from a corner is heard,
And she doubts it the oice can be chicken or
Heard again and again; after searching and
bother
The chickens appear and their f1dgety mother;
Fresh eggs, ill-timed chicks and hen well
secured
IN apron all snug, the long-searchiug endured; /;
To the mow's edge she comes, not dreaming
what work
Had been done by peripatetic barrel of pork
Or what would have been pork in day or
two more
what a pity it had not been made 20 betore); /;
Now pigs not Ounce, tho plg-headed,
tis true,
And has plans OF his own and can cleverly do
A thing to surprise one-as this rhyme aims
for while the lady was busted, piggie was
busy below.
Now the hens silly csckle reached this phil.
osopher's ear,
And he reasoned, " the barn doors now open,
to me il is clear
Some one has forgot it--how else could that hen
Go in and come out7-rll try my luck then;
| remember the sheaves and piles ol sweet
wheat,
Some few grains, perchance, are yet LETT to eat
'rs good Tor my diet-ior die-it l should,
One cannot always eat corn be it ever SO good" "
So rousing himself from his nest near the door,
A clear coast he oiscerns and the coveted floor.
To the inquisiive pig came disappointing
Scarce gain could he see with his black,
beady eyes;
Twas all safepy stored or transformed into
gold,
For autumn had gone; twas winter and cold,
But bent on discovery, this acquisitive pig
Round the barn hour begins to snuff and to
With his long strong nose soon the ladder he
spies
Why, what is this ladder up here fol7" lie
cries;
"of what use is it now, Tor the summer is
And the fresh, cool grass and sweet.smelling
Are spoiled for me now, for cannot eat hay; d;
could eat it " while growing in fields far away.
Now it's piled above there for somebody =
use,
AMI no,hing's lett piggie save corn and
abuse"
At the thought OF his grievance he got mad.
der and madder
And somehow upset this most useful, long
ladder;
Or, it may be, to Judge this poor beast with
due charity,
He assayed to ascend it himself, for a rarity,
And ignorautly trying its wrong side, we sup
pose,
A hard push he gives it and over it goes!
Unsuspecting and careless OF the mischief now
Like thousands of human ones under the sun,
He bastes in alright to get safely away,
While the poor lady above him is exiled in
hay!
The wintry halliday is fast nearing its close,
That she has been there alone long time she
knows;
1t is strange she is missed not-that no one
comes near her,
And vainly she cal s, she's so far none can
hear her.
Now it chanced that the household knew not
of her going,
sewing;
But the quietness there, too profound and too
long,
Hint surely what research proves, something
is wrong.
Long searchings, loud callings, prove quite to
be vain
In her chair only Bible and knitting remain
All the house and the garden, hunted over and
over,
No TIT ce OF dear grandma can any discover;
When at length from the barn, cries a we'll.
known voice,
At Which all the household exclaim and re-
joice;
"Girls, the ladders fallen guess the pigs
can ell how
Please put it up Tor me, | am here in the
mow."
So the adder is placed; CANCELS ascend and
descend,
Like the angels OF Jacob, and grandn attend
Half laughingly, seriously, theJ chide her and
tell her:
Until all mischievous pigs are packed down
in tile cellar,
II is safer by TAR, than to hunt eggs in the
barn,
10 be in your own room with needles and
yarn"
'"Piikia is Sandwich Island word meaning
4" in a tight place." or, " in a oornern
IS. p, WUlsuorth.