Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-06-25
HOW JONATHAN BEwITCHED THE
CHICKENS,


"HURRAH! hurrahl Now for long
play-day; the school-master's q witch,
and we are free;" and some twenty
boys came focking and tumbling out of
the school-house door, and went swarm
ing up the street. Not much like the
boys of to-day, except for the noise,
we're these twenty youngsters of nearly
two centuries ago, who skipped and ran
up the streets of Boston, dressed in their
long square-skirted coats, small clothes,
long stockings, and low shoes with their
And very different from to-day were the
streets through which they passed as
they flocked homeward talking of the
master.
"He'll have naught to do but learn of
the Black Man now; they do say he
rides his ferule and bunch of twigs high
up in the air, like Mistress Hibbins used
her broom-stick," cried William Bar
tholomew, the sneak of the school.
"He best have been switching thee
with it, then, )" cried Jonathan Winthrop.
"Thou never hast thy share of the
whippings-does he, matesP" and
frank-faced Jonathan turned to his COM
panions.
"Truly thou and l, Jonathan, need
not complain that we have not our share
of the fun and the twigs," laughed
Christopher Corwin, as he laid his arm
on Jonathan's, and shrugged his shoul-
ders at the thought of numerous beat
ings. For Jonathan Winthrop and
Christopher Corwin, with their plots
and pranks, were enough to make poor
Master Halleck sell his soul to the Evil
One, as report said he had done.
g His ferule was sharp as knife"
said over-grown Jo Tucker, the butt of
the school.
"Truly," "cried William Bartholomew,
"sharper than thy wits, we doubt not;
or thy knife either, for that was never
known to cut aught."
"Keep thy tongue in thy head, Billy
New; none ever said that was not sharp
enough,'' put in Christopher Corwin.
81 do not believe he is WITCH" said
Samuel Shaddoe, quiet boy, dressed
in very plain drab clothes, and a wider
brimmed hat than the others.
"Oh, doesn't theeP" cried several.
"Thou art but Quaker thyself, and
Quaker's as bad as witch any day."
shouted Robert Pike.
"There, muddle thy stockings in yon
mud puddle for that speech, thou water
loving Baptist" cried Christopher Cor
win, as he jostled Baptist Bob in some
water by the way.
"Hurrah for the witch, and long
play-day!" cried the boys.
"Peace! peace! ye noisy urchins!"
said Magistrate Sewall, as he slipped
suddenly from doorway. "The mas
ter has imps of the earth as well as the
air, see. Get ye home less noisily, or
we must need put ye in yonder prison
with the master"
The awe of the magistrates presence
had the desired effect, and the crowd
broke up in groups of two or three, and
each took his way homeward quietly.
"Jonathan, doest thou believe the
master dotted his is and crossed his It's
when he signed his name in the Black
Mans book in the forest yonder?" said
Christopher, as the two boys walked
homo together.
"Nay, know not" said Jonathan,
absently.
Verify, I hope the Black Man
cracked him across his knuckles, if he
did not" said Christopher; and he
thought of his own often aching fists.
"Chris, thou art too wise to believe
the poor masters a WITCH" said Jona-
than.
"Nay, how could 1 be, when the
magistrates themselves, and all the wise
men of the town, believe itP"
"Thou doest not believe the master
stuck pins in Job Swinnerton's
stomachP'
"Nay," laughed Chris; "the green
apples from Deacon Gedney's orchard
were the cause of his pain.n
Z" But, Chris, I'm afraid it will go
hard with the master, for all the boys
but thou and seem bent on making
him witch"
Well, trouble not thyself about it.
AS Billy New says, if the masters a
witch, we will have the longer play-day.
Tomorrow l go to my grandfather's,
in Salem, and thou come over with thy
father some day; it will be rare fun to
see the witch children act"
Peradventure l may. 1t will be
dull without thee, Chris; and with the
rest of the boys making the master out
a witch, they'll have no time for play"
"Well, take care of thyself, good
fellow, and beware thou doest not pro-
woke Dame Betty too far; she has a
rare relish for calling people witches"
Gay, that she has. There's pail of
water now at her door, and she's talk
ing with our Debby, doubt not let's
turn the bottom up to dry;" and in a
wink the two boys were off for this bit
of mischief.
In few days all were off to Salem
Jonathan's father as one of the Judges,
the master to be tried for witch, with
those of the children whom he had
afflicted as accusers, and jolly Chris to
see the fun.
1t was very lonesome for Jonathan at
home, for he had no brothers or sisters,
his mother was always sick, and Debby
spent all her spare time talking with a
crOny across the way of the witch-wom-
an, Bridget Bishop, then on trial for
witchcraft.
So Jonathan made playmates of and
amused himself with the chickens of the
Rev. Deodat Parker, who lived next
door. Now these chickens We're the
source of much pleasure TO Jonathan,
for the Winthrops had none, neither
Jonathan nor Debby being deemed fit
TO be trusted with them; and Jonathan
envied the Rev. Deodat Parker his yard
full of staid old fowls and lively young
chicks. Early in the spring Jonathan
had loved to caress and cuddle up the
little rolls of yellow and black down
but now that they were great stalking,
ragged fowls, putting on all sorts Of
airs they excited his ridieule, and he