Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-01
A Mule Kicks = nee,H,va.

-01O A4&0D - 00OOnJV0A
was visiting gentleman who lived IN the
vicinity Of Los Angeles The morning was
beautiful. The plash OF htale cascades abOuS
InS gI0onos the QUIZ OF bees. ana the gen Ie
m i OF the foliage Of the pepper trees In the
picture which thought was complete. Ii was
not A mule wandered ON the scene The
scene. Gnougnt could have got along without
mules were not allowed on the grounds. Tnas
- what he knew. That was bis reason for
nelng there. / recognized him. Had met him.
HIS lower lip hung down He looked disguised.
A day or two before, while was trying to
pick up little child who had got too near this
mules heels. he kicked me two or three times
hsTe e lfem sn ~ way was hit
my confusion, began to kick at the mule /
didn't kick with him long. He outnumbered me.
He browsed along on the choice shrunbery. ]
forgot the beauty OF the morning. Remembered
q black and blue spot on my leg. 1t looked IKE
the print OF mules hoof There was another
on my right hip. Where my S,sspenders crossed
were side by side-twin blue spots, and seemed
to De about the same age. Thought of REVENGE.
didn't want to kick with him any more. No.
But thought, II had him tied down good and
sweet incense 1t would be to first saw his ears
and tail smooth OH, then put out his eyes with
red hot poker, then skin him alive, tnen run
him through threShing machine.
While was thus thinking, and getting m Nd
der and madden, the mule, which had wandered
up close TO large bee hive. got stung. HIS
eyes lighted up, as II that was JUS! what ne was
took ann. He tlred. In ten seconds, the Only
piece OF bee hive could see was abont the sig,
Q man feels when he has told toke that fails
on the company like piece Of sad news. Tnis
The bees swarmed. They swarmed good deal.
They Lit on that mule earnestly. After he mad
kicked the last piece OF beehive so high that he
IN krN rtn
instant He seemed trying to ascertain whether
the ten thousand bees which were singing him
meant It They did. The mule turned loose.
veloped In a dense fog Of earnestnest and bees.
and filled with enthusiasm and stings The
more he kicked, the higher he arose from the
somewhat excited and very much delighted, but
that mule seemed to rise as high as the tops of
tne pepper trees. The pepper trees were twenty
1eet high. He would open and shut himself
was In mid air, he would look like he was tly-
Ing, and l would think for moment he was
ABOUT TO become an angel Only for moment
haS ea are % no mule angels When
was called to breakfast. told them dldnt
want any breakfast
The mule continued to be busy. When a
mule kicks himself clear OF the earth, his heels
seldom reach higher than his back; that is, a
mules fore legs can reach forward, and his
mind legs backward, until the mule becomes
strengthened out into line OF mule parallel
with the earth, and fifteen or twenty feet there
from. This mules hind legs, however, were
not only raised into line with his back, but
they would come over until the bottom OF the
hoofS almost touched bis ears
The mule proceeded as IL he desired to hurry
through. had no idea how many bees hive
would hold until saw that beehive emptied
on that mule. They covered him 80 completely
that could not see any of him but the glare of
his eyes could see, from the expression of
his eyes, that he didn't like the way things
were going.
OF way.
Not only was every bee OF the disturbed hive
on duty, but think the news had been con.
veyed to neIghooring hives that war had been
the mule was covered so deep with bees that
he looked like an exaggerated mule The hum
OF the bees. and their moving on each other,
combined into seethlng hiss. A sweet calm
he had kicked for an hour he began to fall short
OF the tops OF the pepper trees. He was settling
down closer TO the earth. Numbers were tell
i1g on him. He looked distressed. he had al
ways been used to kicking against something,
but found now that he was striking the air, f5
was very eXhauSung.
He finally got 80 he did not rise clear OF the
Tor half an hour. next with first one foot and
then the other for another half an hour then
with his right foot only every few minutes the
intervals growing longer and longer, until ne
unauJ Was ociL his 1cA1 uEOOpe0, MS I'D
hung lower and lower. The bees stung on. he
looked as II he thought that O mean sneaking
advantage had been taken OF him.
i retired from the scene. Early the next
morning returned. The sun came slowly up
from behind the eastern hills. The light foliage
Of the pepper trees tremDled with his morning
caress. His golden kiss fell upon the opening
roses. bee could be seen flying Luther. an
other thither. The mule lay near The scene OF
yesterdays struggle. Peace had come to him
He was dead Too much kicking against
Aek,ns in January Cdufo5a,an.