Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-14
THE MULE AND THE BEES.
Lock Melone in Jannarp CaIiforaian.


Lock Aelone in Jaanarg Californian.
l was visiting a gentleman who lived
in the vicinity of Los Angeles. The
morning was beautiful. The plash of
little cascades about the grounds, the
buzz of bees and the gentle moving of
the foliage of the pepper trees, in the
scarcely-perceptible ocean-breeze, made
up picture which l thought was COM
plete. 1t was not A mule wandered
on the scene. The scene, l thought,
could have got along without him. He
took different view.
OF course mules were not allowed
on the grounds. That is what he knew
That was his reason for being there.
recognized him. Had met him. His
lower lip hung down. He looked dis
gusted. 1t seemed he didn't like being
a mule.
A day or two before, while was try
ing to pick up little child who had got
too near this mules heels, he kicked me
two or three times before I could tell
from which way was hit. might have
avoided some of the kicking, but in my
confusion | began to kick at the mule.
didn't kick with HIM long. He out
numbered me.
He browsed along on the choice shrub
berry. forgot the beauty of the morn
ing. Remembered a black-and- blue spot
on my leg 1t looked like the print of q
mules hoof There was another on my
right hip. Where my suspenders cross
ed were two more, as | have been in
formed. They were side by side twin
blue spots, and seemed TO be of the same
age.
thought of revenge. / didn't want
to kick with him any more. No. But
though, if had him tied down good and
fast, so he could not move his heels, how
like sweet incense it would be to first
saw his ears and tail smooth off. then put
out his eyes with red-hot poker, then
skin him alive, then run hin through
threshing machine.
While | was thus thinking and getting
madder and madder, the mule, which had
wandered up close to large bee hive,
got stung. His eyes lighted up, as if that
was just what he was looking for He turn
ed on the beehive and took aim. He
fired. In ten seconds the only piece of
beehive could see was about the size
man feels when he has told a joke that
falls on the company like piece of sad
news. This piece was in the air. 1t was
being kicked at.
The bees swarmed. They swarmed a
goOd-deal. They lit on that mule earn
estly. After he had kicked the last bit
of bee hive so high that he could not
reach it any mere he stopped for an in
stant. He seemed trying to ascertain
whether the ten thousand bees which
were stinging him meant it. They did.
The mule turned loose. ! never saw
anything to equal it. He was enveloped
In dense fog Of earnestness and bees
and filled with enthusiasm and stings. The
more he kicked the higher he arose from
the ground. may have been mistaken,
for was somewhat excited and very
much delighted, but that mule seemed to
rise as high as the tops of the pepper
trees. The pepper-trees were twenty feet
high. He would open and shut himself
like frog swimming. Sometimes when
he was in mid air he would look like
he was flying, and l would think for a
moment he was about to become an angel
Only for moment. There are probably
no mule angels.
When he had got up to the tops of
the pepper-trees | was called to break
fast. | told them didn't want any break
fast.
The mule continued to be busy.
When mule kicks himself clear of
the earth his heels seldom reach higher
than his back-that is, mules fore-legs
can reach forward and his hind-legs
backward until the mule becomes
straightened out into a line of mule
parallel with the earth and fifteen or
twenty feet therefrom. 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 his ears.
The mule proceeded as II he desired to
hurry through.
would hold until / saw that bee hive
emptied on that mule. They covered
him so 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.
The mule still went on in an absorbed
kind of way.
Not only was every bee of the disturb
ed hive on duty, but / think the news
had been conveyed to neighboring hives
that war had been declared. l could see
bees fitting to and fro. 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 in a seething hiss.
A sweet calm and gentle peacefulness
pervaded me.
When 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 telling
on him. He looked distressed. He had
always been used to kicking against
something, but found now that he was
striking the air. 1t was very exhaust
ing.
He finally got SO he did not rise clear
OF the ground, but continued to kick
with both feet for 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 inter-
vals growing lenger and longer. until he
finally was still. His head dropped, his
lip hung lower and lower. The bees
stung on. He looked as if he thought
that a mean, sneaking advantage had
been taken of him.
retired from the scene. Early next
morning returned. The sun came slow
ly up from behind the eastern hills. The
light foliage of the pepper-trees trembled
with his morning caress. His golden
kiss fell upon the opening roses. A bee
could be seen flying hither, another
thither. The mule lay near the scene of
yesterdays struggle. Peace had come
to him. He was dead. Too much kick
ing against nothing.