The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-01-13
A Mule Kicks q Beehive.
From the Californian.

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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 complete. 1t was not. A mule wan
dered on the scene. The scene 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 lin hung down. HeElooked disguised.
It seemed he didn't like being mule.
A dav or two before, while I was trying
to pick ND a little child who had got too
near this mules heel, he kicked me two or
three times before could tell from which
wav I was hit Knight have avoided some of
the kicking, but began to kick at the mule.
I didn't kick with him long. He outnum-
bered me.
He browsed along on the choice shrub
berry. / forgot the beauty OF the morning.
Remembered black and blue spot on my
leg. It looked like the print Of mules
hoof. There was another on my right hip.
Where nv suspenders crossed were two
more, rs / have been informed. They were
side by side-twin blue spots, and seemed
to be.about the same age.
thought Of revenge. l didn't want to
kick with him any more. But thought II l
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 him through threshing- machine.
While was thus thinking and getting
madden and madden, the mule, which had
wandered up close to a large beehive, got
stung. His eyes lighted up as if that was
lust what he was looking for. He turned
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 joke that falls on the
company like piece Of sad news. This
piece was in the air. TWAS being kicked at.
The bees swarmed. They swarmed
good DEAL They lit on that mule earnest
". After he had kicked the last piece of
bee hive so high that he could not reach it
any more, he stopped for an instant. He
seemed trying to ascertain whether the 1O,-
600 bees which We're stinging him meant it.
They did.
The mule turned loose. I never saw any,
thing to equal it. He was enveloped in
dense fog of earnestness and bees, and fill
ed 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 de-
lighted but that mule seemed to rise as high
as the tops of the pepper trees. The pepper
trees were 20 feet high. He would open
and shut himself like a frog swimming
Sometimes, when he was in mid-air, he
II. l., lo Avyipo
think for a moment he was about to become
an angel. Only for moment. There are
probably no mule angels.
When we had got up to the tops OF the
pepper trees was called to my breakfast
told them didn't want any breakfast.
The mule continued to be busy.
When q 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 hind-legs backward until
the mule becomes Strengthened 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 al
most touched his ears.
The mule proceeded as if he desired to
hurry through.
I had no idea how many bees hive
would hold until saw that bee-hiv emptied
on that mule. They covered him SO COM
pletely 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 q way.
Not only was every bee Of the disturbed
hive on duty, but think the news had been
~ ;c1,h %hofxr had
been declared. I 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 NOV
ing on each other, combined into seething
hiss.
A sweet calm and gentle peacefulness
pervaded me.
When he had kicked for IN hour he began
to fall short of the tops of the pepper trees.
He was settling down closer to the earth.
Numbers We're 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
exhausting.
He finally got so h. did not rise clear of
the ground, but he continued to kick with
both feet for half an hour, next with first
one foot and then the other for another half
hour, then with his right foot every few
minutes, the interval growing longer 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 mean, sneaking advantage had
been taken of him.
Iretired 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 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 seen of yesterdays
struggle Peace had come to him. He was
hood Too much KICKING anainst nothinn