Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-27
4 Curious Literaru Relic,

To the Editor of the Minneapolis Tribune.
In recently looking through an old
Latin book which has laid in my library
unopened for nearly quarter of CEN
tury, came across Roman fable which
greatly amused me when boy and which
now translate for the benefit of other
boys old and young. Its apparent appli-
cabilitv to current events in Minnesota is
purely casual, and merely exemplifes the
adage that history repeats itself:
THE INJUDICIoCs owL--A FABLE
Once upon time an Injudicious Owl
who had long been kindly permitted to
live and hoot in a community of Eagles,
took the notion into his big head that it
would be quite lovely if he could make
himself, by the passive aid Of some ab-
sent and misinformed Eagle, permanent
Boss of the community's politics-after
the manner of Kam- -Ron-and Konk-
Ling in neighboring Satrapies. Thus the
Injudicious Owl hoped to get up before
Day and control the distribution of Fresh
Meat for one or two hundred Years. So
when the principal Eagles had come to-
gether On the Capitoline Hill to amend
their bylaws and choose what they
called Senna- Tor, and were nearly
all of one mind as to who
he should be, the Injudicious Owl mount
ed high place, puffed out his feathers
after the manner of his tribe, and, with a
loud hoot which was ludicrously intended
to initiate the voice of the King of Birds,
made Proclamation that the herein-be-
fore mentioned absent and misinformed
eagle should certainly be chosen Senna-
Tor or there would be Music by the full
Band. The Injudicious Owl also Incl
dentally remarked as he closed his Procla-
nation, that whoever questioned his
Command and Prediction was either an
Idiot or Liar. But the assembled Eagles
treated the Proclamation and the Threat
of the Injudicious Owl with Hilarious De-
rision, and at once proceeded to choose for
Senator the one whom they preferred
and just the one whom the fnfudicious
Owl did not want. And then there was
Music by the full Band, but of Different
Tune from that which the Injudicious
Owl had anticipated. Thereupon the In
judicious Owl was very angry and flew
about through the Woods Night and Dav
hooting in a Voice of Lamentation that
| the community was ruined in as much as
the principal Eagles had been Bribed to
do what they all wanted to do with Prom
ises OF Fresh Meat and Spring Chickens
i'll abundance-adding the Remark by
way OF Mental Reservation that there
would probably be none left for the In
judicious Owl. The Injudicious Owl also
/ gathered Mud by Night and from a safe
Distance attempted to throw it up against
the Eagles who were flying far above him.
But it did not reach the Eagles, and only
fell back upon the discounted Iniudi-
cious Owl, leaving him in a worse plight
than before. Thereupon all the birds of
the air screamed with Merriment at the
Spectacle which the Injudicious Owl
made of himself. But the middleton us
Owl, learning nothing and forgetting
nothing, after the manner of his tribe, re.
tired to a dark nook where the ewes of
Day could not shine upon bis humiliation,
and hung this placard in front of his re-
treat; Reform is necessary-all Eagles
Must become Owls, then l shall be the
Boss Owl
| HorT1-1Tba