Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1882-11-03
Our Young Readers.
PROCRUsTES RED.

| A long time ago lived Procrustes. The same
| Was a dread and a terror wherever his name
Was a;asrd heard' and his country was sorely af'
BY the dreadful misdeeds to which he was ad-
For he murdered and robbed in horrible
wayi
Ahl he was terror by night or by. dayl
| A terrible creature, a bold and a bad one,
And mong his bad habits he's said to have had
That was worse than the rest and cruelty sad
one.
And you, when you hear it, will surely admit
That he had not the smallest good reason
for it.
He had an idea. this very bad man,
OF E stature D. III That % one Who was taller than he.
Procrustee. or shorter, must certainly be
TOO short or too tall So he said: u Let me
For the illy-built man who is taller or shorter
I'll do what can, tor feel that orter
"rve hit the idea. I'll have me bed
That shall me measure exactly my length from
To my feet, and sts man who don't Mt upon
Must be poor miserable figure. That's fiat
And so, when they<lacx tho proportions of
1 must set them Alright, for it's plainly my
duty.
The man that's too short must be stretched
till he'll fit,
And the man that's too long must be cut of
So I'll measure them all by this bed. and their
height
Where il differs from mine ! will quickly set
right
In the way that mention" You cannot but
That this was very original way
To settle the matter. No two men will be
Exactly the same in their stature. Ali me,
But he was determined to make them agree.
And so. when his captives were fettered and
brought
They We're laid on that bed The had wonderful
strength)
To see if they were of the requisite length.
Such stretching, such saving, such trimming!
Did they have to bear, the right length to
Here's a man that's too long. Cut him on"
with shout.
" Here's q man that's too short. Stretch him
And when they arose frem their BEDS what a
sight
'Twouid have made the heart ache to have
seen their sad plight
For the worst of it was that, when all was
DONE
There was not one like to the other, and none
Was himself as he was intended 10 be;
As bad state surely, as one need TO sec.
How they hopped, how they limped, how they
The man who was Topped and the fellow
stretched out.
Procrnstes looked on. and he said. with
out doubt,
'Tis bad; but my height is just right to a
thread,
And the man is all wrong who don't ut on that
bed.
Since that's beyond question, it isn't my
fault
If it makes them all crippled and crooked and
halt
How long hed have kept at this work don't
know,
But, at last he encountereda powerful foe,
Who cleveriy gave him the long-deserved
He met Theseus Of Athens, one day, and they
And Procrustcs went down in the dust, as he
For Theseus most boldly and openly said
lie didn't acknowledge the right OF the bed
As a standard for him. He declared. quite at
i. I've right to be tall or be short, as please.
Procrustes may grow 10 he tall as a tree,
But why should that make any difference to
mer
" He has made most needless and murder
Gus bother;
His stature is good for himself, and none
Besides, while he's mangled and maimed at
his pleasure,
lie has nj brought one Of them all to his
Every man his own fashion Of growing must
And the bed that nts him is the bed he must
sleep on"
] do not insist that this happened Just so:
II may be fiction; but this much know:
That. II but tale of dead long ago,
neat little truth lies hidden behind II.
And think, IL you look, you Will certainly
--Car.otta Psrrv. IN N. y. Independent