The National tribune., 1882-03-11
WHAT COMES OF SWAPPING,

WHAT COMES OF SWAPPING.
From the German of Fritz Reuter-, in Our Continent
An old cloak is warmer than new-fashion-
ID clothes; one feels more comfortable in an
,onest old blue coat with a long tail than in
;he silly things worn now w-a-days-nothing
IN front and nothing behind and one walks
easier in old boots then new ones, especially
if one is troubled with corhs; and every body
has corns in due time; some hurt here,
others there.
So I think to-day, now ana old; but
when boy of twelve was always having
something new. If got new knife or new
bow and arrow I carried them about me two,
three or four days, then left them laying
around or lost sor swapped them and had
something else new; and from; curiosity I
soon acquired love Of swapping, and from
This might easily have gone to something
worse if our Lord had not caused my old
1ncle to give me two smart slaps at the right
time.
Every bargain needs two people. one clever
md one stupid. The business may be bad
ioE both; the clever fellow gradually becomes
rascal, the stupid one beggar.
Well, Imust without knowing it have leaned
/ little toward the latter side, for people
aaye always reckoned me among the stupid
,nes, and when look at the condition Sof
nv property can't exactly contradict them.
: ny fiend Landlord Gollenreider in Trep-
bah says, let it be as they like,"I got the
sa..-, aud since in my native city this was
q. Ill: right probably deserved them.
.,.i ihe reason l got them is as follows:
"ai wonderfully handsome buck rab-
a. tis'tese with white face, and my best
r.., !. Friiz Ritsch, wanted it. Fritz Ritsch
sHt acre always swapping and I had re-
..Trcd all sorts of fine things from him, only
= %.us aTity that didn't exactly know what
- 10 With them. Well, this time he wanted
~ give me in exchange for nay rabbit eight
:liessmen, three blown eggs and half of pair
,i snutfers. l was also to have one Of the
pups of his Aunt Rumpler'S terrier when it
1aH pups which, however, as 1 afterwards
learned by experience, wouldn't have been
likely to happen, as it was male dog.
Well, everything was all right except the
half of the, pair Of snuffers. couldn't get
hat through my head and asked, Fritz,
what am 1 to do with this old half thing?
ar"Why," said he, I found it when went
INTO the woodward yesterday; you can
surely find the other half there and then
Iell it for eight groschen."
Yes, that I might easily do; but I had
afen looked and never found anything, 50
The matter seemed doubtful. Then he said {:
HFritz"-for my name was Fritz too-"just
think, my father is only blacksmith and
Four father is Burgomeister; why shouldn't
EoH find something as well as -"
This was trge; so the bargain was con-
sluded and we went away But as he
walked ont of the garden gate with my
rabbit and stood looking at my three blown
Eggs and half pair of snuffers-smack,
rmsck-I got the two slaps, and when 1
looked around saw my mothers brother,
Uncle Matthies, who had been sitting be-
aind the apple tree, and heard the whole
bargain.
Ny Uncle Matthies was On old soldier and
mad queer ways5 ne always struck first and
hen told why. He had been in Hungary
Ind Poland, seen the world and knew a
sTeat many stories; but the worst of his
rtQries, was that they always had moral
which 1 would gladly have had him omit,
p l.. IN ~ he Al fxyor-
box an the ear to make me remember it
better.
When I had received the slaps my Uncle
Matthies sat down on the bench under the
lpnle tree and said, Boy, DO you know why
you had that memepto?"
"No, uncle" said l, "you haven't told any
story"
"That will come afterwards" he replied
You got the punishment for your bargain
M, for.so far as l know your father wants
% bring up no Jockeys. Now come here and
listen to the story.
when l was stationed at Peterwardein
with the Hungarian Uhlans we had cap
ain in the squadron, a man who had little
hump between his shoulders and was always
wanting something new and as full of whins
IS a donkey is of gray hairs. If he fell into
gutter lie didn't rest untis,he tumbled into
ditch too, and if he wore boots to-day
soaid hacve shoes Tomorrow and slippers
he day after Yet he had plenty of money
md the foliies his foolish brain invented
Iis purse male good, at least for time
What then was more natural than that
,ur little misshapen captain should always
nave crowd Of hungry comrades about him
who stuck like burs drained him like leeches,
,ut laughed at him like raseals behind his
back. Wen, one of this brotherhood told
lin that the greatest pleasure In the world
vas to sit in a glass coach drawn by four
iorses and ride up and down the high road.
Dur little captain remembered that he hadn't
lone this, 30 it was something new, and as