The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-12-01
The TURKEYS STORY.
A TALE OF THANKSGIVING.

claim no sort of distinction ft
having been born good-looking tn
key. One shouldn't be TOO proud
natural advantages. Candor, no wevel
forces me to admit that rather pride
myself on my brown notified breast an
creamy wings, which made 1t an sas
matter to single me out of a barn-yar,
of fowls. ordinary in most respects.
was brought out of my babyhoot
and early trials under the personal cur,
of a very kind little boy, who used tc
stuff me, however, in a horrible man
ner with cornmeal' dough until tn,
water rau out of my eyes. His kind
ness in this respect was great draw
back to my happiness. i'll could only
have been let alone to wander around
the farm and into the haymows and
,granaries at pleasure, l should have
liked 1t better, but as said before, ]
should hate TO be ungrateful. had Q
twin brother who was good-natured
fellow enough, but he was not hand.
some. AS soon as we Clipped oul
shells we were claimed hy the farmers
two sons, who wrangled good dea
over what to call us. A young turkey,
a's you may know, isn't particularly
'ovely, and at that age l saw no reason
to be vain or naughty with my brother
who afterwards turned ont badly.
if You Ike" said my little boy, sitting
under chestnut tree untying lot of
cotton twine to make kite-tail. GAS
for me, Charley, have already named
my turkey Mustapha."
"Sounds like mustard" said Charley ,
throwing chip slyly at one of my toes,
"What does it mean? It's awful queer,
amt it?"
"Yes; but it's got some style TO it
lie don't look like common turkey
and he ought to have an uncommon
name."
"Well, you've got it, should say,
l never heard of no Mustaphas in all my
born life and you neither, gness."
"You amt read no tales of kings,
reckon" said my master, Freddy, turn
ing very red in the face. "Mustapha
has been The name of lot ofkings and
princes in story books, don't you know
them stories Sallie Horton used to
read to Kitty when she sprained her
knee falling out of the cherry tree. Mus
tapha means great lot of things. l.
don't know what all; ask Kitty. II
was you, Charley, I'd call mine Ali
He's another of the same kind of chaps
It's most as pretty as Mustapha, too"
"I'll see," said Charley, taking q
better aim at me this time; "I'm going to
have christening soon as ever mine
can stand ducking in that old trough
yonder."
This chance remark came near cost
ing us our lives, as we were both held
under water so long that our teeth rat
tied, or they would if we had had any
Mrs. Thompkins gave Charley and Fred
a lot of cookies and baked apples for.
their picnic the following Saturday,
without suspecting their dark and dead
ly designs, and so my brother and
were dragged TO tho old horse-trough
the fresh spring water was pumped
in, and we were baptized and christen
ed, respectively. "Ali Charles Thomp
kins and Mustapha Frederic Thompkins
e. SQUIRE" and "the Lord have mercy
on your souls, Amenl" This was the
winding up, and suppose the prayer
was heard Immediately, as we both
gave gasp and come to with shiver.
Ali's legs were little wobbly and
queer after this, and think his chris
tcnlng went against him. Nothing
unusal happened after this for long
time. shall never forget those long
sunny days, when Ali and l powled
through our neighbor's wheat fields,
and picked up many stray bugs and
caterpillers on the green hills and
meadows around. / think we were
favored in many ways, when it came tc
be known at the house that we were
civilized turkeys, and had names like
Christians, though l have doubted thi
since, having heard some of the goings
on of certain Musiaphas and Ais, wh'
were not nice chaps TO know. Blu
the boys meant well. Sometimes thinl
Ali got his badness with his name. ii,
was always scratching up garden see'
and running the young chickens chick
ems, and pecking at the ugly little goslin
before they feathered out. Boys wer
always fiinging rocks at Ali, aud ono
Mr.. Bryan's hired man, Pete, shot Al
arrow into one of his wings, which h
always dragged after that.
/ A.. ....o .