Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-10
ANDY's WISH.

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ANDY'S WISH.
Andy was in disgrace, and in q very
bad humor as we'll. Ordinarily he was
such a pleasant, bright-faced boy that
one would hardly believe that the little,
c~ross-looking chap with the deep scowl
over his eyes could be he.
When mamma went off tothe sea-shore
for a few weeks of change and quiet
rest, her only trouble had been about
Andy, Susie and the baby, nurse could
take care of, she knew; but Andy, since
he had grown up to the dignity of q
school-boy, was not as tractable in the
nursery as he once was, and nurse had
more patience with babies and little
girls than she had for a noisy, restless
school-boy of eleven. However, the
doctor said mamma must go, and leave
them all at home. So papa had carried
her off, almost against her will.
Andy made so many promises to be
good and mind nurse that she was per-
suaded that he meant to keep his word.
And.so he did. But nurse was unrea-
sonable, and no boy likes to be called
off from making a kite to run errands.
Such "confounded'' long ones, too (the
adjective is Andy's OWN should have
said gerry long). Then, upon his re-
turn, when he was only making paste
for the beloved kite, to have it snatched
away from him!
True, he was mixing it in a cut-gzass
goblet; but what matter? One glass was
as good as another; indeed, if it had
been handy, he would have preferred a
tin cup.
Altogether he was a much-abused
boy! II it were not for mamma he
would have serious thoughts of running
away. What a lark it would be to have
old nursey flying around, with her cap
strings floating in the air, drumming
up neighbors to hunt for Master Andy!
81 wish l was not a boy. Boys have
the hardest time of anything in crea-
ton! l don't want to be a nimirV PIN
Try, fol-de-rol of a girl either! I wish I
were a bird; they don't have to mind.
Yes, I'd even like to be a hornet! Look
at that chap, hunting flies over there!
He has no nurse, and I'll bet does just
as he has a mind to-"
These words, uttered aloud, were
scarcely out Of the little boys mouth,
when, wonderful to relate. the very hor-
net he had been envying flew up to him
and said:
"'Would you really like to be one of
us? Remember a hornets life is not
n of idleness. He must work hard
for his living, like all the rest of the
Masters creatures. Think before you
decide"
"No." ..-
''Then I'll be ahornet!!"
How strange! At once he felt himself
growing smaller and smaller. Now
yes, he could fly. It was a delightful
sensation to feel himself floating through
the air.
.Buzz! buzz!'' went the other hornet.
So it would have sounded the day be-
fore. Now Andy knew he said: Come
with me, and I'll introduce you to the
other hornets"
So, off they went, further down
toward the peach orchard. There the
family had built themselves q very GU
rious house. 1t served as a temporary
clearinghouse for themselves, and was
the place where eggs were deposited,
whence the hornets OF the future sprang
into life.
Andy remembered looking at this
house, from a distance, only a day OF
two before. Now, to fly right into ii
was very funny! All the hornets came
to look at him. All buzzed and talked
so fast that he could scarcely under.
stand a word they said.
He was offered q blue-bottle fly fol
refreshment, and as he shrank from the
protfered dainty, they all buzzed louder
than ver.
Later his friend took HIM to a peach.
tree, and they reggaled themselves on s
ripe peach, which was much more te
Andy's taste.
That night he slept on a limb of the
lame tree-it seemed SO stutfy in the
hornet house.
The next day all assembled in theil
house, and each received orders from
the head of the colony. Each had to
kill SO many flies and bring them home.
to be stored up for the next generation
OF hornets. Some remained at home.
to put the finishing layer to their house
Andy was put among the latter, tt
1earn their trade. Hard work, too, il
was. Beginning at early dawn to chew
up paper, moisten it with glue, anc
smooth it on the outside OF the hornet.
house, was no joke. All day long he
worked. No rest, except two or three
short visits 70 the peach-tree, to refresh
himself.
Then to see all the other hornets como
home, each laden with a fly, sometime:
only half dead, still struggling in The
grasp of its captor, was to Andy disgust
ing in the extreme.
Three OF four days dragged YEARLY
on, and he was beginning to wish tina
he could be a boy again, and run er
raEds, when one morning Asdy was sen
out with the others, to catch flies.
He dew with his plIfriend q little WAY