The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-01-17

fairy 70 his side.
"if YOU want your dinner" she said,
"you must be fed with coal and water,
like any other engine; and you cannot
get up and play, because you are what Is
called stationery engine, which must
work right on until somebody stops 1t,
and cannot move unless it is taken
away"
Then Oscar wished to be locomotive
engine. so that he could run a long dis
lance and see a great deal OF the world.
In an instant he found himself on the
rails drawing train of cars, running at
the rate of forty miles an hour, and look
ing down on the cowcatcher. ;.
But it was not long before he Learned
that there was no fun in being locomo-
five engine as he could never get off the
rails and could never stop when he saw
anything that pleased or interested him,
and at the end of every journey he was
shut up with the other engines in a
dark house, from which none of them
could stir.
Then he wished to be bird.
'eThe BIRDS" he said, shave an easy
and pleasant time" with nothing to do
but to fly about as they please, and to
eat when they feel hungry"
So the fairy changed him into large
and handsome bird.
But he soon learned that it was quite
as much work for a bird to use his wings
as for boy to use his hands and feet.
He also learned that the birds are put
to no little trouble to find the food that
is proper for them, and that they have
many enemies, of which men are not the
least.
When he had been nearly frightened
out of his wits by man who hunted
him with gun, Oscar became disgust
cd with the life of bird and wished to
be squirrel, as he had noticed the free
and easy life of the squirrel, and thought
that they must have a good time, ir any
body had.
After telling him that he had better
wish to be changed to a goose, the ole
fairy snapped her fingers, and in twin
kle Oscar was running up tree, with {
bushy tail curling over his furry coat
Sad to say, he found the life of {
squirrel to be even worse than that of ;
bird, as the squirrels had even NOR,
enemies than the birds, and even NOR,
trouble in getting their foods and lay
! ing it away for the winter.
lie alsos found it to be fact that j
tired squirrels to run and jump quit
as much as it tires boys to walk or t.
work
; Another wish brought the old fairy t
the limb of the tree, on which he sa
! gnawing the shell of very hard nut
What do you want now?" she asked
' " want to be boy again" reptile
! Oscar, "and to have nothing at all t
G do"
In moment he found himself dresse
!. in his own clothes and seated in an cas-
/ chair with rest for his feet, and wit
/. a bowl of porridge on table by hi
4 side.
a There was fence around him, s
t close that he could not move more tina
n his length any direction.
!. On the other side of the fence were
e splendid orchard and beautiful garde
n filled with apples, pears, plums, cherrie
e Strawberries, raspberries and all sorts {
t luscious and tempting fruits and veg
G tables. He could see them whenever b
t opened his eyes and could smell thel
d without taking the trouble to open b
! eyes; but the wire fence was in the wa,
n so that he could not taste or touc
\ them.
4 He stood this for while, trying to b.
i, lieve that it was Il very nice thing [
e have nothing to do; but at last he b,
: came SO tired of his porridge and til
desire to get some of the fruit in the 0
!. chard and garden grew SO strong that /
q wished big wish.
!. In an instant the old fairy was at hi
elbow.
" You cannot get at the fruit" she SAT-
because there is fence in the wa
just as there is always some sort of
fence in the way when we want anythin
nice in this world"
" But | can climb the fence" said O
! car.
Q That would be work" replied til
T fairy, =" 1t would be doing something
!, and you were placed here because yo
wanted to have nothing at all to do
d The fairy left him, and Oscar though
he would climb the fence, fill his pool
d cts with fruit, and then get back to h
easy chair and enjoy his dainties.
G He found the fence a hard one /
climb, but he got to the top at last, an
9 was going down on the other side whe
;, something happened.
The fence then melted away, the o
d chard and garden vanished, and /
: found himself at the woodpile in I'll
back yard and was content to stay Their
Golden Days.