Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-01-20
Unc,,e Peter and the Turkey Hen.

oSoAs kAp HA0ubutAOus VIC u60Q W HAVE
great joke which We perpetrated ON
him at every favorable opportunity.
We would find him sauntering along
the lane, swinging his long legs in :
peculiar fashion, o sort OF compromise
between a shuttle and q strut, and would
rum close mp to him and, looking up ~
though We were searching for some OBJ
ject almost invisible, we would yell
out: "Sa-ay, Uncle Pe-eter, hand us
down . chaw OF terbacker, and tell Us
how the weather is up there!"
Uncle Peter always took jests In
good part and would laugh at MS.
Then he was the plantation blacksmith,
and We would visit the shop and OBJ
tain many curious scraps and old plum
der, SO dear to . boys heart. Uncle
Pc er always contributed literally to
u stock OF vertu and bric-a-brac.
But q time we got . good thing on
Uncle Peter. He had built q turkey
pen down near the river swamp, and he
attended it regularly. building q little
moro as the shy creatures became more
accustomed to going in and out Of il.
Each visit he lett o generous supply OF
shelled corn IN and around the pen.
At last he finished it: placed weights
on the roof, go that, once inside, they
were safe. Then he scratched out n
sloping hollow in the ground, so that
when they tried to get at the corn. they
would naturally find the hole and
creep under. Once they got in they
would proceed to gobblc up the corn;
then they would start to leave the pen,
find themselves entrapped. and get in q
terrible fright, and SO forget the way
they entered, and go to beating the
rails with their wings in q vain strug-
gle for liberty.
One aft rnoon in December / climbed
mp o tall persimmon tree that grew on
the hill. from which lofty perch l
could overlook the great plantation.
The sun sank lower and lower, the long
shadows crept slowly up the slopes
where the rich brown grass lay tangled
and matted, with yellow maypop vines
trailing here and there, and the brown
cornstalks standing in serried ranks
with their tattered top blades futter-
ing like faded pennons in the breeze.
One by one | plucked the luscious per.
simmons that hung in sugary mellow
ness from the leafless branches of the
old tree. Away beyond the variegated
line OF forest trees that marked the
Of the swamps. the blue mist
hung above the ridges that rose in bill.
lowy undulations beyond the river.
Down in the "old hammock new
ground"--that was the way we rather
paradoxically described ia negro
his quilts and filing out the
'cale OF notes with q soft halloing that
was OF the rarest sort OF music TO me.
"Ginny, niggah. who-ah! whoopee,
Nhoah" tthen the trul-lul-lul-loo-loo Of
quillsl. "Oinny. niggah, whoopee,
whoah! whcopee, who-oor Truthful
"Hello. Uncle Petah, way yo' gwinei"
go long, boy, ten to yo' own bus
Then the boy went on with his Quill
blowing, and Uncle Peter came strid-
ng along near where / was enjoying
ny repast of fruit. / watched him
with the keenest of interest. He strobe
Town to tho hollow, disappeared in the
big gully, and then entered the swamp,
hen came into view again in the dusky
,orntield beyond. Suddenly he stopped
Ind raised himself to his full height,
toward the turkey pen, moved
! step forward-stopped, and shaded
eyes and gazed intently for an in.
'tant, and then broke into q dead run
ior the pen. / was so excited that /
:ame near tumbling to the ground.
Then | watched HIM as he took the
turkey out, felt Of its plump body, held
I carefully while he scattered q fresh
Of bait around the pen. and
hen came walking briskly back. When
arrived in earshot l could hear him
to the turkey: "Ohi yes, I
lone cotch up wild 70 at las. Crismus
soon. Yo' my meat now. Lem.
ne see / bake some. l stew some. l FRI
ZONE. an ! brile some. Yo' so fat, 80
so juicy. Phew with o smack
" his lips), yo' fine meat mos any way.
got two little maids to pick yo'. my
wife she dress 20, den we ell put in an
,ook 20. Ab-h! ! done cotch up wild
10 dis time. Yo' my turkey"-crash!
,ome his foot against q corn stalk, and
he turkey topped out Of his hands and
iashed away across b fields, towards
he swamp. Uncle Peter scrambled to
lis feet and ran . step or two, jerked
Up q cornstalk by the roots and swung
I over his head to throw at the turkey,
I broke and the root struck his head,
illing his wolly locks full Of sand and
He gazed at the rapidly van
shing turkey . moment with open
mouth. Then he clapped his hands
md bawled out, "Darnation, 60 to-
hoo! 60 it yo' darned old ticky legged
refer. Yo' got red bugs on yo' shoe.
ieis to po' to cook, yo' scaly legged
yo' not itten to eat, nohow."
Then with an Undesirable look OF dig
rust he turned and strode away to-
rard his cabin.
Oh, my, / just slid down from that
rec and / rolled on the brown grass
nd squalled with laughter.-Aha1ata
,onytitution.
Burmese Housekeeping.
The dwellings Of the Burmese are
'uilt on small wood or bamboo posts;
4 bamboo mat walls; roofs Of palm
caves. or dried grass; each house has
ront veranda, closed only at the ends,
= AZ oil. <hn Aonr fsnr. nua - tL~n~