Connecticut western news., 1886-11-24
THE TURKEYS STORY.

THE TURKEYS STORY.
 hate to see an ungrateful man; but an ungrateful turkey, who has lived to come down off his perch the morning sfte. Thanksg. .ving-the proud fowl who is by an indigcnt destiny permitted to walk over the feathers of his late fellow gobbler and isn't properly impressed with the situation, ought to be tarred and feathered. l shall not begin the relation of my life and adventures with any dole full reflections or any moralizing on the wherefore of my being born tur.ey, and the conseque 1t bringing up of a hateful and seemingly inevitable Thanks giving day.
 One might be born for worse things. had very disagr,eable neighbor once whom I enviei, a peacock with lovely tail, and he had his earthly career and his lovely tail cut of by great, un- eainly sausage wagon. l am thankful to have been spared so ignominious fate.
 claim sort of distinction for having been born a handsome turkey. l have prided myself on my brown mottled breast and creamy wings, which made it m easy matter to single me out of barn. yard of ordinary fowls.
 Twas brought up under the personal care of very kind litte boy, who used to stuff me, however, in horrible manner with cornmcal dough until the water ran out of my eyes. His kindness in this re- spect was great drawback to my hap piness. If I only could have been let alone should have liked it better, but a said b b,fore, I should hate to be rn- grateful. had twin brother who was . good natured fellow enough, but he was not handsome. As soon as we clipped our shells we were claimed by the farmers two sons, who wrangled over what to call us. A young turkey Gn't particularly lovely, and at that age saw no reason to be vain or naughty with my brother, who afterwards turned out very badly.
 "You may call yours Billy or Jack. if you like," said my little boy; ''as for me, Charley, l have already named my turkey Mustapha."
 Sounds like mustard" said Charley, throwing chip slyly at one of my toes. ssWhat does it meant It's awful queer, ain't it7"
 'sYes, but it's got some style to it. He don't look like common turkey, and he ought to have an uncommon name."
 "Well, you've got it, should say. ] never have heard of no Mustaphas in all born life, and you neither"
 "You ain't read no tales of kings, l reckon" said my master, Freddy, turn ing very red in the face. 'Mustapha has been the name of lot of kings and princes in story books, don't you know them stories Horton used to r,ad to Kitty when she sprained her ankle fall ing out of the tree. Mustapha means a great many things. I don't know all :, ask Kitty. If I was you, Charley, I'd call mine Ali. He's another of the same kind of chapA It's most as pretty as Mustapha."
 'Pll see," said Charley, taking bet ter aim at me this time, ''l'm going to have christening whenever mine can stand ducking in that old trough yon. der"
 This chance remark came near costing us our lives, for we were held under wa ter almost too long. Mrs. Tomkinson gave Charley and Freddie lot of cakes and apples for the:r picnic the following Saturday, without suspecting theil deadly designs, and so my brother and were dragged to the old horse trough and chrstcned respectively "Ali Charles Tomkinson and Mustapha Frederick Tomkinson, Esq, and may the Lord have mercy on your souls, Amen" Thi: was the winding up, and l suppose tho prayer was heard immediately, as we both gave gasp and came to.
 Ais legs were wobb' and queer after this, and think his christening went against him. Nothing unusual happened after this for long time. shall never forget those long sunny days when Al and prowled through our neighbors wheat fields, and ate the bugs and cater pillars on the hills and meadows. think we were favored in many way because we were civilized turkeys ant had names like Christians, though have doubted this since, having heard of the misbehsvior of certain Ais anG Mustaphas who were not nice chaps Sometimcs think Ali got his badnes with h name. He was always scratch ing up garden seel and running af ter the young chickens, and pecking a the gos.ings before they feathered out Boys were al ways stonins Ali, and ono, Hr. Bryan's hred man, Pet, shot an ar TOW into one of his wings which he al ways draggel after that.
 Mrs. Tomkinsoa was a kind-hearte woman, and felt very sad to sec he noping around with an apron over he head, crying in the painful of doug she mixed for us morning and nigh Her husband was a stern. gruff man, wh had no patience with anyb ,dy but Dan who was a reg ular Satan, and his mu 6li ., who kicked down every hitchin pot on the place. Things were goin