The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-07-30
Politeness of the Indians.
American Missionary.

American Missionary.
| Some Indian schoolboys found their
teacher had very great aversion to
frogs. To them it was continual
source OF amusement to see her run
away from them. One day q boy
caught one and shut it up in the table
drawer. The teacher entered the
room. All were in order, but when
she opened the drawer the frog, glad
to gain its liberty, leaped out upon
the table and tlse teacher made a great
lsado. One OF the boys, inagentleman-
ly way, took up the frog, carried it to
the door and threw it out. No
fsign oS enjoyment could be
discerned in their faces They
remained through school hours
maintaining their solemn dignity.
Afterward as they told of; it they
laughed nntii the tears came, Laughed
ever and over again as they remem-
bered the dismay of the.teachsr- Why
did they not laugh at first? They had
nos yet come into the ways of the
white men enough to realize tibet we
| would excuse yudeness in our pupils,
even under these circumstances and
they consider it rude to- laugh aloud
or to laugh at all at the expense OF
another in the others presence.
An old woman, who owned q. poor
old pony which was almostdeadi from
starvation ard hard work., had
| brought the poray in and tied HIM to
1 ~ ss--1s, \
bones" While I was in the house I
heard the woman making a great ont
| cry, and / ran tp,the door in time to
see an immense flock OF crows fly
away. / said: "What is the NATTER
She replied that the crows had come
to pick her poor old pony's bones
while he still lived. She esaw he'funny
side of it as we'll as Iand laughed. very
heartily.
| When one of the young lady nnis-
sionaries asked an Indian woman FOR
her "waka sica tanka," instead of her
"wasica tnnku," no one laughed TIL
the teacher was gone. When inquired
why the dishpan was not given, there
| ply was, she did not ask for she dish
pan; she asked for "the great eyilspir
it" 1.-THE devil), and assure. you nc
Indian woman heard that story with
out laughing heartily. Another teach
err, meaning to ask for tub, asked fol
/ a young man, and, though to her fac'
they did not laugh, ! have seen a whol,
sewing school convulsed with Laughter
| over the mistake several shines since
When one OF the ministers from TIN
east attending one OF our ,mseting
4 went up to group Of indians wnt
! could not speak or understand ,
word of English, and tried to ente
into conversation, OF course there wa
no response He said to me IS cam
up: "Why do they look SO. solemn?
SIMPLY interpreted what he said t
the Indians, and alllaughed and said
ave. did not know what ne said, VIII
should we laugh?" 1t does not seer
to occur to those asking the question
why they do not laugh, that the
. have little to laugh at in the presenc
of white men. They cannot unde
, stand us or our ways. India
children are in the hcuG
: quiet and orderly, they sit en-
q listen to hear older people talk, ana
o ANYTHING is said that is very amusin
2 so much SO that they feel that che
!, cannot control themselves, they p,
their hands on their mouths and ri
II outside to laugh. Men will laus
Q gently and quietly, and now and th'
e you may hear all old woman laM
J. long and loud; If SO, some relative "
!. say aside. "Hear how loud helaugl
!. like a white man: she is unwomanly
O They are very sociabla people, al
IS around the campfire one may he
it many legends and fables, hear MAJ
Of old war songs and nursery rhymes.