The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-02
THE TALE OF A TADPOLE
Good Housekeeping.

his draught was finished, and shrieked =
 "Why, papa! you've swallowed my tadpolew
 "Wha-a-atr shouted the alarmed father. "You young idiotl run for the doctorw
 But the only medical man who could be got hold of at the moment was a Frenchman, visiting in the neighborhood. On the case being rather incoherently explained to him by the now thoroughly frightened family, he said:
 "You must make heem svim."
 "But my husband can't swim," re- piled poor Mrs. Brown, in tears.
 "No, it is not ze man zat shall swim, you know, qafa faM que le poisson mage, so you fill him wiz Ze water to his teeth, zen ze leetle frog he will swim up to ze mout of monsieur, and ven he see ze light he will shomp out, so."
 And they gave him bucket after bucket of water till he became horri- ply sick, but no tadpole "shomped out"
 By this time poor Brown was suf- fering agonies. The tadpole, or the large quantity of water, one or the other, was causing him great pain, added to which he himself, was in a state of mortal and indefinable terror. Just then the family physician made his appearance and tried to allay their fears, but all to no purpose, some- thing practical must be done. Think ing little stimulant would do his patient good after the drenching he had had, he said
 "Now, should recommend you, if you want that tadpole to jump, to give him good dose of brandy, that will make him frisky and perhaps he will then, under the influence of liquor, make his sudden appearance, and relieve you all."
 The plan was tried on most wholesale scale, but instead of mak- ing the tadpole frisky, it only made MT. Brown somewhat tipsy, in which state he became what the Scotch call "greetin' fu'." In @ maudlin way he bade his weeping wife an affecting farewell and insisted on being put to bed to die.
 The doctor, however, seeing that the poor man, as well as his family, was suffering agonies of mind about the little polliwig, determined to take active measures, and bring matters to 8 satisfactory crisis by little scheme of his own. He ordered MT. Brown, who was now in bed, to be partially undressed, promising to return in an hour with his assistant, when he hoped to be able to relieve him per- manently.
 In the succeeding half hour the pa- tient suffered all sorts of pains, real and imaginary, and was more than ever convinced of the activity of his unwelcome tenant.
 The doctor, however, meanwhile, had offered half dozen small boys a handsome price for the first tadpole they would bring him, and the fact being noised abroad his house soon re- sembled Pharaoh's palace during one of the plaques of Egypt. It was filled with frogs and froglings of all sizes and ages, causing great consternation to the medical household.
 But long ere this the doctor and his assistant had finally started of to cure their patient. The doctor car ried healthy polliwig in small bottle, in his pocket, the assistant a powerful electric battery, in valise. Turning every one out of the room, the conspirators quietly hid the bat tery under the bed, after adjusting 1t to its utmost power. The new polli- wig was then very carefully placed on the pillow near the despairing mans head, one battery wire was arranged under his chin and at . signal from the doctor, the other, with the full power of the battery, was suddenly applied to his stomach. With . hofrid yell the poor wretch suddenly sprana up in bed, and the doctor and his as- sistAnt both shouted: "Hurrahi he Is out at lastt" The unsuspecting family, hearing the yell, rushed in to see the startled MT. Brown sittina up in bed, the poor little tadpoie lying beside him. He was soon made aware of the change in the state ot afAirs, and warmly thanked the doc- tor, as did all tho family.
 "He gave me an awful spasm as he got through, but thank heaven 1t ia now all over.S
 Just at that moment, however, the ever unfortunate Johny came rushing into tho room with . glass in hia