Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-09-08
The Tale of u TadpOle.


Mr. John Brown came home one even
ing lately, and being very thirsty,
pourey out for himself q tankard of
water in a glass which he thought was
empty. Imagine his surprise and con-
sternation when his son Tommy, aged
8, came running in, just as his draught
was finished, and shrieked:
"Why,,, papa! you've swallowed my
tadpole!"
"Wha-a-t" shouted the alarmed faith
er "You young idiot! run for the doe
tor!'
lat c,.e only medical man who could
be got hold of at the moment was a
Frenchman, visiting in the neighbor-
hood. On the case being incoherently
explained to him by the now thorough
ly frightened family, he said:
"You most make heem swim"
"But my husband can't SWIM" re-
piled poor Mrs. Brown, in tears.
mo, 1t is not re man Eat shall swim,
it il re leetle frog who shall swim, you
know, quWJdut que ie poisson mage,
so you fill him wiz re water to his teeth,
zen re leetle frog he will swim up to re
mout of Monsieur, and ven he see re
light he will shomp out, So"
And they gave him bucket after
Bucket of water till he became horribly
sick, but no tadpole "shomped out"
BY this time poor Brown was suffer
ing agonies. The tadpole, or the large
quantity of water, one or other, was
causing him great pain, added to which
he hims If was in state of mortal and
lndehnable terror. Just then the family
physician made his appearance and
tried to allay their fears, but all to no
purpose; something practical must be
done. Thinking a little stimulant
would do his patient good after the
drenching he ha | had, he said:
"Now, should recommend you, if
you want the tad ole 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 re-
l!eve you all"
The plan was tried on most whole
sale scale, but instead of making the
tadpole risky, it only made Mr.. Brown
somewhat tipsy, in which state he be,
cam, what the Scotch call "greetin
flu" In q maudlin way he babe his
weeping wife an affecting farewell, and
insisted on being put to bed to die.
The doctor, however, seeing that the
poor man, as we'll as his family, was
suffering agonies of mind about the I'm.
fortunate little polliwig, determined
to take active measures, and bring mat.
ters to satisfactory crisis by a little
scheme of his own. He ordered Mr..
Brown, who was now in bed, to be par
TALLY undrassed, 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 even
convinced of the activity of his unwel.
come tenant.
The doctor, however, meanwhile, had
offered half dozen small boys a hand.
some plice for the first tadpole they
would bring him. and the fact being
noised abroad his house soon resembled
Pharaohs palace during one of the
plaques of Egypt. 1t was filled with
frogs and froglings of all sizes and
ages, causing great CONSERVATION to
the medical household.
But long ere this the doctor and his
assistant had finally started off to cure
their patient. The doctor carried a
healthy polliwig in small bottle, in
his pocket, the assistant a powerful
electric battery, in valise. Turning
g h. h.
spirators quietly hid the battery under
the bed, after adjusting it 10 its utmost
power. The new polliiwg was then
very carefully placed on the pillow
near the despairing mans head, one
battery was arranged under his chin
and, at a signal from the doctor, the
other, with the full power of the bat
terry, was suddenly applied to his stom-
ach. With a horrid yell the poor
wretch suddenly sprang up in bed, and
the doctor and his assistant both
shouted: "Hurrah he is out at last %
The unsuspecting family, hearing the
yell, rushed in to see the startled Mr..
Brown sitting up in bed, the poor little
! tadpole lying beside him. He was
soon made aware of the change in the
: state of affairs, and warmly thanked
the doctor, as did all the family.
He gave me an awful spasm as he
got through, but thank Heaven it is
now all over"
Just at that moment, however, the
ever unfortunate Tommy came rushing
into the room with glass in his hand
saying, "Why, papa! here is my tad
pole! You never swallowed it aftel
allM