The Arizona sentinel., 1888-01-07
THE AMSTERDAM BOY.
The New Story I Told My Inquir-
ing Offspring.

Tread with gre at interest the-ana-
1ytical stories of the present day.
What strikes me most about them is
the state of mind of the hero 5of hero
inc. Ny reading shows me that these
individuals have theme tender and
questioning consciences. No matter
Lowtrivial their actions, the charac-
tiers of our modern books are tortured
by the most severe searchings of heart
and the gravest of doubts as to the
correctness of whatever course it
plcases them to pursue. Now have to
admit that / am not ut all that kind of
person. Howl came to be projected in
to such AN analytical world l have been
at loss 10 imagine. A thing always
appears to me to be right or wrong.
and l take the one course or the other,
as seems best at the moment and my
conscience rarely bothers me with
questions.
But this world is world Of COM
pensations. and what person misses
in one stage of life he frequently finds
in another. If my conscience doesn'
question, me my little boy does. He
more than makes up for any def
ciences of past life. He can ask me
more questions in minute than can
answer in an hour.
He has an unsuitable desire for
stories, and here Providence again
steps in to my relief If he were like
me, desiring a new story every time. l
would have been insane long ago.
The imaginative power of Dickens
would fall short of the demand. Fort
unately, however, he is more than
satisfied with the same story repeated
over and over again; but he re sents
any alterations in the good old yarns.
He won't have thirty mine thieves, nor
will he put up with forty-one. Gin
derella's- slipper must be glass. AL
though l have explained that ruby
slipper or an amber one is much more
expensive. he declines to accept it.
As he grows older-I am appalled, TO
find that an occasional desire for
fresh story takes possession of him. If
this mania continues fear that 1shall
have TO desert my family and seek
refuge on some desert island. AS this
country is full of little human interro-
cation points intend now and then to
print some of my efforts, so that other
afflicted parents may ward off for
time the attacks of their too inquiring
offspring,r and if any one has any thing
new in the way of bloodthirsty narra-
tives suitable for children of tender
years, would take it as great oblige-
ment if they would give me some hints
about them"
Papa, 1 want mew story this
time"
DO you really?"
'Yes, n real new. one that nobody
knows about. --
''Well. once there was man named
Ala Babba, and hen. ~
.'-Oh, that's the forty thieves" "
'Oh, you've heard that before, have
you?'
''Yes, lots and lots of times.
Then there was once a poor man
who lived in wood. How does that
strike you?'
That's a good one. D"
'.And he had seven sons
"Was one called Hop-o-my-thumb?"
You hit it the first time. Heard that
one?"
That's an old, old one" -.
'Oh, you want something recent
something fresh. NoU understand.
Well. about six months ago there was
a fellow named Jack"
Not the giant killer?''
.Oh no, that was several years ago.
This person was an agriculturist.
whats that?'
"a farmer. He had wonderful sue
cess with his crops, too. He planted
one single bean and in the. night it
grew so'-
Nov papa, that's mean"
What? The bean?"
No, the story. You know that's
the oldest one yet knew that one
when was DaDy.
What are you now?'
I'm big now. Biggern that story"
Then you want a story made like
your clothes, bigger and bigger every
time. Don't you think if l would let
the tucks out of some of the old stories
they would fii?"
No, they wouldn't"
Then nothing will do but COM
plete new suit. Well, here goes"
''Snre?"
Yes. sure this time. One septem-
Der day l got into the city of Amster
Where's Amsterdam?" -.
:--!ts.Aut alteFa $ HollandP'y
''Oh, round Amsterdam nrineipal-