Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-07-21
Mickey Firms Raft.

Mickey rims han.
Rain had been falling steady for
more than a week. Sometimes it came
down in sheets, and again it fell in a
slow drizz!ing mist which gave a de-
pressed look to the landscape. The
trees in Lindsley's wood dripped rain
and the two streams which fed Browns
pond were changed from trickling sill
yer riyulets INTO roaring. muddy tor
rents, tearing madly along between
their banks.
Mickey Finn's tame crow refused to
60 out Of doors. even when urged to do
so BY Mrs. Firms broom, but sat mop
ing and croaking hoarsely under the
the stove. The three little yellow gosl-
ings peepei plaint.vely and hid under
the doorstep. but the belligerent billy
goat came out Of his barrel and stood
in the rain. rs though in defiance of
the elements. Mrs. Finn remarked
one. day that she hoped he would get
the new monya." which remark her
son thought uncalled for and unneces-
sarily severe.
Whether the food at CoOney Island
suggested /. or whether it was DELHI
ate attempt to inculcate 3 little Biblt-
cal as we'll as profane history into the
minds OF his pupils, is a matter of no
Importance. At any rate Mr. Flaherty.
the pompous and superficial teacher Of
the little red school house under the
hill read the story Of the deluge to his
pupils one afternoon, among whom
was Mickey Finn.
Little Nike WAS profoundly Impress
ed with the story. As he was an I'M
aginative boz, he lag in his little TRIM
Ole bed at night listening to the patter
OF the ram upon the roof, and saw In
fancy that great ungainlg ark floating
upon the waters. He pictured to him
self SiIem. Ham and Japhet pgerinp
anX ously out of the windows In search
Of the land, ard 10 the ears Of his fam
cy rame the bleating of a nanny goat
and tile loving Of COW.
1t happened that the teacher said
nothing to his scholars about the bow
setin the heaven as a sign that there
should De no more flood, and so Nick.
ey reasoning that the earth and esnec.
tally Cooney Island, was to be inunda-
ted, began 10 think about some means
OF deliyerance. So troubled did he be-
come over the momentus question
that his mother noticed his abstrac-
ton. She feared that her boy was 90
ing to be IL Still the thought Of
how to save his mother and father and
the animals from the threatened de-
struction stuck to him like burdock.
At last after hearing from Jack
Doolan some incidents in the adyen-
turous life of Robinson Crusoe. an
idea came TO him. He would build a
raft!
II can make it out o. the rails in
tn Stumpy Field fince." said he 10
( himself The dea tickled him 40
much that he began dancing a iip in
his mothers newIy-scrubbed kitchen.
and she boxed his ears and sent him
down cellar to chop some wood.
Here he coDfded his scheme to the
nanny goat with an admonitory shake
oil the head that she was not to tell
ANY wan, not even tn billy" He
would be sure to save her and the
three goslings, but the crow could
take care OF himself, bekase he had
wings"
: Mickey decided to keep his scheme a
profound secret from everyone: not
even Jack Doolan was to know It nm
Ill the raft had been completed and
the flood began to come in at the
kitchen door.
Although little Mike was possessed
of more Of the resources of civilization
than fell to the lot of Mr.. Noah. the
ark builder, still he was hampered by
the necessity for secrecy. And 40
three days passed before the raft was
finished. Mickey measured the raft
with top cord and found it to be
two cubits in length and one
eubit and span in width. al
though he did not figure according TO
Hebrew methods.
So pleased was Mickey with the suc-
cess of his undertaking that it was only
by the most herculean efforts that he
restrained the secret within his bosom.
There were his parents. unconscious
OF coming danger. and he had the
means Of saving them from a terrible
fate. The only relief he had was
daily communion with the biIly
goat.
Now billy" he would saw, eve
needn't be afeerd. FAX, thare' room
Oh tn raft fur you an yer wife. II