Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-12-02
HAL OVENS DREAM.
By TOBE HODGE.

BY TOBE HODGE.
II was the m1nce pie that did it. Hal
ras certain about that. He did not
feel we'll when he ate the last piece.
The day had been a very Jolly one,
and the visit to Ben Morris at his
countrv home, a great success. Now,
Hal was in bed with his head tied up;
tbe Doctor had been to see him; there
were a bottle and spoon on the stand
bv the bedside, which Hal declared
made the half-hours como every ten
minutes.
He made face at them, and then
shut his eyes quickly, so that if the
bottle and spoon did make faces back
he would not see them.
But what was this he did see? Sure
ly he was awakel
A frog came painfully up the cover
let, trailing his left hind leg aud
supporting himself upon a crutch made
from forked twig.
Bowing, as well as he could, he said
in a solemn voice: 81 have come to
your home for some bay rum. Chez
wug-chicketty, how it hurtsl No fun
to stone-break bone-give me some
bay rnm-chee-wug-chicketty to bathe
it with"
Hal knew by his speckled vest that
this was the frog he had stoned in the
mill-pond. He pitied him very much,
asked him to take a seat, and started
to get him some bay rum. Just then
he was not little scared at seeing a
very pretty snake, with yellow stripes
on It's side, wiggle over the bed as
thOuCh its hack was brOkan
some of its bright scales were d1sar-
ranged, and an ugly bruise showed
plainly under them. 1t raised its head
with difficulty to look at him, with
bright but pain-dimmed eyes. As it
could not speak without running out
its delicate forked tongue, after the
manner of all snakes, it lisped some-
what
81 am the little houth snake that
you struck to-day with stick near the
kitchen door. l came to ask you to
pleathe lend me whalebone to plathe
along my back until it gets we'll; thin
one, pleathe, that will bend eathily;
because l cannot move without wig
CLING, and a stiff one, would be of no
more uthe than poker.
81 am thorry that you thought it
AAkll W lIN W hlll lllc. Ing
mOtht persons have against my rathe
few of my rathe are very poisonous
when they bite, but they never touch a
mortal unleth in self-defence. The
rsttlesnake always gives warning
when he intends to strike.
THE puff-viper blows loudly before
he bites. The copper-head keeps
thilent becauth he is blind when most
poisonous, and must not tell of his
Whereabouts. All of them will run if
you give them a chanth.
III you will kindly look, you will
notith that 1 could not bite if I wanted
tony teeth are too small. 1 have to
swallow my food alive and whole. [
do all of you people a great deal of
good. have tried very hard to keep
heysrd and thellar clear of the reaches
and insects which you do not like.
"My couthins, the black-snakes,
catch field-mice and young moles,
and thuth help the farmer thave his
vegetables and crops. L cannot thee
Why you try to kill nth. Pleathe
think about it."
Hal felt that he would give almost
anything if he had not hurt the pretty
tulURs ne uEIEIDllutu tudI he MOuib
not only get it timber whalebone, but
soft strip of something to bandage 1t
on with. Here there came such
ivitter from the pillow that he turned
hs head to see what the noise meant.
There were score or more of birds,
Of various kinds. bobbing politely and
all talking at once.
A plucky little English sparrow was
the first to address him. He carried a
poppy flower in one claw, looped up
for a basket, which was filed with
small bullets.
"We have gathered up and brought
you back the bullets you fred at us to-
day from your toy pistol. We are
very thankful that you did not hit any
Of us; but several of the ladies and
children of our families are so badly
frightened that they have had to stay
n home.
1--WE have come to ask If you will
not please accept your bullets, and IN
The future shoot at q mark or some
hing that will not be injured If you
hit It.
I'VE we're brought to this country to
eat up the worms for you, and we feel
acertaln amount of pride in doing our
outy. We cannot do it If we are chased
away from your homes or our lives put
IN danger. We confess that we chatter
asood deal, but we are a sociable set,
and have often heard you say that this
was free country"
hal felt decidedly ashamed OF him
sell; and still more so when beautl-
Iul salad bird, dressed IN bright yellow,
VITO black wings, came forward and
uniolded roseleaf in which was tiny
egg Her eyes had a very sad look as
ihe sid:
will you not please give me a |
small piece of blue court-plaster? |
When you took the eggs out of my |
aest to-day to look at them this one |
got cracked in some way. The shells |
oi my eggs are very thin. ! make them |
70 because / want the little ones that |
are inside to have an easy time break
ing out when they get ready.
think L can fix it with piece OF |
court-plaster; but allow me ask you,
81 On behalf of my friends the cripples,
me Wrens, the humming birds of the
aoney-suckle arbor and all other birds, |
- 70 be very careful when you handle
'heir eggs.
!. bal at once offered to fix the egg |
Iimse 1t, and paint is as good as new If
she would wait minute. He was leav-
ing to get his glue-pot and paint box
Ssnen piteous "mew' stopped him.
i1here were the six kittens that Ben
Morris and he had had so much fun
1t Is only me, Mister Hal, only me
snd Mia and Mlsou (phitl phitl Tom,
ooht pull my tail; I'm going to speak
VI you In minute) and my brothers,
sald the meek little nussy