The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-11-09
"
"OLD WOBBLE. +"

"OlD WOBBLE."
The Curious Present Uncle Fred Brought
the Children When He Came Home
For two whole years Uncle Fred who
was captain in the navy, had been
away with his ship, and had sailed
hundreds and hundreds of miles. Now
he was home once more, and had
brought something for his little
nephews and nieces, whom he never
forgot.
"And what do You suppose have?"
asked Uncle Fred, turning to Hal and
Dick and Mary and Kit, who stood
around his chair.
"a DOLL cried Mary clapping her
hands. "A real French doll that SAYS
mamma and papa"
"Pooh!" said Dick, "Men don't buy
dolls, do they, Uncle Fred?"
Not often" replied their uncle.
laughing; land this time it is not a
doll. Now everyone may guess once"
"Is it alive?" asked Hal, very much
interested.
"Yes," answered Uncle Fred; "that
was good guess; it is something
alive"
The children clapped their hands and
shouted for joy.
"a monkey" cried Dick.
eyes, monkey" said Hal, who
thought that pet monkey would be
the finest thing in the world.
"A parrot" guessed Mary, but Kit
could not think of any thing to say.
"Well, what do you think it is?'
asked Uncle Fred, turning to Kit.
81 don't know" answered the little
| girl, ''unless-unless it is a baby ele-
plant"
Uncle Fred laughed at this, but shook
his head mo, no." he said you are
all wrong. Come out in the garden now
and I'll show you"
So Hal and Dick and Mary and Kit
followed Uncle Fred into the garden
where he opened big box, and TOOK
out the Notwithstanding thing ever seen
You could not tell exactly whether il
was meant for bird or not. Uncle
Fred set it on the ground, and it walked
around as though it had been used tt
the place all its life.
sob, what is it? what is it?" came the
anxious chorus, as the children gathered
around to view the new pet.
at is fowl" explained Uncle Fred
"that is called a penguin"
Dear me-" said Mary, watching i
from distance, isn't it queer? Hasn'
it got funny wings? Won't they grow
any more?"
"No," replied Uncle Fred. st is {
bird that never flies. but lives in tn,
water most of the time. A sailo
caught this for me on an island in tn,
Pacific ocean. We kept it on board tn,
ship and it is quite tame now"
"What did you call it?' asked Mary
who was very much interested in tn,
strange creature.
"A penguin" said Uncle Fred.
81 don't like that for a NAME" XII
said, slowly; at is too hard. Look a
him wobble when he walks Zackl,
like littleboby that has just learned.
"That's good idea, Kit" returned
Uncle Fred. "Why don't you call hin
Old Wobble?"
Eyes" shouted the children, "we'l
name him that. Hello, Old Wobble!"
But the penguin did not seem t.
know his new name, and walked dow
the path without paying any attention
to his owners.
All that day Old Wobble kept tn
children amused. He was such a curl
Gus and solemn fowl. so different iron
sill other kinds. He walked into tn
chicken-yard, and scared the hens S
that they ran away cackling. Then h
went swimming in the little pond
where tbe~e were lots of ducks. Blu
| the ducks did not know what to max
) of him, SO before long Old Wobble ha
/ the whole pond to himself, which h
seemed to enjoy very much. None c
the ducks OIL chickens seemed anxiou
to make friends with him, bu
: Old Wobble didn't seem to car,
J He swan around the pond, an
, dived down to the bottom, an
seemed so very contented that the chi
dren were afraid Old Wobble woul
. never come out of the water. Blu
when supper-time came Old Wobbl
, was glad to come ashore and get into h
| box again.
1t is long time since heard of hin
, but the last news was that Old Wobbl
was well and happy, and s source of il
, terest toeverybody that came from III
surrounding neighborhood to see hin
He even became so wise as to know h
, name, and everybody thought that
[ suited him exactly, for he did wobb
: very much when he tried to walk
, Harper's Young People.