Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-03-17
"ro DC oR:Nor TO BE-"
Even the Little Cobra Found the Fish
for Life An Un6ven cine.

Even the Little Cobra Found the Fight
for Life An Uneven cine.
TITS hard lin a getting along in
this world. The strong crowd out the
weak, and they who win must up and
do It's long time since I've tasted
food, and it's horrible thing to be
hungry! Life isn't all sweetness and
light to q poor, inexperienced little
chap like mep'
Such were the meditations OF q
youthful cobra as he lay, half In sun.
light, half beneath some under.
growth, in the heart of Hlndostan,
waiting for something to turn up.
The great problem Of mundane life
low to thrive with the odds against
One-had just begun to present itself
to his adOlescent mind. He pitied
himself awhile, the poor little dc.
serted, friendless snake not response.
bic for his own existence, and yet
not Inclined to abandon that exist
encc, however great the pains re-.
Quired to preserve It. Then he brave.
ly resolved to 60 in search Of where.
withal and to see what he could force
or trick out Ut the great unfeeling
world. At nightfall he started on
bis travels.
ia have felt better braced for
this expedition" he unused, III I'd
only had FREELY or two In my stom.
ach. but tireflieN don't come for the
mere longing. The firefles won't
come to me; ! will 20 to the tlrenies.."
After long crawling he arrived at
last at place whore flreflies indeed
assembled. On his way he had met
other serpents, some cid ones some
rs young Us himself, all as eagerly as
he bent on finding food. lie con.
graduated himself on his early dis.
covery Of prey. But bis Joy turned
to disappointment when he saw fat
old cobra already In possession Of the
place where the frefies swarmed.
The cunning old chap had found a
stone Of phosphUrescsnt kind that
sbone ut night The arefiies mistak.
Ing this for one Of their fellows,
would dart down to II, to DO snatched
by the willy old snake and gulped out
Of the world.
III I only had o stone like that, "
sighed our hero a. he turned away,
frightened by the savage look with
which tho old serpent had Viewed
hts intrusion.
The young cobra travelled and trav.
eled and travelled. Times had never
been so hard In the heart of Hin
dostan. Game was incredibly scarce
and elusive. The poor little snake,
weary and furnishing, was about K
give up the effort when suddenly hi
eyes alighted on Q lhosph0rescen,
stone He scanned the horizon
quickly, and saw no one to disput,
bis possession.
'.It's all NINE" he thought jubi
lantlY 'mine alone! Happy I! Thu
prey will come my way at last, ant
after all my labors and disapp0int
ments Pm landed safe on Eas!
street,"
For o n Rht no Jared sumptuousl,
on the flreiiies attracted by the stone
The world looked gay, life was n
longer difficult Having toasted, b.
hid his prec Gus lure and started :,
explore tho surroundings of what h
des gned to make his future resi-
dence. VIC stayed away longer thai
he had intended to stay. and he 70
turned with hearty appetite. IL
went and upturned the leaves unde
which he had concealed h 9 stone
Horror Of horrors! It was gone!
'What q m SCRABBLE fool I am" b.
unused. ~ ought not to have los
ght Of IL! never shall find an
other. Such luck can't come tw G
In q cobra's lifetime. ! will neve
undergo aga q such struggles Us
have had. I may 10 we'll give W
Life 10 not worth wing 10 q fello,
who has had his chance and lost II.
And tho poor little chap went an
lay In tho publ G roadway. invitln
death at the hands Of . passing Hit
doc farmer. Thus fell another VI,
TN OF the unequal division Of th
good things Of this world.