The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-20
THE RED FIFER.

going TO the neighboring village to seek
pork roast for the colonel's ''reveillon.' -
''This is it, Monsieur Sergeant, " replied
the little f1fer. His majesty the king be-
ing in urgent need of money and wishing
to make a present of brand new castle to
his Belle Annie, it has been decided by
the court of affairs that the regiment mu-
sicians and soldiers shall not touch cent
of their pay this month. So as grandmoth-
err is very poor, and have not a sou, have
come out to break the ice in the pond and
see if I can catch a mess of frogs for din
ner''
Don't count on that, 3" said La Rance.
''The frogs sleep in winter
Il know that, - replied the little 1fer,
shut the sky is so blue today 1 thought
perhaps the sun would awaken them.
So as Sergeant La Rance passed on,
grumbIing, the little fellow set to work
again trying to break the ice.
He proceeded in his frog fishery with as
much ardor as he gave to his warlike mu-
sic. When the ice was broken, the hole
cleared of rubbish and clear round spot
of water shOne forth he improvised fish
ing tackle with bit of thread and the
long thorn from a rosebush. All was
ready now except the bait. That would
not usually have caused our fisher the least
anxiety. A scarlet poppy would have Serv-
ed, but peoples do not flourish under the
red to attract the frogs.
He was about 10 turn away in disgust
when suddenly q frog showed its head
above tlie4water. Sleepily, lazily he put
his fore legs in the bank, opened his golden
eyes one after the other, blinked at the
sun, then, swelling out his white throat,
gave utterance to quick, hoarse 'croak, -
to which, dowTi~in the water under the ice
through the great body of the pond, re-
sponded at once other croaks from far
and near.
''That must be the mother of the frogs"
said the little ffer to himself. He had
never seen such a big frog. What a chance,
and what shame if he let him escape.
Suddenly he had an inspiration. "Why
not use for bait pEce of the red belt
that holds up my breeGnesP 1t is of red
ordnance cloth and surely the frogs will
bite
No sooner said than DONE and soon the
piece of red flannel danced over the clear
water, lit up by a joyous sunbeam right
over the frogs nose. He bit; the fisher
pulled in his line; the thread broke and
the frog plunged into the water, carrying
the bait with him. Fortunately there was
more. One could try again. The frog
reappeared at the surface, bit again. Again
the line broke and the second piece joined
the first.
'Bahp' thought the fisher 'What
harm to take piece of the back of my
trousers? No one will look under the
back of my coat Drawing out his knife,
he cut out a little piece of cloth that, alas,
the frog carried off again as the others,
and still another and another till to his
| CONSERVATION he beheld the tail of his shirt
/ through the enormous hole that he had
| made little by little.
Sergeant La Rance returning with a
load of victuals beheld the little ffer sit
Il Ii tN,,rIr-
F'What is the matter? soldier weep
ing!"
For reply the little f1fer rose and turn
ed his back to the sergeant.
GA bad business murmured old La
Rance after looking long and carefully at
the disaster. Abuse of goods equipment
or clothing furnished by the government
is a case for court martial" Then having
pronounced these words he walked off pull
ling his mustache.
The little fifer wept still harder. He be-
held himself already in arrest as he passed
the bridge, carried off to dark dungeon
/ between two gendarmes, who should be his
judges He tried in vain to move them,
saying: cit was not for myself. 1t was to
provide dish for my poor old grandmoth-
er, who has nothing for supper" The
military code was indexibIe. They dis
graced him, broke his fife, his little sword,
led him off in disgrace to a place he had
but two minutes before marched bravely
past at the head of the soldiers.
Then, thinking of his grandmother, stiff
with cold, ne lost his consciousness, and
wishing to die at once drew his body pain
/ fully over the frozen ground toward the
pond of black water where already the
stars were reflected.
In what a marvellous country did the
little fffer find himself Softly the bril-
liant light was reflected into the icy vaults.
Long grass covered with crystal rose in
fine columns and mingled with the MOSES
on the borders like fine silvery boards,
forming a thousand prOmenades and the
most magnificent architecture he had ever
seen. To the right and left along the
rocks in little grottOes-the homes of the
water rats, and crevasses that form under
the water the valleys of the subterranean
worId-slept innumerable frogs of all
kinds and sizes.
He flIed an immense basket with them
to take to his grandmother. The council
of war alarmed him no longer. He re-
mem bered the disaster to his brooches but
vaguely. Only one thing surprised him
to find it SO warm under the ice. Then
he felt very happy and went to sleep with
the frogs The little fifer slept long time.
Suddenly a well known voice awakened
him-his grandmOther's voice "Chut, -
| she said, and he opened his eyes. oh,
you bad boy, to brighten US so!'
The little ffer shook with fear when he
beheld La Rance standing at the foot of
his bed with his deep set eyes, his long
mustache. 1.-THE brooches! The court mar
tall Don't let them carry me away -
And he grasped his grandmother's gown
in despair. But his grandmother reassur-
ed him. The good La Rance had drawn
him half dead from the water, frozen and
feverish. Then he had related the adven-
ture to the colonel, and the colonel, much
moved, had instantly sent off an orderly
with a string of sausage and new pair OF
trousers. The sausage simmered on the
stove; the trousers hung on a nail.-Fron
!