Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-13
THE LITTLE FIFER.

was ON MS way 10 the nelGhhuring town
in quest OF pork fricassec for the colonel's
supper.
81 will tell you how 1t is. NJ. Sergeant, "
replied the little fifer Ills majesty tho
king being in great need Of money and
wishing to giyea new chateau to a relative,
10 has hoen decided by tho Cour des Complies
that the regiment, musicians and soldiers
shall not be paid this month; SO, as my
grandmother is poor and have not cent
In my pocket to buy her supper, have
como out here by the wall to break the Ice
on the trench and see II ] can't fish out u
few frogs "
Don't count ON that, said La Rance.
I'm winter frogs sleep
81 know thnt. But the sky is so blue L
thought perhaps they might wake up"
Sergeant La Rance went on his way,
md tho little fifer hacked away courageous
ly ct the ice.
This little soldier, who loved his grand
mother 30 much, was indeed as pretty fell
low as one would wish to see. Not much
higher than MINIS knee and dressed all
in red az were all in his regiment, he
played his flfo so finely as he marked tho
time for the whskored halberdiors that on
their entry into town the Indies at the
windows forgot to look ut the drum innJor.
Tho 1fcr understood frog fishing almost
as well as he did playing martial airs.
When the ice WINS cut out and thrown aside
SO that a little round spot Of water appear
ed, he soon improyised line and rod Of %
piece of string he had with him and dry
roed which he cut. Bait only wns lacking.
Usually this would not have worried our
fisherman, for he would have used red
poppy for the purpose, us frogs arc 80
greedy that anything red attracts them.
But peoples do not flourish under tho
snow, and hunt as ho might nothing red
could be found.
Ho was about to give up In despair and
60 away, when Just mt that moment
great frog poked its head out of tho water.
Lazily, as II half asleep, 1t stretched out its
legs, opened first one and then the other Of
Its pretty yellow eyes to tho sun, then dis
tended it's white throat and uttered gem
tie croak to which many others responded.
"That must be tho mother Of the other
frogs" Thought tho little ffer, who had
never before seen SO large one. "What u
chance and what pity to let 1t escape"
Then a sudden idea struck him.
what II were to take part Of my
suspendcr strap 1t Is the regulation scar
let and the frogs will surely bite at It,
No sooner said than done. Tho strap of
regulation red soon danced nerrily on tho
clear water Just in front Of the frogs nose
1t sei2ed the bait, the fisherman jorked,
the line broke and the frog durted under
the water, carrying the cloth with It,
Fortunately there was the other strap
Ho could try again. The frog reappenrcd,
bit again, tho limo broke, and the second
half went to join the first
Dear met" thought tho fisherman
"What harm would there be In cutting
little piece out Of my wnistbandf No ono
will ever want to look under my jacket, "
Taking his knife no cut out little piece,
which the frog, alas, carried away as before,
and then another one, and another ono.
On his way back with the provisions
Sergeant La Rance found the unlucky lit
tie fellow crying bitterly.
"What A soldier cryinglr
For answer the little flfer stood up
"a bad business' said La Rameo after
looking hard at the cut trousers Injury
to clothes or equipments furnished by the
government is matter to DO tried by IA
court martial.
Saying this, he went on his way, blow
ing out his long mustaches
The little fifor wept all tho moro bitter
~. Ho already saw himself arrested, shut
gendarmes before his judges. In vain ho
tried to move them saying:
ut was not for myself, 1t was to get a
dish OF frogs for my grandmother, who is
old and poor and had nothing for her din
nor"
The military code was inilexible Ho
was disgraced, his fife and little sword
were broken and thoy led him out ON a
plain where two months before he had
marched at the head OF the regiment pnst
q shot conscript
Them thinking OF his grandmother out
of her head from cold ana sorrow, he
thought 1t would be better to die right
away. So no let himself slide down on the
frozen snow toward the black hole, from
which the stars were already reflected
But In what u wonderful land the little
fifer suddenly found himself, As far as he
could SEQ there were great shining arches
through which the soft light filtered, and
long plants covered with spal Killing crystals
rising from below like delicate columns.
These mingling with the silvery MOSES
ON tho banks resembled the most mugnih-
cent architecture. On tho right, on the
left, in these little grottoes, and the crew
fees made by tho roots and loose onrth,
slept frogs of every species in numherless
puuDtltlcs. iio uiiuu HItul Dhehtls WIN
them to carry to his grandmother. The
court martial no longer frightened him.
He only vaguely remembered the damage
to his brooches Only ono thing aston
ished him. That was that ho WINS so warm
In the water under the Ice. Then no felt
very happy and understood that ho was
going to sleep among the frogs,
He slept n long time. Suddenly voice
awakened him, 1t was his grandmother's.
"HushW she said, "He is opening his
eyes. oh, the naughty boy to mako SO
much trouble!'
Tho little ffor was again seized with
fear when bo saw at tho foot OF Lia bed the
shaggy eyebrows and long mGssasheo OF
La Rance.
1.-The trousersl Tho court martial! 0oA't
let them carry mo of ~ And he CHING IN
despair to his grandmother's jacket Bat
she treasured him The good La Rance
had taken him out Of the water half frozen
md trembling with foyer, then he had told
the colonel of tho affair, md that officer
had sent man ON horseback with u sup
per and pnir Of now trousers.
Tho sausage was suffering on the
stove, and tho trousers were hahging on
the wall.
And this is the tale my nurse told mo of
the little red flfcr who for love OF his
grandmother iishod for frogs, From tho
French For Short Stories.
Tobacco an Essential.
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