The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-03-27
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FATE OF THE UNHAPPY FIFTH
WHEEL OF A WAGON.
BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE,

very long time ago the wagon had five
wheels. Why this was so it is impossible
to tell, for the fifth wheel was of no service
or benefit to the wagon, and by and by
became very unhappy because of its pur-
poseless life.
One day, when it heard for the first time
the expression GAS useless as a fifth wheel, !"
it became still more depressed, and resolved
to escape from so poor an existence.
1t contded its resolve tc the other wheels,
who only laughed and advised it to let
well enough alone, and grumblingly wished
that they might exchange places with one
who had so little of hard labor and respon-
sibiity.
The next morning, when the farmer
to the field he took off the wheels one at
time and stood them against large tree
which grew at the top of a long hill. When
he had reached and oiled the fifth axle and
turned to replace the wheel he cried out in
alarm, for he saw it some distance down
the long hill, going at a very rapid rate
He set out in hasty pursuit, but the fifth
wheel went faster and faster, and when he
reached the bottom of the hill, where there
was bend in the road, it had disappeared
entirely. He looked everywhere for it, but
it was not to be found, and he finally re-
turned to his work declaring that he was
glad to be rid of the thing anyway
"Alas," said the wheel, 81 am either
feared or despised by all, )" and it hurried
on faster and faster, hoping to find some
deep river at last into which it might
plunge and be forgotten.
By and by it passed some travellers, who
stared at it a moment and then gave chase.
People ran out from the houses and Joined
the pursuit, also dogs that overlook and
ran beside it for some distance, barking
and swapping. But all of these it left be-
hind and went on and on.
The next morning when the village car
penter came to his work he found curious
wheel caught between the uprights of
fancy grape arbor he was building for the
Mayor. None of the neighbors had ever
seen a wheel like it before, and after dis
cussing the strange affair with them for
several days, the carpenter gave it to his
son, who was an inventive turn of mind.
You may do what you choose with it,"
he said; ''it is of no value that | can see
Then the wheel was very sad again, for it
seemed the same old story Of uselessness.
But the carpenters son took the wheel
and studied over the matter. 1t was well
made, and there must be something he
could do with it. One day he fashioned an
axle to 90 through it and attached a seat
that extended above it and all the neigh.
bors laughed at his funny efforts to balance
himself on this curious affair. SO the next
day he studied again, and by and by made
another wheel something like it, and put
Then the neighbors laughed again, for this
vehicle was about as hard to manage as the
other.
But the carpenters son persisted and inn
proved upon his invention, and practised
riding it daily until finally the neighbors
came out to admire and to cheer him when
he made an unusually successful attempt.
Then by and by they came to him to have
made others like it, and soon there were
many of the curious vehicles to be seen in
the village, while the carpenters son was
greatly honored.
And meanwhile the despised wheel had
become very happy, for instead of being the
fifth wheel of wagon it had become the
first wheel of the very first bicycle in the
land.
And all of this, as have said, happened
long ago, but the bicycle, and the express
sion ".ls useless as a fifth wheel" both
remain among us to this day.-American
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