The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-16
THE LITTLE FIFER.

was on his way TO the neighboring town
in quest of pork fricassee for the colonel q
supper.
II will tell you how 1t is, M. Sergeant,
replied the little flfer ellis majesty the
king being in great need of money and
wishing to giyea new chateau to a relative,
1t has been decided by the Cour DIES Com pies
that the regiment, musicians apd soldiers.
shall not DO paid this month"; SO, as my
grandmother is poor and / have not cent
In my pocket to buy, her supper, have
come outshere by the wall to break the ice
on the trench and see If l can't fish out a
few frogs.
Don't count on that" said La Rance
"In winter frogs sleep"
II know that. But the sky Is so blue l
thought perhaps they might wake up"
Sergeant La Rance went Oh his way,
and the little fifer hacked away courageous
ly at the ice.
This little soldier, who loved his grand
mother SO much, was indeed as pretty fel.
low as one would wish to see. Not much
higher than "a mans knee and dressed all
in red, Dis were all in his regiment, he
played his fife so finely as he marked the
time for the WHISPERED halberdiers that on
their entry into town tho ladies at the
windows forgot to look at the drum major.
The ffer understood frog fishing almost
as well as he did playing martial airs.
When the ice was cut out and thrown aside
so that little round spot of water appear
ed, he soon improvised line and rod of
piece of string he had with him and dry
reed which he cut Bait only was lacking.
Usually this would not have worried our
fisherman, for he would have used red
fpr . En
greedy that anything red attracts them.
But peoples do not flourish under the
snow, and hunt as he might nothing red
could be found.
He was about to give up in despair and
go away, when just at that moment a
great frog poked it's head out of the water.
Lazily, as If half asleep, 1t stretched out its
legs, opened first one and then the other of
its pretty yellow eyes to the sun, then dis
tended its white throat and uttered gen.
tie croak to which many others responded.
THAT must be tie mother of the other
frogs, thought the little 1ifer, who had
never before seen so large one. "What
chance and what pity to let it escape.''
Then a sudden idea struck him.
What If were to take part of my
suspender strap. 1t is the regulation scar
let, and the frogs will surely bite at it,"
No sooner said than done. The strap of
regulation red soon danced merrily on the
clear water just in front of the frogs nose.
1t seized the bait the fisherman jerked,
the line broke and the frog darted under
the water, carrying the cloth with it.
Fortunately there was the other strap.
He could try again. The frog reappeared,
bit again, the line broke, and the second
half went to join the first.
Dear mel" thought the fisherman.
"What harm would there be in cutting
little piece out of my waistband9 No one
will ever want to look under my jacket"
Taking his knife he cut out little piece,
which the frog, alas, carried away as before,
and then another one, and another one.
On his way back with the provisions
Sergeant La Rance found the unlucky lit
tie fellow crying bitterly.
"What! A soldier cryingl'
For answer the little fifer stood up.
"a bad business!'' said La Rance after
looking hard ut the cut trousers. "Injury
to clothes or equipments furnished by the
government is a matter to be tried by a
court martial y
Saying this, he went on his way, blow
ing out his long mustaches.
The little fifer wept all the more bitter
ly. He already saw himself arrested, shut
up in a dark cell and taken between two
gendarmes before his judges. In vain he
tried to move them, saying:
at 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
ner."
The military code was inflexible. He
was disgraced, his fife and little sword
were broken and they led him out on a
plain where two months before he had
marched at the head of the regiment past
a shot conscript.
Then, thinking of his grandmother out
of her head from cold and sorrow, he
thought 1t would be better to die right
away So he let himself slide down ON the
frozen snow toward the black hole, from
which the stars were already reflected.
But in what wonderful land the little
flfer suddenly found himself AS far as he
could see there were great shining arches
through which the soft light filtered, and
long plants covered with sparkling crystals
rising from below like delicate columns.
These mingling with the silvery MOSES
on the banks resembled the most magnif-
cent architecture. On the right, on the
left, in these little grottoes, and the crew
ices made by the roots and loose earth,
quantities. He filled great baskets with
them to carry to his grandmother. The
court martial no longer frightened him.
He only vaguely remembered the damage
to his breeches. Only one thing aston
ished him. That was that he was so warm
in the water under the ice. Then he felt
very happy and understood that he was
going to sleep among the frogs
He slept long time. Suddenly voice
awakened him. 1t was his grandmother
"Hush!' she said. "He is opening his
eyes. oh, the naughty boy to make so
much troublep'
The little flfer was again seized with
fear when he saw at the foot of his bed the
shaggy eyebrows and long mustaches of
La Rance.
"The trousers! The court martial! Don't |
let them carry me Off" And he chung in
despair to his grandmother's jacket. But
she treasured him. The good La Rance
had taken him out of the water half frozen
and trembling with fever, then he had told |
the colonel of the affair, and that officer