The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-12
THE LITTLE FIFER.


inge'i called our Sergeant La Rance, whe
was on his way to the neighboring town
in quest OF pork fricassee for the coIonsTs
supper
81 will tell you how it is, NJ. Sergeant"
replied the little ffer "Hzs zsziesty the
king being in great need Of money and
wishing to give new chateau TO a relative,
it has been decided by the Cour des Complies
that the regiment, musicians and soldiers
shall not be paid this month; 80, as my
grandmother is poor and have not = cent
in my pocket to buy her supper, have
come out here by the wall TO break the ice
on the trench, and see il I can Z fish out
few frogs
Don't count on that" said La Rance.
In winter frogs sleep
Il know that But the sky is 80 blue
thought perhaps they might wake up
Sergeant La Rance went On his way,
and the little ffer hacked away courag eous-
~ at the ice
This little soldier, who loved his grand
mother so much, was indeed as pretty fell
low as one would wish TO see. Not much
higher than mans knee and dressed all
in red, as were all in his regiment, be
played his fife so finely as he marked the
time fer the whiskered haIberdisrs that on
their entry into town the ladies at the
windows forget to look at the drum major.
The Gfer understood frog fishing almost
we'll he did playing martial airs
When the ice was cut out and thrown aside
so that a little round spce of water appear-
ed he soon improTised 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 a red
poppy for the purpose, as frogs are so
greedy that anything red attracts them
But peoples do not flourish under the
could be found
He was about to give up in despair and
go away, when just at that momsnt a
great frog poked its head out of the water
Lazily, as if half asleep it stretched out its
legs, opened first one and then the other Of
its pretty yellow eyes to the sun, then dis
tended its white threat and uttered a gen.
tie croak to which many others responded
THAT must be the mother of the other
frogs thought the little ffer, who had
never before seen so large one- What
CHARGE and what a pity to let it escape"
Then a sudden idea struck him
what if I were to take q 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 seen danced merrily on the
clear water Just in front of the frogs nose
tt seized the bait, the fisherman jsrked,
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 cut of my waistband? No ons
will ever want 20 look under my jacket
Taking his knife he cut out little piece,
which the frog, alas, carried away as before,
nd tEaF not haw zYafhar
On his way back with the provisions
Sergeant La Rance found the 'unlucky lit
tie fellow crying bitterly
What 4 soldier cryingP'
For answer the little ffer stood up.
"A bad business said La Rance after
looking hard at the cut trousers. Injury
to clothes or equipments furnished by the
governments Is matter 80 he tried by
court martial
Saying this, he went en his way, blow
ing out his long mustaches-
The little fifer wept all the more bitter
II. He already saw himself arrested, sh ut
up in a dark cell and taken between two
gendarmes before his judges. In vain he
tried to move them, saying:
1T was not for myself It was to get
dish of frogs for my grandmother, who is
old and poor and had nothing for har din
ner''
The military code was infexibla. He
were broken and they led him out on
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 it 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
ffer suddenly found himself As far 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 niBg1ing with the silvery moses
on the banks resen bled 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,
slept frogs of every species in mum herless
quantities He filed 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 ths Ice Then he felt
very happy and understood that he was
going to sleep among the frogs
He slept a long time Suddenly a voice
awakened him 1t was his grandmother
'sHushr' she said He is opening his
eyes Oh the naughty boy to make SO
much treubler'
The little ffer was again seized with
fear when he saw at the foes Of his bed the
shaggy eyebrows and long mustaehss Of
La Rance
1.-The trousersf The court MARTIAL Dor e
let them carry ne Off, And he chung in
desrair tn his ~rardmcfharss iscket Ruf