The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-12-15
FRED'SP0ULTRY.
A True Thanksgiving Storv

|
the effect Of quieting the tongue, because
it arouses the imagination. They sat in
silence. The warmth Of the fire, together
with the effects of the bountiful dinner
from which they had just arisen, guve Il
drowsy sense of comfort.
Someone tell us a story suggested
one, at last. ITS just the time for ono
now"
wake up, Alice, and tell us story,
said another.
Il don't see why should tell the story
amy more than another" demonstrated
Alice, Il told the children stories this
morning until am ,eNhausted.'
'Tell us the truth and, perhaps, the
change will rest you, said her cousin
Alice looked at him quickly, as if l,
new thought had dawned upon her, and
said: We'll, l viii tell you true
Thanksgiving story
They drew their chairs about her and
settled themselves comfortably to listen.
PERHAPS it would be better to get it
Before they, understood her meaning
she, ran up stairs and was back again
with little roll from which she read:
"Fred's Poultry; Il True Thanksgiving
Story"
+, Fred opened his lips to speak, but she
own fault. You told me to tell the truth,
and so ! shall-'the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth. | will
omit the first of the story as have writ
ten it, she continued, Il can tell it more
quickly: You all remember that Thanks
giving day when we were invited to Aunt
Clara $ to dinner, and we did not 20 be-
cause Harold was taken sick with diph-
| liberia.
Affirmative mods answered.
Nell, we did not know that Harold
was sick until late the night before
Thanksgiving. and, of course, we had not
prepared the dinner that we would have
had we planned to dine at home. Aunt
Melissa said it was too late to get a tur-
| key that night, so we made up our minds
to do without. Fred had gone to a pro-
gressive-euchre party and so knew moth
ing of Harold's sickness and the conse-
quent changes for the next day. Now,
You must imagine that it's about mid
asleep"
And she began:
Alice, what shall do with this poul.
try"
l aWokc with a sudden start and lis
| tened.
tr~ ~A y! what shall do with this pool-
a gain that stage whisper. l strug-
gled, up in bed to sitting posture and
| tried to locate tne SOUnt;. Once more
| heard it: Alice, what shall l do with
this poultry" and | recognized the voice
| as Fred's.
He was standing, 1 judged, just out
side my door, which was slightly ajar.
What is it?'' l demanded.
"What under the sun shall l do with
this poultry, this chicken and this tur-
keyy'
| drOWSily
"What?"
At this | aroused myself and sug-
geStcd that he go down and put them in
the pantry.
I'm the pantry! They're alive"
Ey way OF emphasizing that remark,
one Of the fowls gave il subdued s,1uawk.
Being now thoroughly awake, l mag
! med, though it was as dark as Egypt,
standing in the hall. clad in evening
dress. a chicken in one hand a turkey
| in the Cther-bOth occasionally making
| ineffcctual efforts to escape from their
igncminious position-his face the picture
| of perpleXity.
Put them in the cellar under tub"
was my next adjuration, as he urged
me to tell him ''quick.'
could hear him going downstairs
and finally all was silent
AS my senses came back to me, | be-
gan to wonder how Fred had acquired
| his poultry l have neglected to state
that we are not Of Ethiopion, origin and
midnight episode might be more easily
| explained.
| Although the hostess whose guest Fred
mad been was noted for giving UNIQUE
and appropriate prizes, and Fred equally
Noted for winning them. :! could not rec
Cncilo myself to the belief that these
facts had any significant connection with
Fred and his poultry.
heard him coming cautiously upstairs
and. as he passed my door, I whispered
"tred, where did you get them?''
| Something i'll my tone must have i'm
piled that thought he had been robbing
chicken roost or something had oc-
Cured in the cellar to rutfle his temper,
for he replied, 'Where do you suppose 9''
| and passed on.
a moment later Il whisper issued
through the doorway: Il got them at a
raffie.'
The idea of Fred going to rattle was
very, ridiculous, but l smothered my
laughter to ask if he went to the card
party.
| Yes, but, on the way home, Tom and
| passed Il place where they were raj
fling poultry and we stopped moment
to see the fun. Tom said: You're always
a lucky chap; why don't You put up 10
cents" So l did, and got turkey and a
chicken. didn't intend to take them at
things
| Then l told him as briefly as possible
about Harold, and he passed on to his
own room muttering something about ga
When I went downstairs the next
morning | heard Fred's voice in the
kitchen, which was surprising, for under
ordinary circumstances he was not all
early riser.
Il don't believe this Ratchet will ever
get SHARP | heard him say. Lena tic
= Seryant), get me, an apron. Oh, that
isn't large enough as she produced an
blood should squirt when | cut off its
head, that would not protect me at ALL
| Just then appeared.
! oh! Here's Alice! Come, fix Inc up
SO | won't be all covered with gore
had been diligently sharpening. '>
Why don't you let Lena take care OF
them l ventured to ask.
Because l want to show you people
how
BY this time I had obtained another
and the other around mis- waist, had him
sufficiently protected from the gore
The next important step was to instruct
Lena ''how" to cook a turkey.
She listened with grave face, as il
she had never before heard of that de.
partment Of culinary science, to his views
which l strongly suspect he had acquired
that morning with the aid of the cook.
book.
AS the self-appointed executioner and
cook was bustling about, breakfast was
announced, and so he Invested himself OF
his aprons and warlike expression and
went to breakfast, where he repeated
what he had whispered to me the pre-.
vjous night.
During breakfast Aunt Melissa was
unusually silent. Fred hurried through
the meal, waiting impatiently until We
arose. and then disappeared in the direc.
ton Of the kitchen. He wanted me t(
hold the turkey when he beheaded It
but / declined the honor.
just before the fatal act was to be
performed. Aunt Melissa called me and
as I closed the door, she said: "Alice
I've been thinking whether we ought tc
let Fred kill that turkey and have i,
/ cnOlo1 - - =