The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-24
THE WISE APPLE.
4 FAIRY TALE sr i,IScr !. woOps.

Jimmy Smith wasn't sush a bsd ,it,i.
boy. but he had a reputation. II a ston.
| eouFted window in the villase. and the
| window got smashed. twas sure to be
Jimmy that was blamed for IT. IL Willie
Prime came home with a black eye OF a
Saturday afternoon, his mother vas sure
that Jimmy had done IT,
And yet Jimmy wasn't such ba little
boy after all. He could fll the wos1 box
quicker and get the cows In from pasture
sooner than Willie Prime. who was the
good little boy of the neighborhood.t and
Jimmy was master hustler az chsres
when he wanted TO go a-fishing.
| But he had a reputation and was jtt
plain boyish boy, who believed b
ghosts. and fairies, and things.
| This particular Saturday afternoon Jim.
my wanted TO go to the swimmin' hole
wild de gang" but misfortune had over
taken him In the shape Of bent pin
which was found innocently reposing on
the seat of Deacon Smiths chair at ay-
ers that morning. So Jimmy was i3.ced
TO spend the afternoon a prisono- in
durance VILE" in the garret. whe-e he
! SNt2 Cd IAC meat dflu tDOk EdTt lul-
foEt shying dried applies from the win
dow at the fowls and pigs In the barn
yard.
There would be strange swelling Of
| breasts in that same barn yard after the
| dried apples had made the acquaintance
| Of the water from the pump trough, and
Jimmy chuckled as the thought came to
| him.
Any sport soon loses It's zest to the
prisoner, and the supply of dried apples
showing an appreciable shrinkage, jim
my thought it was time to quit. He flung
! himself on an old mattress under the
caves and banged his heels against the
rafters overhead.
'wish'd there wuz some fairies up
here" he said.
You do. do your piped a thin little
voice which seemed to come from the
strings of dried apples over his head.
And what do you want with fairies?'
Jimmy opened his eyes wide. and his
mouth wider. and stared hard at the
strings OF dried apples.
Il thought you wanted a fairy" piped
the thin voice. Here l am; now what
do you want. hoy?'
Where are you?" said Jimmy. II don't
see nobody. Who be your
I'm one Of the dried apple fairies"
said the voice, that's why my voice is
so thin. It's US as makes the apples
swell so when you mix 'em with water.
When they are all swelled up our voices
swell, too. and We step out and enjoy
the fun. 1t is because you have given
so many of my friends enjoyment this
afternoon in the barnyard that l want
to do something for you."
''Ohr' said Jimmy.
what would you like mostT'
Some apples. and ice cream, and"
Hold onl Wait a bit!' broke in the
fairy. Not so fast, please; one thing at
time. Apples are right in my line, but
don't know about the ice cream and the
rest"
why, / thought fairies could do any
thing" said Jimmy.
80 they can. so they can, some OF
them; but there are others who have
their limitations. Speaking Of apples,
how do you like that oneT
Jimmy opened his eyes wider still when
he saw big rosy apple smiling at him
from the edge of box near his head.
as it good to eat?''
Sure" said the fairy. and Jimmy had
pounced on it and taken a big bite, all in
a minute. 1t was so good he took anoth-
er big mouthful. and then he stared hard.
The bites filled up as fast as he took
them and the apple grew whole and rosy
again.
Wish when you bite" said the fairy.
"Good-by and good luck to you. Jimmy"
Halo, are you going?" cried the boy,
but no answer came back.
ssCaaf hut Il.
and he smacked his lips and bit into IL
again. Wishd i wuz in the swimmin
hole"
And before the words were fairly out of
MS mouth he was fioundering In the SWIM
ming hole with all his clothes on and
the other boys throwing mud at him.
"Geer said he, reaching for his apple,
which bobbed along on the water in
front OF him. Taking big bite he wished
himself on top Of the straw stack to dry
in the sun.
The straw stack was hot, and before
ne stopped to think Jimmy said: "Wish
this straw stack was on top Of the north
pole" Away they were whisked in an in
stant, and Jimmy. nearly frozen and his
teeth chattering, found himself looking
down from a terrible height, on a great
field OF Ice, where great polar bears were
having dance in honor OF the midnigb,
sun.
Looking up they caught sight OF Jimmy.
and big, old grandfather bear said:
'Woughf! Woughf. smell bad boy who
puts bent pins on Deacon Smiths chair
and who throws stones through the vii
lage windows. WoughfI But he'll make
a dainty salld With walrus fat" and off
he scrambled to climb the pole Jimmy
saw him coming and heard what ne said
'Oh, dear! I'll be good If / ever get
back out of this said he, and he tried
hard TO bite his apple; but il was frozen
so solid that MS teeth could not dent 1t |
and wish as hard as he might, the wish
would not come IL he could not bite the |
apple.
Just then he looked down and saw the
gre ndfather bears great red mouth OPEN |
ed wide to catch him and he felt himself |
slipping, slipping, slipping. Then, with |
en- awful scream, he fell-bump of the |
mattress onto the garret floor and woke |
up.
Guess I ate too many dried appIesw |
and he rubbed his eyes
Jimmy! JIMMY On, jimmy his |
mothers voice called at the foot OF the
garnet stairs.
''Yesm," he answered. II amt goin'
to bend no more pins
Supper Is ready she said
Paris in Carnival Time.