Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-20
Mr.. HYENA'S MISTAKE

"W'ile it's better to be laughin' den
cryin', chirren,'' gravely remarked Aunt
Matilda, as the little ones trooped into the
kitchen, ''yo' wants to laugh straight out.
honest like. Don't go snickerin' nur gig
Gin eff yo' wants felix's to like yo'. Laugh
jes' as much as ye' kin in dis here wurl
purvided yo' laughin' amt gwine to hurt
de feelin's of anybody, an keep befo' yo
what happened to Mr.. Hyena''
The children made no reply as the old
woman paused to note the effect of her re-
marks, and she continued:
Mr. Hyena, in de olden times so Mr..
Wizzle Wuzzle done tole me, sot hisself up
as one of desc here folks what laughs at
anybody dat come long. He laugh at 'em
all de time, In season an outen season. an
| dere warn't nobody dat he amt gwine to
| laugh at Ole Miss Owl. she say to him
| time an time agin: Look here, man, yo'
better stop dis here laughin' an laughn'
at folks. TO eff yo' don't yo' is gwine to git
| yo'self in trubble. sure as yo born But
Mr; Hyena' ne ;, sniff his nose up at ole Miss
OWL an say: 4 tends to my business, Miss
! Owl an yo' tends yo's eff yo' please Ole
MISS owl, she say: 'Jes' as yo please,
honey an at las she say nuthin' tall.
| 'One of desc here folks what Mr.. Hyena
| laugh an laugh at said Aunt Matilda as
| she raked the fire, was Mr.. Ground Hog.
Now de folks low dat Mr. Ground Hogs
| principal business is to tell de people what
| kind of wedder dey is gwine to have.
| Howsomever, Mr.. Ground Hog he keep in
| his house In de ground mos of de time. but
when he do show his head outer his house.
| an MIR. Hyena spy him. Mr.. Hyena laugh
| an smoker an giggle fit to kill hisself so
| dat Mr.. Ground Hog 'bliged to crawl back
| INTO his house an stay dere till Mr.. Hyena
60 way Deed. chil'ren. it git so at las
dat pore MIR. Ground Hog, who amt never
| purtended dat he'd take de prize at
| beauty show. couldn't show hisself widout
Mr.. Hyena smoker. an giggle, an laugh.
/ q To he
Ground Hog to thinkin'. an de mo- he
| think de mo- 'termined he git to fix Mr..
| Hyena. So one day. when Mr.. Hyena
laugh an smoker: an giggle at him morn
| usual, Mr.. Ground Hog lock up his house
an. go down to Telegraph Mr. Snake
Now. Aunt Matilda" ask the children.
how in the World could Mr.. Ground Hog
| telegraph NJ. Snake?"
Easy enuff. chilren.' she replied; easy
enuff- All Mr.. Ground Hog do was to run
down to de big dead tree side of de road.
an give his message to Mr. Woodpecker,
what was de telurgraph man. De message
was jes like dis: Mr.. Snake Black Swamp
| Send me right off full-size dose Dose of
N Whatg as ask Mr.: Woodpscker. as he read
say Mr.. Ground Hog, an wild dat Mr..
Woodpecker take de message an begin
| tappln 1t off on de trunk of de ole tree
Bout mile furder off dere was annudder
big dead tree. Whar dere was annudder Mr.
Woodpecker. who done took de message
an aen ne tap tap tapped it on furder, an
SO II go IN at las Mr.. Snake git it. Mr..
Snake he Telegraph right back: All right
Under de ole stump back of de spring In
de mornin'-' Mr.. Snake mean by dat fo'
MI Ground Hog to look under de ole stump
| de mex mornin. an de mex mornin' befo'
de sun was up. dere he 60"
nat did Mr.. Ground Hog find under
.EH e, OLD stump impatiently inquired the
Dat Mr.. Wizzle Wuzz1e amt to1e mo
ylt. chiFren,' she answered, but he saw
dat Mr.. Ground Hog done find what he
Gone teIurgraph fo', an stickin' it in his
I'm his pocket. Aunt Matilda D, inter-
rupted the children. '''e'
Now. chil'ren." the old woman ranlted
IN manner that. admitted Of no doubt,
'ef yo' is gwine to ilinterrtip me. Won have
to git somebody else to finish dis here story.
Mr. Wizze Wuzzle say dat Mr.. Ground
Hog put what he find in his pocket. an
e ga ehu1 10 me. an pears like its enuff
70 yo' all. So. as I says. Mr.. Ground Hog
put 1t In his pocket an start off home
hen ne git dere,, he eat his brekfus, an
Den off he go to see Ct he kin find Mr.
| hyena He see ole Miss Owl sittip' I'D
! in a tree, an she tell him dat Mr. Hvena
fas sleep behind de big rock down de
road. Wild dat. off Mr.. Ground log start
sure eruff he find Mr.. Hyena fas' 'sIeep
| Mr.. Ground Hog creep up on de big rock.
take what Mr. Snake done sent him an
sprinkle It over Mr., Hycna. Den off he
| go home. fas as his legs done take him.
Here Aunt Matilda paused again. as If 70
| invite an inquiry. and the Iittle:r ,es cried:
| wv hat happened to Nr. Hyena? Ind Mr.
! Ground Hog conjure him."
! Dat doesn't pursumes to say" she re-
| pied. 'as Mr.. Wizzle ,Wuzzle amt never
/ ,!ucidated 1t to me. But dis does know:
When Mr.. Hyena wake up he find he can't
| ltf his head up, an. hlren. frum dat day
| to dis he amt raise it 'cept to laugh But
| dat laugh is enuGf to give yo' de shivers.
| De consequential of it is dat now when
| Mr.. Hyena do raise his bead up an laugh,
| 1t drive animals an folks an everything
| else way frum him. dat he is 'bliged to
go bout wild only hisself TO company, an
what dat company is faint hard to ma
| CINE.
| Course, chil'ren." remarked the old wo-
man. as she dismissed her little audience
Il isn't sayin' dat chil'ren what laughs. an
| smokers. an giggles at folks is gwine %
suffer de same consequential as Mr. Hvena
but Is a-sayin'. as | done said befo'. eff
yo' laughs tall. laugh straight out, honest
Ike. an TO de lands sake don't smoker
nur glgSle. r. W. D.