The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-28
Tales Of Yankee EnChantnent.
THE BURRLES CHESTNUT.
By CHARLES BatteIl Loomis.
lCopyright. 1900. by CharIes Baton Loomis.l

really had enough laZineSS to supply
whole family, but they preferred TO use
it all themselves. They were so lazy
school in winter, a perfectly easy task
for it was only Il half mile straight
ahead, they coastcd down on their
sleds, and as winter at London Hill al
ways sets in on the first of November
and lasts until the first of April. with
snow all the while, they, of course.
coasted every day. Then. instead Of
pulling their sleds up the hill again.
they were so lazy that they would wait
for the mail sledges, which came along
just as school was let out. and they
would hitch on behind and be drawn
home again. They were Just the same
on the ice pond that lay between them
and their grandmother's-th
lazy. On Saturdays they always took
dinner with the old lady and instead OF
walking over the ice to her house Il dis
lance of three scant miles, these lazy
boys would put on their skates and
skate over.
Now it is tradition among the coun-
try folk of London Hill that every fall
there is one chestnut tree loaded down
with burrlesS chestnuts. But, as a mat
ter of fact, nobody in the memory of
the Oldest inhabitant has ever happened
10 find the tree. The forests are thick
around Loudon Hill, which might ;lc-
count for it. but, then, the forests are
full of boys at chestnutting time, SO it
does seem singular that no one had ever
come across the tree since Anderson
Sanderson gathered five barrels OF the
nuts in 1899.
OF course. any Of the boys would have
been glad to run across the tree, but.
bless you. the woods were always packed
with the ordinary kind Of bury chest
nut and after a sharp frost there were
not many that needed opening.
But YOU may be sure that when
Mason and Jason became old
enough to go chestnutting alone they
determined TO discover this tree and
so save themselves the bother of open,
ing any burrs.
The morning after the first hard frost,
just as soon as it was light, they got
out of bed and actually dressed with
out washing. they were so eager to be,
gin the search for the burrless tree.
Forgetting to put on their houses. al
though the air was nippy they rushed
out of the house with red worsted caps
ON their heads and their blue school
bags in their hands. If there are a
lot" said each twin to the Other-for
they were both twins--''we'll get papa
TO harness up Ned and take Il barrel
down TO the tree
They were actually the first boys to
enter the woods that morning. The
squirrels were chattering orders to each
other. for the winter storing began that
day and they foresaw hard days
work to. get ahead Of visiting giants in
the shape of small boys.
Mason and Jason had not gone ten
rods before they came on a great tree,
almost bending beneath the weight OF
chestnuts. Now, boys. who weren't so
fearfully lazy would have tumbled over
each other in their eagerness to get the
bushels Of nuts that lay upon the ground
or chung to the open burrs as if they
were afraid to drop, but these lazy bones
both said. "Shucks. We wouldn't stop
for that kind. Fancy having to climb up
a tree and shake il to get some of them
down" And get needles i'll your hands.
said Mason: cor perhaps slip out of the
tree said Jason.
So they pressed on. AT first the SOUR
rels shouted to each other when they
saw them coming: Look out! Here
come two humans" but after awhile
they seemed 10 understand that the boys
weren't after squirrels, but after burrless
nuts and they chartered derisively at
them as much as to say: We've seen
lazy people before, and they never got
lust what they wanted"
After an hours fruitleSS-or perhaps
| should say nutless-search the woods
began to resound with the voices of other
BOYS who were taking advantage of Sat
urday holiday to fill up their bags and
baskets and pals.
Rardwell Studwell Stillwell Stock
we'll and Howell Newell came upon the
two boys in the course of their wander
ings. Each of the trio had a bushel bag
half full of the nuts, almost as big as
the Italian kind Hello. boys" said
Rardwen StudwelI. "Why amt you
picking up nuts; too hard work.
Were hunting for the burrless tree,
said Mason and Jason.
"Oh, chestnuts.' said Stillwell Stock
well. Every year some idiot kid does
thai. hut it's just hundred years this
fall. nv grandfather says, since the tree
was found.
1uuM nos OPP 5Lom lBqM 'lUAA".,
than all these nuts" said Howell Newell
II never saw so many in my Eife Well II
you must go, good luck, but you'll find
il easier in the end to get what nuts
YOU see and not hunt for the other kind.
"Why, half the fun is knocking EN-
out of the burrs," said Bardwell Stud
well.
Work isn't ever fun chorused Ma
son and Jason. and away they walked
with eyes peeled for the burrless tree.
They had foolishly come away with
out any breakfast and long before noon
they began to he awfully hungry, but
if they were lazy they were also null
ishlv obstinate and they wouldnt go
back to get anything to eat. 1hey ate
q handful of ordinary chestnuts that
they deigned to pick up, and, queerly
enough. each boy got prcker IN ms
finger. because those particular burrs
were not quite open. This made them
more than ever determined to search for
the burrless kind.
.Well make those boys look sick
when we come home tonight with sew