The sun., 1900-12-25
Immoral Fables |
BY BARRY PAIN.

A. II
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An elderly giraffe born in foreign parts
was in the habit of entertaining with his
large captive bred baboon.
By agreeable persihage and well chosen
anecdote he did much to relieve the te-
dium of off hours in their menagerie life.
The baboon, silent, but singularly accu-
rate, would listen for hours to tales Of
what would have been his native land il
only he had been born there. t
"Would you not like to hear now
something of the desert? asked the gi-
raffe.
The baboon, terse, but by no means in
different, nodded his head.
"The desert" said the giraffe, ais COM
posed of sand. Some deserts are furnish
ed also with neat and convenient oasis,
an arrangement of trees and fountain
singularly grateful and refreshing to the
weary and parched traveller. Others are
provided with mirage, an ingenious op-
tical delusion, but, judged by the hard
test Of results, of no practical value.
Others, again, are without either of these
annexes and may be considered as vast
plains of sand, extending, as general
of this island, where at present we are
being exhibited at prices sadly incommen-
surate with the pleasure and instruction
that we provide for the young. An alli-
gator of my acquaintance once attempted
to cross one of these deserts. He took
his chance of finding an oasis, but as it
happened this desert was all sand, pure
sand and nothing but sand. I would not
harrow the feelings and depress the spir-
it's by recounting all the agonies that the
alligator endured from thirst. Suffice it
to say that point was reached when he
knew that in another hour he would be
dead for want of water. The point to
which / wish to call your attention is
one which has curious psychological in
terest. Unable to endure the suspense Of
waiting the approach of death, the mis-
guided and desperate reptile anticipated
the decree of nature and committed sui
eide"
"HowT asked the baboon.
The giraffe cleared his throat to gain
time and then murmured, with pathetic
look in his eye:
Drowned himself"
And then no sound was heard but the
swapping of the bars of the cage by the
justly incensed baboon. A moment later
the air was thick with shreds of decen-
tralized giraffe.
Immoral.-Never begin to tell lie until
you see your way to the end of it.
There was once an almond eyed prin-
cess of great beauty, considerable wealth
and average principles. And when the
time drew near that she should be mar.
ried she bade her grand vizier bring be-
fore her suitors, that she might hear
what they had to say, at the same time
not binding herself to accept the lowest
or any tender.
When the day came, there were but
three who had the courage to step for
ward and urge their claims. The first
was middle aged and portly and spoke
after this manner;
| princess, If you will be mine I will
give you the finest palace in this country
and the largest diamond and the feetest
horse"
The second was younger and would
have been nice looking IL he had not had
a shifty eye.
Princess" he said, "if my suit finds
favor with you will do all that this mer
chant has promised, and, moreover, by 6
private arrangement between the court
physician and myself, / will succeed my
father as king, and you shall be my
queen"
"Number three" the vizier called out
and very shyly the third man stepped
forward. He was very young and a:
beautiful as young god. He was sim
ply but tastefully attired in suit, M
longer new, of his Sunday clothes.
ooh, princess" he said in a rich ant
fruity voice, looking round absentminded
ly for the limelight, 81 have no treasur,
to offer you nor power nor title-only al
undying love-"
There was a faint trembling on tn,
violin strings. The musicians, being useC
to oriental stories, had expected some
thing of the kind. The vizier spoke:
"Oh, more than diamonds! oh, sweet
.er than power! Higher. far higher, il
love undying. love that
s'I wish you'd sit down and not tall
like back NUMBER" said the princess
Number two wins, of course"
Immoral.-The highest feelings are tn
farthest out of reach.
In the garden of an aged and rheu
matte chartered accountant (who ha
nothing to do with the story there grew
proud rose and a poppy side by side
The rose was tended and pruned and wa
tered; nobody needed the poppy. If the,
had needed it, they would have taken /
by the neck and thrown it out. 1t was
common and self sowed poppy. Som
; people would have thought it of no value
They would have been right first time.
One dry day the poppy permitted itsel
to remark, "Oh, if they would only wa
ter me tool"
"Why should they?' asked the rose. &c
am beautiful in color, graceful in shape
delicious in perfume. You are cheap an
gaudy and untidy, and you smell bad
and there is no wear In you"
The poppy was on the point of invent
ing one of those humble but pathetic an
swers that are so common in fables whe
, a wind arrived and took most of the Dor
py's face along with it.
Possibly immoral, but quite true an
, frequently overlooked.-The braggaI
, sometimes speaks the truth about hin
self, and humility with no other concon
itant merit is not necessarily triumphan
--
Easy.
A worthy old colored woman Of Atch
son, who is very religious, was recent