The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-04
JUMPING JEHOSOPHAT.
BY JOHN WALKER HARRINGTON.

| cNst VI the D0Dl NneFe ne Hfel ana StI'
! 10 all the birds in the trees above him
Isn't 1t wonderful how | can jump?
Then all the birds would flap their wing
and sing song which began. Isn't Il
treat 10 see our leapfrog Jump so far?'
One day Kerehug made great big jun
into the middle of the pool. and thel
swan back to the stone from which h
always made his jumps He waited 70
the birds to flap their wings and to SIM
| about his jumping. but not one OF then
took any notice OF him. Instead of that
/ he found Carrier Pigeon roosting on 10,
near the pool and looking very solemn.
wasn't that a great jump" aske,
Kerchug.
Carrier Pigeon shook his head. and tool
out from under his wing a little roll o.
| paper, which he gave to Kerchug. Ker
ehug unrolled the paper. and when h.
looked at 1t he turned white under tn,
chin
Read 1t to me, Carrier Pigeon" ne said
I've Just come out of the water. and m,
goggles are so damp that I can hardly Sc,
anything"
80 Carrier Pigeon swelled out his ches
and stood on one leg and held the papsl
In his right claw as he read:
Il can leap farther and higher and hat.
ter than anything which wears a speoklef
skin and goggles. II Kerchug is not :
coward. he will come away from the wa.
ter and hop right out here in the WOOD
and jump with me-
1Sigheu) Jumping Jehosophat."
are MS legs as long as mine?" asked
herchug, looking very hard at Carrier
Pigeon.
He had them curled under him when
saw him sitting in the woods" answarei
Cafrler Pigeon. "and really cannot saw y
hefhcus' the leapfrog, heard all the
oirds twittering and whispering up in the
trees. lie thought they were all Iaughins
at him, so he gulped and swallowed anf
then said that he was very glad indeed
TO see Carrier Pigeon, and that II was .
very fine morning.
You might say to your friend" ne ada
ed, that must have time to think thi.
over, and you can come back in an hour >
very well, answered Carrier Pigeon
III go back and tell him"
when Carrier Pigeon had gone Ker.
ehug put everything which he had in q
red bandanna handkerchief and tied it III
and put the bundle on the end of a sticl
which he had over his shoulder. Then h,
started for the bulrushes which grew
alongside of the pool He had not gone
very far before he met Sly Fox.
Good morning, Kerchug, how is tn.
jumping this morning?" asked Sly Fox.
Not very good" answered Kerchug
besides, / have found that it is not Z
very healthy place to live around here
The pool Is so very damp, and you know
that l cannot stand malaria, so l have
decided to move"
1T seems TO me-" said Sly Fox. "that
you had better wait until you have finish
ed this affair with Jumping Jehosophat
l am surprised that you should be afrait
to jump with such an awkward lookinl
creature as he is''
But / am afraid that he can go far
ther than l can" replied Kerchug.
Don't worry about that" answered 81,
Fox, you just leave that to me. Yol
| tell him that you will meet him to-mor
row morning"
So Kerchug, the leapfrog. hid his bun
die in the bulrushes and marched bacl
to the stone In front of the pool ant
| croaked for Carrier Pigeon to come back
Tell Jumping Jehosophat, whoever h
| is.'' said he, that I'll meet him to-Tnor
row morning at 8 o'clock under the oil
oak tree. and will show him something
about jumping"
All the birds in the woods went the mex
morning to the old oak tree. The branche
of the tree were so full of birds that som
| OF them sagged away down. Under tn
tree the ground was all hard and smooth h
1 IuYnntnR IphnSnsehaf . "a
| He was certainly a queer animal. He ha,
great big body and a little bit of hea1
| His hind legs were long and strong an,
| his front legs were no bigger than a rab
bits. As he stood up he was almost a
| tall as a man; his fur was gray and h
| had funny little eyes which tWinkied a
he talked. On his breast were at least
| dozen medals for jumping. He folded hi
arms and hoped about on his hind legs
birds in the tree he said, ''in me yol
see the great Jumping Jehosophat, III
bounding kangaroo. Because 1 jump s.
| high / got away from the circus. Now
then. where is that miserable little speck
| led green thing that thinks 1t can jump
Nobody spoke for long time and thel
Sly Fox came out from behind the bushes
carrying bulFush for cane
Birds in the tree" said Sly Fox. 'th
great and only Kerehug. the only creature
who Is not afraid TO leap both in the waite
and on the dry land, has just finished hi
test, and is now on his way to show hoV
a truly great leapfrog can jump"
There he isP' screamed all the bird
up in the tree. And. sure enough, ther,
came Kerchug, all dressed up in greer
tights, with spangles all over them. s.!
Fox, who had gone into the bushes I,
bring him out, came up behind him, ca.
rying great big stone
with this enormous stone" said 81,
Fox, "Kerehug has just leaped 100 TIMES
so as 10 get ready for some real tumnine
He will now wait until this poor cuk
ward creature here has a chance 10 a. r..
same, so that you will all say that 1
been fair"
"oh, that is easy!" said Jumping Jaloy
ophat
So the bounding kangaroo took the 5i.
stone An his little arms and Jumped u.
into the air 100 times
Now, then" said Sly Fox, we shsI
have the pleasure of seeing who is IN;
better jumper. Jumping JehOsophat. IN.
bounding Kangaroo, or my little frien.
here, who leaps as well on the dry Ian,
as in the wettest pool"
Then kerchug made a great big tunn
and Sly Fox marked the place.
jumping JehOsophat. who was an tiref
out and sore by leaping when he carrie
the big stone. could only make a utti- hi
OF jump. and did not come within foo
OF the place where Kerehug had leaned
| He was so ashamed that he ran into N.
bushes and hid SO Kerehug. all eovers.
win medals. went back 10 his pool, ham
IN hand with his friend. Sly Fox. and al
the birds In the Tees, as they few away
said out; What wonderful Jumper 4
our little friend Kerchug, the Ieapln.
| frog
tOopynght 1850. BY Mcclure. Phillips o Co.
J Bali-bearings for street Cay.