Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-01

80.
, away under The banks when .hJ wv, .h,t
moved. lie had LONG ago discover" ,,,rn-
| he could be good friends and b oo, 4, ~.
, panion to all sorts Vt little animals a,,d
| would he quiet and not move tov IN,
denly. There was path throngh, ,ad
woods where hc used 10 lie very ~, nm
| low while rabbits hoped auoil niiii /, i. !
n partridge led her brood OF brown e'''N
almost UP To hts face. ND
| lie was now gazing into the peoi , W"
wondering how 1t would seem 20 ll,n
| along ON the sandy Bottom, OF nv, hin,
bubbling. sunny water curl an"u, ,w,s
while he was so tar underneath q, bn
so bright and pretty down there. ie'i ,x ~,
| would do II. 1t was no; more tia,i w"
or three feet deep, and he was tai az
| strong. A minute after he stood XII XII
deep In the water. his rugged ht,ls nS nlf
his long. black q1cuc hanging dow "a
| back almost so his knees. The HE ~, ~
trout had scutt.cd Off To their h' ''t,...
places. but when he ,pu, his ihce cn,,,d
the water and opened his eyes nc ,..,p,
| see them shaking their fins In iiignt,-
cncd way, and looking AT him WIN M T.,
great iishy eyes sItdcnly ali me h wo,r,
| TO wonder which was the real "oiln, th. ~.
one OF green an. gold that be had dlsc",
cred In the bottom Of the brook OF VA
| one out on dry ground where Joci am
| Betty lived. and where he had grown
from an Oriental cupid into stropP.h6
| boy OF eight.
He kept his face under water as io .lii, VI
~
was funny water bug with maay '.s7'
on the lotion of the brook. and ne ne
| came interested at once IN ITS WY -
burrowinG into the sand lie had made
| friends with all the birds and sdultt'i" L.
but here was a new world to conuu'f;
Suddenly green frog, sleek o. p"tl
and long Of limb came oli IRON mn.
the bank and swan with STEADY strokeH
| against the tide till he reached thg ~.
| face and stuck his nose out 'ilciip'.
said Fun Ting who IS that ! wonder.
I'm Rama. the frog answered. IA
| stranger. spreading out his weo III:
| said Fun Ting. why can't | SWIM hNc
| that? lie Is made Just IKE me-.
And he splashcd the water to ifish,,,,h
, the frog into swimming some more ~
looked carefully AZ the masterlui way u!
which he handled his legs and arms. ana
| then suddenly splnshed full length mo
| to initiate him. He struggled 10 hts rect.
| blowing water from his mouth ana nos mo-,
not sc; his breath and for minute ~
crythine looking fiery red aud darby
green. When he could see again the itot
| was setting on fiat rock AZ tho other
end OF the pool. laughing AT him.
You'll never learn 10 swim, SAID the
| frog.
Fun Ting. splitting and blowing and
angry withai. shouted that he would. and
| dashed n handful of sparkling brook Wa
| ter at the saucy dcnizen Of the pool
You don't hold your chin right, said
| the frog. blinking and grinning. let II
| down into ale water I'LL only your no>r y
| out. same as ! do. ard he swan around
| the rock with only his bulginE eyes ana
| his nose out OF water.
| Flung Ting tried IL again ard. though u
| mad. his heart beat very fast. hr found
sweeps hc could swim almost across tns
| pool. But when he tried to stop swim
| ming down went his head under the WA
| ter. and his nose filled again
arc VERY different f4tt
Rama The frog. Shouldn't wonder II son
would swim some day. But II ouiy
were a man Id never want to- swim ~ q
dirty brook with all sorts OF queer We
! Cling things and hateful hsE trout that
chase you ana nip At your tcrt- and en-
your babies. and all sorts ui things ID
| rather live in house such ~ you live in
| | want to hc man. and am prart!rtnA
| walking on This stone. sam" aS mri
walk. See? and ne got up and sirn5t',
| up and down on hts hind lrA- I'LL Fuf
| Ting laughed m.rrity. Rama looked hurt
| and sat down on the edge az thr stpl'
| and luated of into the water whore h'
| lay baSkiHg In the sunshine and S"@niu9
very comfortable Iudcco Thu SUN -hnnt
| into the raYinc and made every thinl
| bright and hazy with the mysticism of 81
| june forenoon.
| Fun Ting played III the water till dinrci
| time and then went on tu visit Summer
yellow birds nest that nc knew Of bll
| he went often alto the rayInv 70 play win
| Rama. and 10 listen 10 ~" quaint St"Tic'
| that the frog told him These stories wcrt
the most delightful fairy tales in tn,
world.
! Most people would not have heard them
| but Fun Ting was an odd child. and read
! lily understood the language Of the flow
crs. the plants. the fish. and of Rama tn.
| frog. When En Ting wanted &" tail
| with them he stole MI to the slide ut
| the brook in the raNtnc, and th-"win-
! himself down upon tho low bank wAcr,
/ the pines had made a soft coach ~ theii
needles. would fail into Il brown study .ant
= -frxr 10 tb44 FIF-
est alive with the soft voices ~ trrcS
| and plants and insects. Probably Tn
queer oriental rlysticisms thai his faihcl
| had taught him. and which had Cnint
down To him through generations upo!
generations Of believers in Eastern &C
| Cultisms helped on these day dreams
but sure 1t was that he came @ sren'
a great deal az time by the side Of tht
| brook. or swimming with Rama In Tn
| pool. After a while tho trout came 1,
/ know him, and did not go and hide. an'
| ilabby, Clnginc feet to Fun Tings ta,i
shoulders while he splashcd about. Tn
| thing which Fun Ting first learned ahou
| the little folk of the forest and tn,
| satisfied with their lot They all wanJc,
| TO be something they were not. Al CX
| Ccpt Euffo the toad who. when not as'cep
was perfectly satisfied with his lo;. Ran
| Coniided to Fun Ting that BIffo was th'
| only one in the forest that was M
growing up into the light as he c;aliee,
!
/ dirt. and dust and nothing. as tn.
| plant folk were continually saying.
| In the Ion" moon lighted nights of III.
| summer Fun Ting often fooled Joel am
| Betty by pretending to so up to bed an.
| to sleep. and then slipping softly out owe
! the shed and down the snarlcd trunk %
| The hiSh-top sweetins tree. And then al
! way to the woods and the brook
| Wrapped in his cotton stuffed greer
| jacket which he still sometimes wore h,
would lie on 4 BOARD at the edge OF tn,
| brook. Tapped in the silence of the nigh
| and with his odd little Chinese soul in al
| ccstacy OF mystery. his eyes watching tn,
| shadows and his ears drcamily lstcnin,
] 10 the faint far OFF sounds Of the woods
| the call OF the night birds. the buzz OF
| night insects and the disturbance anon:
| the sleeping things when a fox com,
proving. or a skunk returned to his der
| In the rocks from foraginE trip amoul
Jcei'S hen houses.
\ Continued next Saturday.
| lie YOU MI ST RET RET IN