The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-30
He Changed Himself In
to Different Animals
and Birds and Was
Nearly Killed

~ BOY named Kenneth Wotherspoon had
~ the most wonderful adventures. He 7as
WIN one of the kind of boys who can't see
any use In studying or learning any
thing, but he was Ia 1ice boy for all that
MANY lads are like him and do not realize the value
of learning things until they are old men, when they
have to work for somebody else, and never have
time to learn. Kenneth had an uncle named outn-
erlapd. who was so wise that he knew nearly every
thing, and he used to say that unless one has
knowledge he is no more than an animal, Tor the
reason we are so superior to the beasts Is merely pc
cause by continually learning things we have be-
come able to think logically and thereby better our
selves constantly. All this was too deep for Kenneth,
who sometimes wished to be an animal himself, for
he envied animals their freedom and independence.
He thought that it must be delightful to sleep in
the woods and roam through the deep glades with
nothing on but hair, and never have to dress IN the
morning, wash or clean his nails, or study, and have
a good fight or scare every day. de didn't reahze
that the life of nearly every animal is mostly scare
all the time, for something or other IS after almost
every creature almost constantly, and they are
hungry pretty much all the time
Helped a Dying Wizard
One day he was sitting at his bedroom window
looking at a picture book, when suddenly he heard a
deep groan Of pain coming from the open window
of the house in the rear. It was an old, tumbledown
sort of house in which there lived a strange old man
all alone, who never spoke to the neighbors, and
therefore was considered crazy. Kenneth listened
and soon heard the groan repeated. He determined
at once to run over and see what was the matter
with Mr.. Schmud, the queer old man, for he knew
he must be in great pain. He found the front G'or
of Mr.. Schmud's house half open, and he went at
once to the room from which the sound came, where
he found the old man in bed doubled up IN agony
and almost incapable of speech. Kenneth raE at
once for DIR. Ramsey, who gave the old man some
medicine, but said that he would surely die that
night. He told Kenneth that somebody ought to re-
main with Mr.. Schmud, however, and the boy con-
scented to stay with him all night. He sat there
while the old man slept, and was Just about falling
to sleep himself, when Mr.. Schmud suddenly spoke:
"Who are youg' he asked, and when Kenneth
had told him his name he said:
ut is kind, indeed, of you to watch over me, but
it's of no use. l am a goner this time: I've been
near to death many times, but L know he's coming
for me now. Well. l suppose it is time, for l am
four hundred and fifty years old"
In amaZement Kenneth cried:
"Four hundred and fifty years oldl Impossiblep
Eyes, that is my age. Few men, even the greatest
wizards, attain such years"
@You mus be a wizard yourselfl" cried the boy.
"At one time" said Mr.. Schmud, 81 had no equal,
but the day of the wizard IS past-long past. Once
I was al important person and had the world at
my feet, but popular education, as well as books on
wizzing and conjuring, have done me, as well e5 all
the others, completely up. / suppose that I'm worn
out, as a matter of fact, and so have become like all
old-fashioned things-obsolete, and therefore to be
laid on the shelf. Well, I've had a pretty good time,
and I can't complain. No one has had a better"
"Jf you are a wizard, why are you sick and lolp-
less2 Why not utter some magic spell and be
cured ~ asked Kenneth.
"I tell you I am played out. My time has come.
DON'T you suppose I've tried all the spells I know.
No usei They're no good now. Weakened and worn
out, they viii not answer. No, / must go, and, after
all, I'm rather glad of it, as / am now a back num-
Der. Who cares for wizzing nowadays"
"Well, I do, for one" said Kenneth. II wish
you'd show me a few tricks"
"Alas, my mind has weakened and almost all my
Ire has fed. I can scarcely remember the least of
my knowledge. 49,
"How about changing things into other shapesp
asked Kenneth, eagerly. "Do you remember that
speIl|
He Learns How to Do 1t
@Yes,n said Mr.. schmud, slowly. "That is the
easiest Of all. You have but to say Rasmatag DIM
GAIA Presto and at the same time think of the
shape you desire to assume or have another as
sumo" Kenneth was about to repeat the words
after him, but thinking they might work, he halted,
and. taking out his pencil, he asked Mr.. Schmud to
repeat them, whereupon he wrote the words down
in his note book. Then he asked:
GLOW about changing back again into ones first
shapeq Do you say the same wordsT'
HNo. indeed. You say 'Ompallah Muto Hoch,' as
you think of your former shape. I hope you are not
going TO try it" he added.
well, I guess yes" said Kenneth. II want to
know how it feels to be an animal or a fish or some
thing"
at is a dangerous experiment" said the wizard.
"Whyg ' asked the boy in surprise.
because every animal Is constantly hunted by
others. IF Won should lose an arm. a leg. or even a