Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-11-13
THE CATFISH
AND THE CAT
OF POCHUCK

! ~ ? news AEHAH iAcINck. SaIu he
dropping into his chair and moppins
his face on his sleeve "Irs news from
Pochuck, and it, great, But / wouldn't
"a believed it. No, sir, / wouldn't a
believed it,"
and won't!n said Badly, the land
lord, quickly and positively.
But / seen it," said the alleged Pc
chuck citizen, reproachfully.
Yet doubt stood revealed on the
landlords face palmer than the warts
On crook-neck squash.
You believe there's holler stumps
don't you?" asked the man.
The existence Of hollow stumps
couldn't be denied, even by Badly, the
landlord.
And as to yaller cats" the man
went on. There amt no doubt about
yaller cats, is there? And ysller cats
has kittens, don't they?" said the wan
derer from over toward Pochuck.
"Not II their name is Tom, they
don't" said De Witt Green, Of Jolly
Farm, who is bound 70 have things kept
straight or know the reason why.
The Pochuck citizen having settled
that point 70 the satisfaction Of all, it
was admitted that there could be no
doubt that yellow cats had kittens.
And there's catfish, amt there ."
the man asked.
You'd think there was" said Badly,
the landlord, IF you'd be here some
time when I've been fishing for 'em!"
Some folks would have wondered why
nobody said anything after that for
quite a spell, and why even the man
from Pochuck grinned; but the land
lord didn't seem TO notice this behavior.
And as TO families Of young cat
fish" said the man, after awhile.
'sech things has been heerd Of,
hain't they?n
OF course they had. Certainly.
"Catfsh and their young lives in
water, don't they?" asked the bearer
OF news from Pochuek, intent on set
ting himself straight.
No one had any record Of catfish
living more than a day or so on
land.
And nobody that has read about
Noah and the food has any doubt
that water gifts high, now and then?"
asked the man.
The fact was well known.
well. then" said the Pochuck cit
izen. with look Of triumph at
Badly, the landlord, Il seen 'em am"
when did you see the water?"
asked Badly. the landlord, malicious
~. and Farmer Bin Leonard. who
lives opposite Goose Pond Noun
tain. said: "Shame!" and Farmer
Green said: tut, tut, Baldy!"
The man who stakes his word on
his homes being over toward Po-
chuck cracked the thumb on his
right hand and three fingers on his
left. as II defantly. and said
"Them's the news I've brung over
this time. and | wouldn't "a believed
EN-. First place, I'd been down to
4 Sprout Hill stone frolic II you've
never been 20 a sprout Hin stone
frolic it's leetle hard TO give you
III the pints a sprout Hill stone
'rclic has.
"When / got home from the frohc
n the evenin'. Uncle David looked
ne over and I see he was kind o
me.
az see IL was a hummer, says he
II said II was and / went to bed
md forgot 70 milk the cows. Next
morning I thought I'd walk over to
he river 10 see If the water had fell
much. cause IL had been uncom-
,romisin' high. / see that il had fell !,
cause big holler
tump that had been all covered with
gater was shown above II for more
han two foot. but the holler in the
lump was fun o water yit.
Il sot down 70 rest a spell, and as
sot there what should ] see but !
atfsh raise up in the water inside I
hat holler stump and peek down !
yer the edge q the stump / never !,
cen bigger catfish than that one \
nd I've seen some all gozzlin' big !
mes in them Drownded Lands wa
ars.
ayvhen the catfish seen how far c
Glow the top o. that stump the river I
ad got, il looked scared. I tell you, 4
nd IT dropped back into the holler.
"'That catfish has been hatchin' q
5 young ones in that stump. not n
linkin' about the high water, I'll .
FL boss I saws, and il has been 7
etched there uBbeknownSt to it. =
II hadn't more than said II, when +,
p 10 the top came the catfish
gain, and she had her mouth fun !,
young catfish. She give a flop, !
nd out O. the stump to the water
le went She released her mouth i
Il o. young ones, gethered herself n
,gether. and sprung back into that !;
Jump. In less than ten seconds out :,
le jumped ag'in with another !,
outhful o. young ones, released EN- Z,
Id back into the stump. !,
Five times that catfish went in
ID out o. the holler stump before D
Ie got all of her young ones out :,