The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-21
A FAIRY TALE

was no SEnOOl, ana Tommy tucker al
ways liked 10 take his fishing pole and
trudge of TO the deep pool by the big
elrTs ana fish all afternoon. for if he
caught any fish his mother could helI
cook them for supped, and then she
would think what a good boy Tommy
was 10 ring home something TO eat. And
then. too, it was pretty good fun fishing
In the deep pool by the big eirns-a good
zeal more fun than chopping wood OF
doing chores. But fort he last two OF
three Saturdays Tommy Tucker had had
such badI uck that he had not caught q
single nsh. and on this particular Satur-
day morning his father SAL TO him:
1t seems to me that your fishing is a
good deal of a waste of time. Tommy.
You haven't caught any fish, while il You
took axe and went TO that woOdpile
in the right manner it is pretty certain
you would succeed in cutting a good lot
OF wood You can try again this after
noon. but if you have your usual bad
luck then next Saturday 1 will let you
chop wood instead Q ftrying to catch FISH
that evidently dent intend 10 be caught
Now that certainly was very unfair in
Tommys father. forTo mmy wasn't TO
tried all kinds OF bait ana used two or
three Inherent rods ard hshed in all parts
of the deep pool under the big elEns.
What more could he dO2 II the fish
simply WON'T bite you can't expect .
small fat boy TO take them by the tails
ard push them on the hook
so Tommy was quite alarmed az what
his father told him. To be sure, his IA
Their had said let" him cut the wood.
but fathers have a habit Of saying let
when they reallym can make" and if
Tommy cult he wood one aSturday when
he ought 10 be fishing. his father might
expect him TO do the same thing the next
SATURDAY. and pretty soon it would get
10 be q habit with him to expect il. and
goodness knows it is hard to break Ia
theirs Of a bad habit Of that sort
Now is the time for Mr.. Good Fairy
to help me-" thought Tommy. If he is as
powerful and god hearted fairy as he
seems"
So Tommy went 10 the field back of his
fathers barn, knocked three times on the
bic fat stone, turned his back. 50 that
Mr. Good Fairy would not think he was
spying on him-how good fairies do hate
that,-and waited II a moment he heard
the shriu voice OF his friend, Nj Good
Fairy, and. turning around Tommy saw
him with bis long coat. high white hat,
and all the rest. But although he wasn't
dressed as one would expect from a good
fairy. there was d look about him that
would have told any one that he was
person with . good deal Of power and
influence. Tommy was rather relieved to
a
wife with him. Good and well meaning
woman that she is. Mrs. Good Fairy has
q temper Of her own.
Mr. Good Fairy listened attentively TO
the tale of Tommy's troubles and when
he heard il looked quite relieved. For he
was q really kindhearted old fairy and
wanted to help Tommy If he could, but
sometimes small fat boys ask unreason-
able things even Of a good fairy And Mr..
Good Fairy was the more willing to help
Tommy because 50 few people nowadays
believe in goodfai ries, elves, gromes and
such things. Very wise indeed these peo-
pie think they are not to believe in fairies
But lust let them wait until some fine
day when they get a mischievous elf after
them Then they viii see
eWhy. 1 can fix it all right about your
nshing." said AIr. Good Fairy when Tom
my told him how anxious he was to catch
some fish. so that his father wouidn eX-
pect hir to chop wood on Saturdays
when ne ought TO be fishing. All that 1t
needs is an enchanted fishing rod Then
the fish will fairly rush to be caught Did
YOU ever use one? No? Well I used TO IN
my Younger days. and great fun it was
though don't care much for fishing now.
as il always gives me an attack Of rheu-
matism.
Tommy Tucker thought It very strange
6 eoodf airy should be subject TO rheUma-
tisn but he was far too polite a boy to
speak of it. He knew fairies just hate to
have any one speak of pains or diseases
thew nav be subject TO. Remember that
A. Won ever. happen TO meet a good fairy.
With gnomes. especially old suomes' II Is
different. They Ike TO talk about their
pains and aches by the hour, just Ike
some people.
OF course. Mr.. Good Fairy didn't have
an enchanted Fishing rod on hand at
that moment. for even good fairy
couldn't have told what Tommy or any
otner small boy was hkely 10 ask for.
But he told Tommy that if he came back
to the fat stone in about half an hour ne
would find the enchanteided fishing rod
living there. Then Tommy could take 1t
and catch ALT he FISH he wanted
Pint remember" said Mr. Good Fairy,
.safter YOU have finished fishing 10 bring
back the rod and leave II by this stone.
II is the one [ used 70 use in my younger
DAYS before I married Mrs Good Fairy,
and l am very much attached to it on
account Of the caIm.p eacefuI times Il
recalls
Tommy thought that sounded a little
Ike a sly hit N Mrs Good Fairy. PERHAPS
:, wa Even good fairies have their own
troubles. and he knew by sad experience
than Mrs. Good Fairy had a sharp tongue.
although she could hardly be blamed
Running a school form lschievous elves.
as she had done for over twenty years.
Is enough TO spoil ony ones temper
Now. run along. continued Mr. Good
Fairy. and cone back in half an hour
for the enchanted fishing rod. Re good
boz. Obey your parents ard teacher, and
II any one SAYS there are no sood fairies
throw stones AT them"
\ good fairy's way Of being good isn't
always the same as that OF other people.
Half an hour later Tommy Tucker re-
turned 20 the bg fat stone in the field
back Of his fathers barn. There. sure
enough. was a fishing rod lying Just be-
side the stone where Mr. Good Fairy was
accustomed to appear. You would never
have thought it was IN enchanted fish
Ing rod 20 look AT Ii. For the most part
It was like an ordinary fishing rod. But
IN the butt end was @ quee-. red colorei
stone. that twlnkIed aud charged its shade