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

Tommy had thrown in his line after
catching his thirteenth fish when sud
denly he felt a tremendous tug. as if
some extremely big fish had taken the
hook he pulled and pulled. and finally
brought the fish near enough to the sur
face of the water 10 see it To his sur
prise. instead OF being a great big fish Il
was a little bit of q one that didn't look
as If it would be able to get away from
a bent pin hook. But this fish was dit
ferent from any Tommy Tucker had ever
seen. When he first caught sight OF II
il was reen, then the color turned 10
purple, then 10 back and next 20 violet
And al the time that its color was
changing the fish kept pulling harder and
harder on the enchantifed fishing rod
which Mr.. Good fairy had lent Tommy.
While Tommy was trying his best TO
prevent the fish from pulling pole, line
and all away from him, suddenly he felt
a sharp pinch on his arm Then the
rod ban teven more than IT had, as II
some one else besides the strange f1sn
were pulling at it. The strain on the rod
became greater and greater. and Tommy.
to his dismay, felt it slipping through his
hands, despite all he could do TO hold
1t.
*Oh. dear. Oh. lear, oh. dear: what
shall I do?" exclaimed Tommy In an
other minute the rod viii be gone-the
enchantifed rod that Mr. Good Fairy used
when he was young and told me 70 be
sure and return. What VIII he say when
l tel him that little fish with changing
colors pulled it away from me? I'm sure
those wicked elves have something to do
w.. it, although I cant see them 1t
just shows that boys-even 4 good. strong
boy ike myseif-ought not 10 fool around
wan enchantIfed fishing rods
Then. just when Tommy felt that he
could hold the rod no longer. he heard
shril little squeal, then another and an
other. until the air seemed full of them
All Of a sudden the changing celored fish
disappeared. 49, strain on the line stop
ped and before Tommy realized what had
happened -ur- t4ood Fairy was standing
at his side Mr. Good Fairy's high white
hat was dented. his clothes were mussed
I'D, he was out OF breath. but for all that
ne was smiling in a grim sort Of manner.
ike a person who has just punished some
one that really deserved it.
Good Fairy; those wicked. bad hearted.
mischievous elves. though. Of course, you
could not see them. for elves are invisible
TO small fat boys. They must have
learned somehow that you had my en-
chantined fishing rod. and knowing how
much I valued II they planned TO take it
away That FISH with the changing colors
was an enchauted one That was the rea-
son it pulled so hard. When the elves
saw that you still chung TO the pole they
began pulling on it themselves But I
fxe,. them. the scamps. I made them
sorry for their wickedness-"
And Mr.. Good Fairyl ooked very fierce
for such a really kind. good hearted fairy.
7 killed them" ne added. seeing that
Tommy was mighty curious 70 know how
he had punished the mIschtevous elves. 4
killed every one of them, and the ones
that planned the mischief I killed fivev or
six times. I guess that will be a lesson
TO them not TO NEEDLE with my favorite
fishing rod again. II there IS anything
an elf hates il IS 10 be killed
Tommy thought it only natural that an
elf should object TO being killed. and it
seemed 10 him, that bad as the elves
ished. especially those who had been
killed five or six times. Then he re-
membered that a cat has nine lives and
that an elf has a smany as ninety-nlne
and one-third cats. So the punishment
wasn't as harsh as it seemed at first.
When Tommy Tucker returned home
that evening his father looked at his bas-
ket in which were all the fish Tommy had
caught before the enchanted fish took the
hook He was so pleased at the sight
that he said he thought Tommy could do
better fishing saturday afternoons than
h.. could chopping wood And You may
be sure Tommy agreed with him
a pretty good catch. he said to him.
self. even if those elves did make
trouble. But that's the last time I'll ever
use an enchanted nshing pole in my fish
ing. They may be all right for good
fairies. but ordinary poles and lines viii