The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-02-22


and the sight of the clown caused many
persons to burst into loud, and, indeed, I'M
seemly outlaws of laughter.
There was a look of victory in the eyes OF
Merry Andrew as he handed a letter to the
ambassador. The message was as follows:
CASTLE BLUE,
KINGDOM OF WOE.
Having heard with regret that his Ambas-
sador Muchslash has failed TO make the
great men of Freakland laugh at their meals,
His Majesty. Megrm ILL.,, King of Woe has
sent his subject Merry Andrew to repair
at once to the Kingdom of Freak land, there
to make amends for the failure OF Muehslasn
to be as great Jester as was expected:
Bearing IN mind h9we w, the former former
TO give him another chance, and commands
that If he succeeds in making the guests at
the Peter Bell Association dinner laugh
longer and louder than Merry Andrew may
do all fault finding shall cease and Much
slash shall he kept In his high Office.
at must be that the fog Of Freakland,
said Nuchslash, has got into his brain, for
at testing | fail again and again"
II opine Father Muchslash, replied Mer-
ry Andrew with a wicked leer, that your
days at the court of John o Greats are mum
bered.'
yes, answered Muchslash tarty, "and
the last number will be too high for you to
say it quickly.
Their controversy was interrupted by John
O. Groats. "Peacer cried he. Unless DR..
Muchslash can make us laugh before the
close of this banquet all relations between
our respective countries will be cut OIL by
the dropping of his head into wicker
basket
The unfortunate physician was plunged
into woe by this edct, and his misery was
all the harder to bear because merry NJ
drew continued 10 perform upon the nofi
zontal bar. winning unstinted applause;
While poor Muchsash covered at MS emu
of the table buried In thought and endeaVof-
ing without success to find S.
to present before the company, MS napps
rival turned now grave and now "a!
face upon the banqucters as he reVoNeu
upon the bar, and continued by his antics to
amuse all present.
Muehslash was aroused from the painful
revery into which he had sunk by the voice
of the Primrose Minister.
UNLESS His Excellency Muchslash can
give us a Jest which will make us laugh In
10 minutes he will no longer be Ambassador,
and we shall give his case over to our friend
the admirable sexton of Marrowbone."
Muchslash rose to his feet and vainly es-
sayed to call up from the sorrow In his soul
some merry jest with which to save his life.
With bitterness he remembered how in the
heyday of his powers he had wasted laugh
able tales on beggars and milkmaids. Great
drops of Precipitation stood upon his fore.
head as he recalled the pnns which he had
breathed idly into the air.
His Majesty John o. Greats listened to the
feeble and ptiable attempts at wilt which
were made by the unfortunate Muchslash
Pharaoh told that to his galley slaves"
said the king when Muchslash had finished
story which had once compelled laughter
from the most matterof- fact persons in the
Kingdom of Woe.
"Six minutes" cried the Holder of the
Watch in Ordinary.
Muchslash remarked that jokes, like eggs,
were likely to be overdone In six minutes.
volley of knives and forks was the only
sign by which he knew that this sally had
been heard.
"And this said he, half aloud, "is the
dream of riches and of restored youth which
the wistful Witch promised should come to
Muchslash. Oh, that were again a humble
tailor, for being a diplomat is simply to be
a machine for the invention Of jokes.'
He leaned forward on the chair and made
his last jest, an effort dismal that groan
passed through the assemblage, and bust
of Joe Miller which stood on bracket near
the door fell to the floor and was dashed in
thousand pieces
1.-THE time is up cried the Holder of the
Watch in Ordinary.
Your Majesty" inquired the Gentleman
of the Big Sunhower, "the Sexton Of Mar
rowbone awaits your commands. What shall
be done with the Ambassador from the
Kingdom Of woe?
"On with his head!'' cried the Primrose
Minister Indignantly. Muchslash turned to
escape the approaching headsman and saw
for the first time the twin sailors back of
his chair. Their faces had never changed
since they entered the banqueting hall, for
they had heard Muchslash's jokes before,
and were unable to smile at them, try as
they would.
you shall make MS merry" cried Much
slash. bitterly. you have stood there like
solemn images, and yon shall suffer for It,"
Taking his great shears from his glrdIe he
cut the two sailors in two with one fell
stroke apiece. Cruel, cruel" cried all the
courtlers, and Muchslash himself looked with
horror on the havoc he had wrought.
But | am enough OF tailor magician to
put them together again." he gasped, and
with trembling fingers he sought to make
amends for his frightful deed.
He did indeed put the men together again.
But instead of the applause which he Had