Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-09-26

I single peach
In the middle If the orchard. under the
largest tree in full bloom. was table
set with dainty blue and white dishes.
and sofae happy little girls were having
Il tea party. Elsie could see the pitchers
full of thigb, yellow cream, the bowl OF
hncly powdered sugar and right in tho
middle of the table Il platter heaped
nigh with walles the peach Juice bub
bling ont OF them in the most enticing
manner.
"Oh-h," Elsie drew in her breath with
a sniff of delight, and pulled away from
the witch with all her strength. but she
might a. we'll have tried TO get her hand
mt of Il steel trap
No more Of this" said the old witch.
and dragged her. Kicking and screaming.
through the orchard, over a low. stone
wall, into >tubby field full of weeds
and potato plants. all covered with po-
tato hugs.
Some little boys were working as fast
a. they could, pulling up the weeds and
picking off the bugs IRON the plants
Elsie wondered what made them look so
unhappy and work 50 fast. Why there
WaS Bobby Green the LATEST boy she
knew. and he was working hard in the
hot sun.
Il shouldn't think they would stay
and pick potato bugs, with a peach on
chard So near, I'd run away and pick
peaches she said To the little old
woman.
oh YOU think So. do you." and the
witch smiled grimly to herself
NJ the end of the potato patch they
came upon Il thick, high hedge of BRAN
hles. with fierce thorns sticking out in all
directions. The witch paid no attention
to these. but dragged Elsie through, the
thous catching in her clothes and
scratching her arms and legs.
On the other side they were in what
seemed to he Il cave full of little girls
all working very hard pairing potatoes
In the middle of the cave was a great
pot Of boiling water and the steam made
Elsie choke and nearly suiiocated her
The witch flew about and brought her
a small three legged stool great pan
at potatoes and Il sharp knife.
Now get To work, lor it Is ! o'clock,
and these potatoes must all he cooked
before my family come in to supper
she Aust have very large family"
thought Elsie, ana down IN the bottom
of her heart She made up her mind that
she would not pare all those, dirty po-
tatot~.
She sat idly watching the witch, who
went rushing about to see how well the
other little girls were doing their task.
Some She ~coldcd and some she slapped.
and when she found little girl who's"
potatoes we've all pared, She took her by
the hand aud led her to corner of the
cave where there was n crack between
some great rocks and the little girl
would disappear. looking very much
/ frightened
While the witch was mp in the corner
/ Elsie asked a little girl who sat near her
why some had 80 many more potatoes 10
pare than others.
It's twenty five for every time you
! disobey and fifty for falsehood" Wills
lpered the little girl very low and fast.
t"Nou'd better hurry My but you've
got iot!"
The mean old thng' Elsie said to
herself. II won't pare potatoes" and
she threw the pan ON the loor and the
POTATOES went rolling all over the cave.
All the other little girls shuddercd and
worked faster than ever The witch
/ flew at Elsie and shook her until her
teeth chattcred and then told her she
must pick up the potatoes II she did
not have them all ready by 6 o'clock. she
would be sent into another cave near by
10 wait upon the old womana son, who
was terrible ogre.
Fears Of pain and anger filled lllSic'+
eyes, but She got down on the floor of
the cave and began hunting for the Pc.
tatoe-. She had to crawl around on her
hands and knees, and it was not Il pleas
ant task, for the potatoes had rolled un-
der the rocks aud into cracks aud cor
nvrS where there were spiders and liz
ards aud ugly toad-.
BY the time she had the potatoes all
back in the pan, she had made up hcr
mind to pare rs fast a, ever she could,
and get out 81 that hp1id place.
Suddenly clock began slowly -trik
ing e; All the litiIc girls jumped up and
carried their },an~ 10 the old woman,
who counted the potatoes and ppt them
into The pot and the httic girls di~aP-
IPcarcd
Elsie began to cry harder aud harder.
and hc tcu- <pld~hcd down QUITO The
potatoes as she Thought Of the nice time
they were having at home. and ol the
peach wali,-.
%. dear shall >tarye down here.
.he sohbcl Il wish ! could sec m,
Irmmma ! mover, never viii be naughty
again
Aud then another strange thing hap.
pcucd Tic old witch ANA the kettle ~
potatsc- aud the cave began To fade
away, and Elsie felt herself slowly rising
uatil she found herself rolling over Iu
Ia. Il f,.f..