The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-07-24
THE FABLED FOX.
BY BARRY PAIN.

Slowly through the forest came the
1oX. And as he went he wept, occa-
slonally pausing to wipe his eyes with
the leaf of the wild rhubarb. He was
slngularly sensitive animal and
stories had been going round; and his
Ieel1ngs were much wounded.
Along the path towards him came a
rustic maiden with a 32-inch waist, an
elastic step and good heart. Her
smile was bright, and as she went she
sang blithely; she could not, in the
strlct sense of the term, sing; but this
happened long ago, when those who
could not sing would sometimes try to
do it.
Suddenly she espied the fox. It was
quite evident that he was suffering,
and-as l said before-she had a good
heart
rs it," she asked, 1.-THE sheer beauty
OF what l can remember Of a seaside
comic song that causes you to weep"
NO. he said. TT Is unpleasant. T
should not care for much of it. But it
ooes not make me weep. I weep be-
cause nave been grievously maligned
ana my pride of race is hurt
Who has done this thing?" she
asked. indignantly.
know not, but the rumors have
spread far and wide. 1 am almost
ashamed to show myself. What should
TINS
tortured me"
He should be punished" said the
girl with honest anger Il don't care
who he is or what he is He should
be forced to apologize publicly"
That" said the fox, sis not enough"
and he passed on his way still weep
ing
And the next person that he met was
q man of the law in search of a lob.
assault 81 said the MO, 90
NO" said the fox, sobbing bitterly,
that's not it. It's worse"
Robbery"
Worse yet. My entire race ha.
been foully DETAINED. We are brought
into pity and contempt. What should
Instruct me at once, and I will pro
ceed."
ished?"
You will get damages-you may
possibly get very heavy damages
enough, after my costs are paid, to
enable you to live in affluence without
doing any work"
That" said the fox, "is not enough
Then you're precious hard to please.
Good morning" said the man Of law,
and passed on his way.
The fox went on through the forest,
though he was SO shaken with the
force Of his poignant emotions that he
could hardly walk. And presently he
saw coming towards him an old man.
with q white beard and an 1nouirinp
eye.
"Ala," said the fox, ''here, from ripe
old age, l. shall obtain wise counsel,
and learn how best to be avenged.
For the punishments hitherto suggest
ed are indisputably not enough
We'll q said the old man.
II am suffering from deep humilia-
ton. Stories Of the basest kind have
been circulated concerning me-
Indeed" said the old man. "This
sounds interesting. Pray recount the
stories. There are no ladies present
you can speak freely"
THE stories" said the fox. "are not
of the kind that you suppose, They
relate to an Imaginary deficiency in
my intellect
man. But still, speak on
"A story has been, told that I was
once unable to reach some grapes and
that for that reason I said they were
unripe. 1T is cruelty untrue. I test
the ripeness Of the grapes in the usual
way, and am well aware that their
propinquity to me personally has moth
ing whatever to do with it,
"Ah!" said the old man, and
yawned.
THAT is not all. It is also said that
I once lost my brush in a trap, and
tried to persuade all other foxes to mu-
tilate themselves in a similar way. 1t
is an abominable SANDER. 1t implies
that I am heartless, which I am not,
and that I am also brainess; for none
of my fellows would have dreamed Of
listening to so silly a suggestion. Now,
I say that the man who promulgated
these wicked stories should be pun
ished severely
''Ah!'' said the old man, and yawned
still more deeply. We'll, I must be
getting on
THE stories don't seem to interest
you. after all.''
You surprise me. A young girl that
met said the man who started them
should apologize-and it was not
enough. Then came a man !. Of law,
who said that the slanderer should pay
damages-but no damages, however
heavy, would be enough. And quite
thought that you would go one better,
and either say that my traducer should
be skinned alive and then burned or
from morbid love Of originality
would call on me to forgive him.
1T is disappointing. And may I
ask why?"
It is rather delicate point
but I insist upon knowing"
Well" said the old man, as he la
boriously climbed a tree to get out of
harms way, .the fact is that my
names Aesop.,'
A Philosophical View.
Puck: Mrs. Hogg-My opinion is tia !,
they're fattening US up to eat us.