Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-10
TRIP ON A KITE

| large vacant lot for the purpose OF
flying an immense kite, which the lit
tie boys of the neighborhood had been
working on for the last week.
The kite was high in the air now
and the string had given out, so all
the children went scampering home to
get all the string they could find, leav-
ing Frank, curly headed little lad
of five years, to hold the kite until
they should return.
Frank sat there patiently holding the
kite, which was nearly as large as him
self, and wondering why on earth the
"l1ids" didn't hurry
Just then a funny noise attracted
his attention and, laying a small stone
on the end of the kite string to hold it,
Frank got up to see what it could be.
But the rock was small and when
Frank stood up he was so anxious to
satisfy his curiosity that he forgot the
rock, gave it kick and away flew the
~.
after it, but the wind was strong and
the boys fat little legs could not beat
1t.
At last the string caught on a tree
and Frank was not long in capturing
the runaway but he was so tired that
he lay down at the foot of the tree
after tying the kite firmly to a branch.
He rolled over a few times and then
dozed off, but in another minute it
seemed as If the kite string had
snapped and Frank jumped up and
grabbed the string, but to his great
surprise the kite carried him up and
up. Frank was so frightened that he
could not scream and he was so high
in the air that he dared not let go, so
he just hung on and closed his eyes
so that he could not see how high he
really was. He did not know how long
he had MS eyes shut, but it seemed
a long, long time and when at last he
opened them he was in the dark But
all OF a sudden everything grew light
and then he saw that they were near
ing a large object which was very
bright.
"Oh, dear!" said Frank, Il wish L
was at home in bed I wonder if all
these bright things are stars" Just
then they went flying past one of the
bright objects and Frank was so
frightened that he screamed at the
x>f l.;
ing near 10 large, white, shiny thing
which Frank declared to himself was
the moon. Just at this moment they
went shooting by another star and
Frank screamed again. He would have
kept on screaming, but at this instant
a little door sprang open in the moon
and a funny little old man appeared.
MY conscience!" exclaimed the lit
tie old man, "how did you get here?"
Frank was too much surprised to ut
ter a sound so he just kept his mouth
shut and hung on tight
Cant you talk" asked the man, but
as he got no answer he went on:
"Well that beats all; feller that
call ldlh " Dc SlOOllllS al lOt'hH cii
my premises. I don't know what I
will do to yer. 1 guess" but here
he stopped, for two large tears were
falling down Franks cheeks.
"Oh!" said the man. "Ye're fright
ened, are We? Well We needn't cry
about it; just come in and make your
self to home"
At this the little man caught Frank
in his arms and pulled him inside the
moon.
"Now," began the man, I'VE needn't
be skeered fer 1 amt goin' ter hurt
youse. 1 just tell yer thet ye're in the
moon and I'm the man in the moon"
YES" said Frank, now finding his
tongue, "Ive heard of you.'
"Oh, have We now!" said the man.
well. come now I'll show yer some
fine places in the moon that you never
heard tell Of" and they started off.
They first came to some trees laden
with sparkling gems.
"Oh!" cried Frank, what beautiful
diamonds"
"Those amt diamonds" said the
man. Those are stars. Haven't you
ever seen shooting stars? Well, when
a star falls 1 come here and find the
ripest gem on the tree and put it in
the others place."
After this they passed on.
my, what's this? ?" asked Frank, as
they came up to a large wheel.
That's my steering wheel" was the
answer. Don't you suppose 1 have
to get out of the way when the stars
are a-comin'?''
They next entered a little house built
of rubber.
This here house is built of old stale
stars that have turned to rubber, so
that when 1 pass the sun 1 can just
give it push and it bounces over to
the other side of the moon. Now amt
thet handy?"