The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-02

TT ANS SNUFF sat in the old cob
~ webby, dust-coyered loft of
his MILL smoked his pipe slowly
and seriously, and puzzled his
brain for plan to rid the building or
rats.
They were the bane of his life. and
bothered him OF nights by seam mp S,s
pantry and built their nests in his
cupboard. AS he smoked and planned
for their death, he could hear faint
Stuffy corners under the sacks of Hour.
No doubt they were commenting upon
the appearance and also planning IN
their way TO do five times as much dam
aSe as formerly.
Ii was easy TO see that Hans Snuff had
lived in the mill all his life, for 1t
seemed as II either he had grown much
like the mill, or else it had patterned
after his appearance. Hans was short
and squat, so was the mill; Hans wore
an old coat, yellow IN color and whtened
by the flour; the mill was Of the same
dingy yellow white. In but one thing did
they differ-Hans hated the rats of the
mill with a fine hate; the mill seemed
to love them in its dry, musty corners
and floors, protecting them from all his
efforts beyond traps.
But with traps Hans had quite q
reputation, and when the rats were
caught he would speedily introduce them
10 Tom, large cat, with gray and
From the loft Hans could see across
country 70 where the dixie spread, all
yellow in the sunshine; beyond 1t the
sea Hans nodded once or twice, but
the thought of the rats never left his
mind lie had just about settled the
fate of every whiskered fellow in the
country. when very funny thing hap
pened. The sun ran across the sky and
plunged downward into the sea, the
dixie seemed to dance a jig, and Tom,
the cat, in the window, rev smaller and
smaller, until he at last disappeared.
90 nd fIn
little red-roofed house on the hill turned
into a tree.
surely" said Hans, surely some
thing strange has come TO this part of
the country
Then ne glanced downward toward the
grinding stones, and there-there sat the
largest gray rat he had ever seen. ~
was an old fellow, with WhiSkerS nearly
six inches long, and a tail that seemed
to be broken in one or TWO places. one
of his eyes was gone, and an ear con-
sisted simply of ribbons. and hung imp
He had a very funny cap on MS heau,
too, something Hans had never seen on
a rats head before. Hans was so as
tonished that rat should come out on
his milestone and brave MIN lhdt ms
pipe fell to the floor and smashed to
That is the very rat" said Hans TO
himself, that / threw the stove 10
The old fellow stuck his head on
one side, so as to better view hans
with the good eye, and stroked his
whiskers in a most comical fashion.
Hans Snuff. Hans snuff, you're a
bad man. squeaked the rat
''Only To rats" mumbled Hans.
well, / am the KING or the rats,
said the old fellow, proudly, and I've
come 10 have talk with you, hans
Snuff, and tell you what i think or your
WAYS You threw a stove lid at me the
other day Hans Snuff, and have only
10 thank that cast in your right eye that
the rats are not holding convention
over a new king. 1t was a heavy stove
lid, Hans Snuff, and had il hit me fair
I would have been a very sick rat. You
should be ashamed of yourself, Hans
Snuff
''I'n rever do IL again." said Hans.
You'd better not. Don't you see how
YOUR mill is stopped and the sun run
down? We've managed all that because
of the stove lid. You are getting above
yourself. Hans Snuff you're naughty
boy"
Hans gasped.
Boy! Why, I'm an old man, I'm"
You're not near so old as the King
of the Rats. ] knew your greatgrand-
father, Hans Snuff; anC. by the way,
you've broken his fine yellow pipe He
was a much better man than you. Hans
Snuff, and [ fail to remember any stove
lids of his"
The rat moved into a more comfortable
attitude, then continued;
Now, you see. Hans Snuff the rats
are tired of your ways, and all those