The San Francisco call., 1906-08-26
WHEN BENNY WENT DOWN AMONG THE. FISH LE

it into my head-for crabs have heads
that you could not feel my pincers
should / clamp them over your toes?"
"Oh, p-l-e-a-s-e DON'T" cried Benny,
feeling bit frightened, for the crab
looked vicious. and he was afraid he
might do the cruel thing he limited at.
There was a laugh went sp from all
the fishes, crabs and Holsters at this,
and Benny's host said: Never fear lad:
not one of my friends here would do
you any harm. They, like you, are my
guests. And now that we have assem-
bled for a good time let us drop the
present subject of conversation and
forget that there has been anything
unpleasant said on either .ide. What
do you say to a few races.
Yes, yes" cried several fishes and
crabs and Holsters. Lets have a race
between a crab and a fish. Then let's
see our friend Lobster give race witt
a fish"
Then all was confusion for few mo-
ments while racers were chosen and
judges selected. Say, friends, said
the host Il suggest that our guesl of
land, be invited to race with one of us.
Let him pick his opponent from those
already chosen to race"
All agreed to this. and Benny, think
ing it would be great fun to race with
a lobster, chose the biggest one pres
tutf SdHtBS NOW, L II give you Ine
start of ten feet and beat you without
half trying. / think handicap race
will be more exciting. and 1T will give
you a chance to hold your own against
me-"
The lobster laughed and replied: No
I'll not grant you the handicap. There
wouldn't be any race under such cir
cumstances, for Should you give me ten
feet the start of you Id be at the end
n hnfnro xror h-1 fai, 81
started. Suppose / give you fifty feet
the start of ne. That'll be more in
keeping with our relative powers of
speed, / fancy"
But as Benny shook his head en-
phatically TO the Holsters proposition
sleeve, they at last agreed to start
even. So they took their places, toenS
UP to line drawn in the sand by the
crab. Then the starter counted one.
two, three-go" and away sprinted
Benny beside the lobster. But If he
started beside the lobster he did not
keep that near to him longer than it
takes to count three, for before Benny
could realize that the race was on the
lobster was fully fifty feet in advance
of him. and he kept on gaining at such
a rate that Benny gave up the race and
turned to go back to the starting point
when he tripped his toe in some sea-
NtSQ ana IB4l.
And what fall, The water seemed
to close in over him with q coldness
which until now he had not felt He
got mouthful Of salt water, then he
strangled and-awoke Yes awoke to
find he had just that moment fallen
from the pier where he had dozed off
just little while ago.
Being a good swimmer. Benny rose
quickly to the surface, spat the water
out of his mouth and shook 1t from his
nose and eyes and pulled for the shore
1t was an easier way of getting on land
than Climbing the piling of the pier
Once on the sandy beach Benny sat
down and became absorbed in thought
for few minutes; then he said aloud:
We'll, I've heard of fish stories, but
talk about dreams-that one was a
dandy. Gee whiz. how that old lobster
did run. l reckon by now he's out in
the ocean-if he kept on at the gait he
was going when ! called myself to a
halt. But it's getting late, Guess I'd
better go and see if there's any fish on
my hook. One thing sure" he went on
IS he walked out on the pier, IF fish
and Holsters and crabs can r-c-a-l-l-y
feel--well. l don't want mamma to ever
put EN- in boiling water alive again. SO
l don't"