Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-14


ner deserves it according to all the
judges of the contest
RIGA AND THE BUTTERFLY.
1t was "ittle noon," as the boys and
girls at Potato Valley called "recess."
Old Hanus, the Pennsylvania Dutch
schoolmaster was sitting under big
walnut tree with the children playing
about him. Sauffy Stauffer shouted,
Deere cooms butterfly. I catch him."
| He grabbed his hat from his head and
started to run.
Hold on once Stuffy. Coon pack!
Und will tell you all story Dot put
terf1y moost hat his little noon" joost
SO veil as you poys und girls"
Stuffy came back, for there was
nothing the boys and girls loved as
much as one of the old schoolmaster's
stories, excepting the old schoolmaster
himself
Deere was once a leetle girl dot was
great hand at baintin' pictures, al
ready. She hat baint box what her
pappy gave her for Christmas, und
brushes, und baper, und leetle tum-
bier to hold water in, und lead pencils
to draw init, und India rubber for to
rub out vat she drawed, ven it did not
look vot she drawed, still. She drew
de cats, und de dogs, und de geeses,
und de pump, und de leetle birdts,
ioost like dem, SO goot as neffer was.
She dit dot pump so well dot water
was runnin' out de spout, und her
leetle brudder got hit on de head nit
he handle. Ply geeminycrooks but dot
hittin' on de head nit de pump handle
does hurt some. | hat been hit nit
dem pump handles when l was a poy,
yet.
i Zone bright day in de spring ven de
posies was bloomin', und de sun was
coaMn' eberyting to grow, und de
} birdts to sing, und de bees to go after
! honey, und was maxim shadows under
de trees for de lambs to play in, dat
, leetle girl-Riga was her name-Riga
went de house out to baint something's.
; She saw sooch a great lot uf pretty
tings dot she couldn't choosin, so she
painted notings. After while she
COON to meadow down, und dere
she saw a beautiful butterfly flynn de
flowers among Riga said to herself,
4 will take my hat, und catch him, und
baint him, once!'"
"Baint him? Vat she want to baint
, him for? All the butterflies is poorly
, 'nough mitout baintin' dem, STILL" ask
ed Stuffey Stauffer, with perfectly
, straight face Christopher Stauffer--
r Chris-Stuffy, as he was called-was
' the brightest boy in the school, and as
, full of mischief as he could be. He
enjoyed the fun Of catching the old
master when he got his speech mixed
up, as he sometimes did
"Stuffy Stauffer. you make nuts,
n ance nit askin' dem Questions
: answered Hanus, good-humoredly
:. knowing very well that Stuffy was not
:, in earnest. "You are making mischief
4 Friga,' Hanus asked one Of the little
;. girls setting on his knee, what was
: Riga goin' to baint, once?"
d "Vy, Riga was goin' to baint dot put
d terfly on de paper vot she hat in hel
n handt"
e Deere, Stuffy Stauffer, don't I tolt
u you so, already, joost so plain as dc
: nose on my face. Dot leetlest girl ii
4 de school fersteh (understands) me
: ioost so goot as neefer was, all de time
already. Tomorrow morning. ven YOU
s. come to school, I guess | will put you
= to sit on de girls side, und let leetlt
d Friga teach you how to versteh goo
IL English"
The whole party laughed at Stuffy
and one of the big girls crossed he
forefngers at him. Stuffy looked
d ashamed. He kept quiet until tn
story was finished.
i Hanus, after all were doLe laughin!
and looking at Stuffy, went on wit
II his story
"Now den. let me see, we're was
! Oh, yes. Riga said to herself, once
Fl 4 will take my hat und catch dot put
terfly, und baint him, but | don's hur
n him. She took her hat her headt of
und she slip up behind dot putterfl
IS where he sittin' under dot hat. De
she reach under. carefully, und sh
IS catch him by de legs. Den sh
laughed. und saidt: .Joost keep quie
butterfly. Stop fiappin' nit YOU
! wings. und kicllin' nit your feet.
won't hurt YOU
= Den de butterfly, when he hearC
her speak dem kind wordts, he sale
a. sBlease. madschen (maiden let m
go. | was shut up in my silk cocoo
~ all winter, ind I joost come out d1
=, mornin', und l was dot hungry dot
: spreadt my wings &und driedt dem
~ de sunshine, und as soon as dey wa
in dry. I tried dem, und I got rit uf del
1t, cramps wot was in dem from bein
y. foldedt up so long in dot cocoon; de
or | started right away, quick, once,
1.1 get something's to eat from dem flower
M I hat not done my breakfast "
re awhile. Blease let me go.
ou Riga, she hadt goot heart. ST
was kind und goot to eberyting. b
dot putterfy's wings was so pooty, s
a. yellow nit goldt, SO green NIT spo
like in de tails uf dem peacocks, $
10 striped NIT colors, dot Riga want
bnint hin, hadt So she Saidt Il vi