The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1907-11-21
Tommy 7waddles' Thanksgiving.
BY EDWARD H. LEBENS.


| three gobblers of great size and fierce
demeanor entered. They stood in line,
erect, and with folded wings, until
CODY waved his Drowned arm toward
Tommy. Then they approached,
keeping step like soldiers. One jerk
e. Tommy out of the rocker, while
the others, as If drilled in their parts,
took position on either side of him.
They dug holes in his ears with their
sharp claws and passed stout lines
through them. One they gave to the
third gobbler, the other to CODY.
Tommy tried to call to his mother.
but the gobbler to his left clapped his
! wing over Tommy's mouth. And so
they dragged him from the house.
Tommy stumbled after his captors
directly to the large barn; his hopes
of rescue fading with each step.
When they reached this place CODY
gobbled three times again-not so
we'll this time, for the cold air seemed
to affect his throat-whereupon the
great doors opened magically.
An immense fire burned in the mid.
die of the barn, lighting up strange
scene. There were all sizes and col.
ors and forms and qualities of turk
eys.' Old beldams and young buds,
and gobblers who avoided the bel
dams and walked with the buds, COB
ping softly such tender things as
gobblers can. There were brakes who
walked more soberly than the fas.
cinating gobblers, holding their arms
for the ducks beside them, and show
ing plainly that they were invited
guests by the frequency with which
they cautioned numbers of ducklings,
their offspring, to politeness.
There were also geese, jealous of
the ducks, who, with their family of
1 goslings around them, looked in vain
for their truant ganders. These, hav-
ing found the corn bin, chose to par.
take freely of its contents with GER
tain specified ROSTERS of low birth,
with no characters to lose, who took
their corn like topers and crowed like
veterans, to the secret admiration of
the ganders.
There were guinea hens and cocks.
running here, there, and everywhere.
tending to the things like elderly
ladies at church fair.
All the hay had been thrown from
the loft. and was scattered in rows
along the floor, making comfortable
seats for those who wished to sit
down. Directly in front oflthe fire
divan was erected, over which was ar
tistically draped Mrs. Twaddles' best
parlor tablecloth. Here sat in state,
and in all the gorgeousness of his
plumage, a peacock. To his left. and
on slightly lower platform, sat his
wife, while" surrounding him was a
body guard of roosters arrayed in
their shining coats of red. They
strutted around haughtily and held
their heads very high, though, as a
matter of fact some of them we're of
stock just as plebeian as the speckled
ROSTERS in the'corn bin. There were
other ROSTERS here, some in pure
white. which shone like satin, and
some in black and white like ermine,
and they bowed and scraped to dow
ager hens and to their daughters,
long-legged, short-winged, bashful
creatures, who were henpecked for
their behavior, good or bad, by their
mothers upon the departure of the
roosters.
The whole arrangement reminded
Tommy very much of a chrome in
the parlor, under which, SO Mrs.
Twaddles had told him, was printed
King Ferdinand's Court"
AS Tommy, led by his captors, an.
preached the Peacock's divan. there
was general rush from all sides.
They all wanted to see him. They
cackled and screeched, and crowed
and gobbled, and clucked, and auack.
ed. and showed and pushed, and pulled
and tore. and elbowed in their efforts
to get point of vantage.
Hereupon small bantam rooster,
evidently cavalier, judging by his
heavy spurs, and acting as cavalier,
flew on the pitchfork handle, and in
shrill voice cried:
Ladies and gentlemen will please
take seats and refrain from disturbing
the quiet, by special command of King
Peacock"
Tommy decided the Peacock was
truly power when he saw how rap
: idly even the busybody guinea hens
took seats. The quiet of graveyard
reigned throughout the barn.