Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-23
The Tail Of LenueL.
By E. G. WEBB.

By E. G. WEBB.
Once there was pig, and his name was
Lenuel, and he lived in pen with seven
brothers and four sisters. They were all
white with black spots. except Lemuel, and
he was black; and they all had curly tails
except Lemuel, and his tail was just as
straight as a string.
Mrs. Mullins-that was Lemuel's mother
was very proud of her family and she kept
then all nice and tidy. Every morning she
scrubbed each piglet. with soap and a scrub
bling brush, and tied blue satin ribbon on
each of their tails so that they were BEAU
tiful to behold. But Lenuefs tail wouldn't
curl and this made him very sad and sor-
rowful; and while his brothers and sisters
gayly played tag all over the pen, Lemuel
sat in a corner and thought and thought.
Whatever shall I do to make my tail
curl?" And at last when he had thought
for two weeks and seven days-that made
it almost three weeks-he had an idea. II
will co." said he, into the wide and ex-
pansive world; and when I have found
something to make my tail curl, then I will
come home again.
So one morning when Mrs Mullins was
busy scrubbing his fourth brother, and his
fourth brother was squealing loudly be-
cause some of the soap had gotten into his
eye ~Lemuel scrambled hastily off just as
hard as he could till the squeals of his
fourth brother grew faint in the distance,
and then he stopped to take breath and to
look about him.
And there. right before him. what do you
suppose he saw? row of pink sweet peas.
with every one of their little green tendrils
curled in most beautiful curls! Lemuel
was so happy he just squeaied. And then
he walked up to the sweet peas and said,
with his best dancing school bow, "Will you
please tell me, you pretty, pink sweet peas,
how you get lovely curls?"
Then he waited. but the sweet peas never
answered a word: SO he said again little
louder. 'Will you please tell me. You pretty,
pink, sweet peas, how you get your beauti-
full curis?'
But the sweet peas only smiled and shook
their heads in the breeze. Lemuel shifted
Il think you are not bit polite" he said
with dignity.
Still the sweet peas wouldn't answer. and
just kept on smiling in very teasing man
ner. Then Lemuel lost his temper, and he
cried: II think you are just horrld' cross
old things. and I'm going to bite YOU" And
he did-and then he wished he hadn't, for
the gardener who was watering the flowers
near by saw Lemuel bite the sweet peas,
and he turned the hose on Lemuel till the
little pig was so wet that he looked as If
he were made of patent leather. He was
black pig. you remember. and the water
made him look all shiny.
Lemuefs mother had washed MIN once
washed all over again. SO he scampered on
down the path just as hard as he could.
He ran so fast that he didn't look where he
was going and the first thing ne Knew ne
ming up the path so fast she DIDN'T look
where she was going.
The little girl was very much astonished,
and Lemuel was very much astonished but
he remembered his manners and said, with
his best dancing school bow, "EXcuse-me-
I am SO sorry-I-didn't-see-y He
had to talk like that because he was all out
of breath.
And the little girl said. "Excuse-me-I
am-so sorry-I didn't-see you" She was
all out of breath. too.
Then Lemuel looked at her. and he saw
that her hair was just as straight as a
string "Aha!' he said, you poor little
girl, haven't you curls. either?'
"Curls!' cried the little girl. with scorn.
Don't talk to me about curls! Horrid
things! Nurse says there is nothing that
she likes better than making curls, and she
will do up my hair in curl papers every
night. and it's just like sleeping on five
horse chestnuts. That's why I'm running
away into the wide and expansive
Then the little girl looked back the way
she had come, and she cried "Oh, dear! Oh,
deari There's nurse now! and she started
to run away again.
"Stop!' cried Lemuel. IT have an idea"
So the little girl stopped, and they stood
together watching the nurse come up the
path She was large nurse, SO she
couldn't run very fast after the little girl
and she had comb and brush in one hand
and lot Of curl papers In the other. When
she was close Lemuel slipped forward and
said ooh. nurse. understand that there Is
nothing you like better than making curls.
Now just love curls and this little girl
lust hates them. Won't you curl my tall
Instead of her hair?" and he smiled in
winning manner.
The nurse thought for five minutes and
three-quarters. and all that time LemuePs
heart went thump. thump. thump ever so
fast, he was SO afraid she would say no.
At last the nurse said, very, very slowly,
"Y-e-s" and Lemuel and the little girl took
hold of hands and jumped up and down for
joy.
nurse.
'tOh, thank you." said .emueI, and he
was so happy he could scarcely keep still
while the nurse did up his tail.
NOW said the nurse. when she had
finished. tell your mother to brush your
tail over q stick every morning, and every
evening you come to my house and will
do up your curls for you. and then this lit
tie girl won't have to have hers done ever
any more
So Lemuel said thank you' and good
bye to the nurse. and Lemuel said Good
bye" to the little girl. and all ne way homo
he walked with his head over his shoulder
looking at his tail because he was so proud
and happy. And the nurse was happy, and
the little girl was happy, and Lemuel's
brothers and four sisters were happy-and
they were all happy!
r. The Sand Man.
BY JACK RAE