The Democratic advocate., 1909-12-24
THE MAGIC HAND.

taken him Oh Two OccdSlOuS, DuC ne mad
never been to the Bronx Geological
Gardens, and the very next day after
his arrival he went up by himself.
when Harry, who had made the
ionreny by the hot subway, reached the
bronx he felt so warm that he step
nod into a candy store to get a glass
IF soda water. On the way out he was
c+onned by a tramp, who said, "Say.
how. can't yer give me nickel /? Me
throat's near splittin' from dryness."
Harry felt in his pocket I'm aw-
fullv SORRY" said he, pleasantly, "but
lust spent all my spending money
IN a glass of soda. If you'd come
along sooner you might have had the
soda"
soda waters bad for me lungs"
said the man with whimsical smile
well, how is it up in the country ?''
How did you know 1 was from the
country ?' asked Harry in surprise.
We'll, because you didn't give me
no impudence, for one thing, an
we'll. you never got that tan in the
city"
Although tramp, the man seemed
pleasant spoken sort of a man. Harry
walked along with him and they en-
tered the park together, although an
attendant looked at the man rather
closely.
It was not long before Harry had
told his companion all about himself.
The fellow seemed much interested
in the account of his having made a
tiger as small as kitten and said
"Say, wouldn't it be great to make an
elephant as small as a bull pup or
make a gee-raffe so small it could eat
out of your hand ? Come on up to
the bears cage and get busy with the
bears"
NO" said Harry, "I don't care to
use my power in here, because it
might make trouble. You see, the
tiger had escaped, and 1 made him
small so that they could catch him
without danger, but those animals are
all safe and it would bother the keep
ers if 1 made them small"
Harry and the tramp made their way
TO the monkey house. Here, after
watching the little monkeys for
in which were chimpanZee and red
haired orang-outang with the most
laughable face imaginable. He would
sit on his trapeze and look down at
his under lip, for all the world like a
bashful boy about to speak a piece.
"Oh, say, just make him little, will
yer ?" asked the tramp. "I like to
see what the chimp'd say when he
found a baby monk there"
No. said Harry, ''It might make
trouble"
Say" said the tramp with an in
iured expression, "ain't we frien's any
more I'd do as much for you.
let YOU off from loanin' me a nickel,
and l gave yer me company up here,
an now wen l ask yer to help me to
a little fun by turnin' out small
orang-outang you're afraid of maxim
trouble. We're all alone here now.
Just get him down here to the front
of the cage and make him as small as
an organ grinders monk
Harry WaVered, and was lost. He
thought that if he made the orang-
outang small for a minute or two no
harm could come to him, as the CHM
panzee seemed peaceable animal, so
stepping quickly over to the cage he
put his right hand in through the bars,
and the orang-outang was there IN
moment, thinking he had something
good to eat
AS son as Harry touched his red
hair he wished him small, and that
moment the orang-outang became
small enough to go into coat pocket.
At this the chimpanzee made spring
for the orang-outang and chased hlm
I'D and down and around the cage,
but always the little fellow kept out
of reach of the chimpanzee and never
a noise did either one make.
The tramp stood close to the cage
as if he were expecting the escape OF
the orang-outang. Never having got
ten out of the cage by way of the bars,
the monkey did not realize that ne
could do it until, being hard pressed
by the chimpanzee, he ran between
the bars, and the next moment the
tramp had him and was out OF the
monkey house like flash.
In a second Harry realized what mad
happened. Now he knew why the
tramp had been so insistent. He had
much more than nickel now; he had
an orang-outang good for $lOO any
where.
Stop thief !" cried Harry, who ran
after the tramp.
What's the matter % asked work
man.
That fellows stolen the big orang-
outang," said Harry as he ran.
That's not true. The orang-
outang's nearly as large as he is.
Its small now Hurry Get him!
The man ran, closely followed by
dozens of idlers until at least one
hundred were in hot persult OF the
tramp.
He was a very fast runner and ne
would surely have escaped with his
prize if a quick witted workman VINO
was raking leaves had not thrown MS
rake in such a way that it trlped up
the tramp. He fell heavily and be-
fore he could get up Harry was upon
him.
AS fast as he could think he laid MS
right hand on the tramp's right shoul-
der and wished him small; and tnen,
his sense of fun helping him, ne lalo
his left hand on the Orang-outang, anu
wished him natural size again.
And then the orang-outang, quick at
copying, pickedup the little tramp VINO
was not more than eighteen inches
high, and darted up into a tall elm, go
ing to the extreme end of it and SIT
ting there dangling the poor tramp
By the ankle.
Now" thought Harry, IF he drops
him and kills him it will be my fault;
Oh, wish 1 hadn't minded the ola
tramp"
But the orang-outang had no inten-
ton of dropping the man. he took