Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-11-12

apples: This is good place to hnd
bugs and worms, friends" and many
a little worm as he looked out to see
how the weather was, was nabbed by
Mr.. and Mrs. Rooster; but there were
plenty left. As the days grew cold
er, all the crickets. katydids, beetles.
etc. in that part of the orchard crawl
ed in among the apDles out OF the
wind, thinking. no doubt, that they
had found snug winter quarters.
. One day / heard noise and look
ing out, saw big machine drawn up
near the apple pile. Farmer Brown
and Pat were there, and it seemed to
me that Pat looked more serious than
Brown, you turn the crank and III
said Pat, Strengthening up, 81 want to
give me opinion. little as it may be
worth to ye. Misther Brown, ye
moight better feed this. truck to the
pigs and cows for all the good'll
come of this nasty cider. They do
be sayin' these poor apples are all
covered with fcrmints or microbes or
some such live thing that sets the
cider to workin' and puts the mischief
in whoever drinks it." Microbes.
fermints." said Farmer Brown snecr-
ingly, "who told you such nonsense|
Twas Father MCGOWAN himself.
SIR" said Pat, "and he towld me not
to drink it, nather will L., Then the
noise Of the mill drowned their voices
and the pile grew slowly less, dirt.
worms, beetles. bugs. rotten apples
and all going in together. The grass
hoppers tried hard to hop away. but
Farmer Brown was in such hurry
he couldn't wait. and many poor
little worm barely had time to say:
Good bye. mother" when in he
went, and crunch. crunch went the
mill. and when they came out they
were just juice, you couldn't tell
worm from an apple. Barrel after
barrel was filed and drawn away TO
market or stored in the cellar. Alter
awhile I noticed little cider nil
running down the hill and collecting
in a hollow near where. ! Law, and !
must confess ] was very curious to
know what it tasted like. After the
sun had shone on il awhile ! noticed
that Il began to look foamy and bub-
bly,.
When next Farmer Browns poul-
try came for their morning meal at
the apple pile they found it gone.
Picking around. they soon came to
the little cider pool. and one after
another took a sip Of il and ono after
another backed off shading their
heads disapprovingly. except one lon"
geared young Gander, who. big-boy-
like, no doubt thought he could drink
what he wanted. Well. he did. he
drank again and again: nodding his
head and gabbling to the rest, no
doubt telling them how good 1t was,
but the others all stood in row
waiting to see how il affected him.
and one old goose that ! took to be
his mother. came up close and said:
Dear Candy, please don't drink any
more of that nasty stuff. I'm afraid
it will make you sick" "Oh. shut
your mouth, old woman" said dear
Candy, 81 guess I'm running this
puddle. Go sit on your eggs and
don't NEEDLE with me. I'm young
American gander, III let you know.
I'm not tied to your tail-fcathers
either" But now young Candy. be-
gan to act strangely. he stretched his
neck, tapped his wings. quacked and
hisscd. He challenged the rest to
fight, he even tried to fly. but failing
in this, pranced around on one foot.
then fell over on his back and lay
there kicking. 1t so happened that
Farmer Brown and Pat had been ST.
lent witnesses to young Gandy's per-
formanccs. my landy." said the
farmer. did YOU ever see a two-leg-
gcd crittcr act as foolish as that?'
"Since yc ask me-" said Pat. I'm in
xt,,N,, 80 ali st.f