The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-01-01
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Those Ducks Eggs
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| snow with trick involving ducks
eggs and asked the porter at the hotel
where could procure some.
"a very worthy woman cells eggs
within a stones throw OF here. no
said. in the market place.
And so | went TO market to buy
some eggs. | found the worthy woman
who dispensed them and asked II they
were fresh.
Indeed they are she answered.
breaking one open TO prove her words.
1t was the rankest looking egg l
had ever seen, disgusting. sreenish
mass. Do you call that fresh" l
asked Indignantly.
There are no finer eggs In Manila
she retorted warmly. I've been al this
one stand for sixteen years. and you
are the first person who has ever Ques-
toned the eggs | sell. They are fine
eggs-good eggs And she turned
away from me. as il | wasn't worth
talking to.
And thought as | walked of that
IL | could lie with the perfect grace
born in that woman I'd be the finest
conjurer in the world.
THAT afternoon while was driving
with an English friend OF mine | re-
counted the circumstance TO him. He
laughed. My dear Harry said he,
you do not know one OF the great deli
cacies of Manila. There is no finer en-
tree served than one OF those semide-
cayed eggs. They are just two days
distant from the Matching stage. Then
they are perfect They are boiled
hard. chopped fine and served and
they're delicious. No one here thinks
Of nh .,nla~e.n,1
fresh eggs Why, I'll drive you now 10
where the eggs are prepared for mar
ket just TO prove the high esteem in
which these added affairs are held
here
He drove me along the river Pasig,
about three miles above where II emp
tied into Manila bay. and there for
mile or two on both banks Of the river
| saw scores OF natives lying on their
bellies. the sun beating down on their
backs.
Get up called my friend TO one OF
them. Up he jumped. and there lay
about two dozen duck eggs. These
fellows. said my friend as we drove
homeward. do nothing but lie in the
sun all day and bring these eggs up
close to the Matching point When
they're properly matured the eggs are
brought 10 market
THAT night | opened my perform
ance in the fonda theater. Immedi-
ately after the performance we began
to cover up my conjuring apparatus
with tarpau;ns. for every one now
said that the typhoon would be along
within the hour. and indeed hardly had
we got into the street when the roof Of
that theater was taken of as neatly as
If IL had been pared on. The last
saw OF IL IL was bound in the direction
OF Manila bay.
Luckily our hotel was only two
blocks away. and we made a dash for
IL through wind. rain and lightning.
But hardly had We got TO our rooms
when of went the roof OF the hotel TO
join that OF the theater. We stayed
awake all night. waiting for the hotel
10 be moved somewhere ont into the
adjacent country.
But the morning broke beautifully,
and felt so good that | determined 10
have my revenge on my fresh egg wo-
man. who had stood for sixteen years
in the market place. So | E.-de some
little preparations and again went TO
market to buy eggs
FRESH queried. picking an egg
from her basket.
she eyed me disdainfully for a sec
ond and then said coldly. / told you
yesterday I sold none but fresh eggs.
"'Will you kindly open this for me-
] asked. passing the egg To her.
she broke IL open. and out tumbled
the healthiest and most surprised
duckling you ever saw.
The woman's face was a study.
That is the first time in all my life
that any of my eggs were not good,
she gasped.
Try this one said suavely. pick
ing another egg from the basket.
'She broke IL open. and out toddled
another downy duckling. Then her
face grew crimson. She hadn't breath
to speak.
Take this said. and she broke
that. only TO find duck No. 3.
Then / pretended to grow angry
and called her a cheat, at the same
time picking up three more eggs and
smashing them together. Three more
ducks Joined their companions and
went quackiDg around that basket Of
eggs in all the self consciousness of
Just being born.
The woman found her tongue now |
and began to shout at the top OF her
voice. calling me devil 'sorcerer' and |
other names OF Ike nature.
In a minute an angry crowd was
around us. The woman was well |
known in the neighbcrhood. and her |
story gained ready credence. Two |
hands were placed on my shoulders /
and was told | was under arrest, and |
Just then an inspiration struck me. ]
saw one OF my Autographs hung up In |
stall opposite. | pointed to II and |
then to my face. and the crowd under |
stood I'd run completely out OF ducks |
by that time. but ! did half dozen
sleight OF hand tricks for the crowds
edification and was followed TO my no
tel by a cheering mob at my heels.
but | could never make up my |
mind to eat that entree OF almost
Matched duck. The sight of the fresh
egg that market woman broke for me
on my first day in Manila was enough l
for me. "-Philadelphia Press.
Changing Australian Speech.