Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-12
JEREMIAH JENKINS
HAS STRANGE VOYAGE

er he really wanted to or not.
If his friends said, Lets have a
game of hide and seek" jeremiah
would cry, mo, let's play tag" But
IL they cried Lets play tag" imme-
diately Jeremiah would insist that hide
and seek was the only game in the
whole world that was worth playing.
And il his mother said. put on your
rubbers, son." jeremiah would leave
them on the front porch and would
Splash Splash through every single puddle he
could find, and he wouldn't put them
on until some bright sunshiny day
when the roads were dry.
Now, having such disposition, Jere-
miah was naturally very popular, he
was so dependable, and his friends
found it was only necessary to suggest
doing exactly the opposite of what
they wanted. Once his mother left
him in charge of his Aunt Jane, who
bought him an express wagon. 1t was
a large wagon, painted a cheerful red,
and it ran delightfully."- on four iron
bound wheels. She presented this gift
to her nephew the very first thing in
the morning after the day she arrived.
jeremiah, of course, was delighted
at the sight, and clapped his hands
with joy.
Pleased with the boys pleasure. and
still having on her kind mood, the
aunt made a fatal mistake.
I'm so glad you like it." she said,
"Take good care of it, and don't use
it to go sailing in.
She just said that as joke, but
Jeremiah was not used to being talked
to in jokes. He did not wish to go
sailing in the express wagon, but hav-
ing been told he mustn't, he made up
his mind that he would.
So he took hold of the handle of the
express wagon and led it after him
down the path to the waters edge,
only stopping long enough to pick up
a sheet that was bleaching on the
grass. Then he proceeded to make
sail out of the sheet, and having set
it erect in the express wagon he
climbed in and pushed off from the
shore.
Now at first he sailed on smoothly.
The wind was fair and the sea calm,
and Jeremiah really began to enjoy
himself, but before long he left the
snug harbor behind him and struck
out into the open sea.
Then the express wagon tilted up,
and the express wagon tilted down, and
it rocked from side to side with sad,
choppy motion, and if you have ever
DePn 10 SGd iii GApitSS NdSOA yOu
will just know how jeremiah jenkins
felt. 1t was not at all comfortable
feeling, and it made him wish that
he had never come.
II guess I'll go home" he said. II
thing I've been out quite long enough"
But, alas, when he tried to make his
craft return it would not be persuad-
ed, but kept on and on out into the
open sea.
Then jeremiah began to get fright
ened, and he thought of all the naughty
things he had ever done IN his young
life, and it took him a good While. He
thought how he had worn rubbers IN
the dry weather, and none in the wet,
and how he had insisted on playing
tag when the other boys wanted to
play hide and seek, and how he had
done forty thousand other things. He
made up his mind that If he ever got
home again he would be so good that
none of his friends would recognize
him.
But still the boat kept on, and the
waves got SNOOPY and SWlrly ana
broke in soapy white foam around him,
but jeremiah did not feel in the mood
to admire it. ooh, dearl Oh, deari Oh,
dear!" he cried. 81 wish / was home"
AS he said the word three large fish
rose from the deep and looked with
big, reproachful eyes over the edge of
the express WdSCH'
"Oh, Jeremiahi" they said, "aren't
you ashamed OF yourself"
And he answered. "Oh, fish, If you'll
tell me how to get home, I'll be
ashamed of myself for weeks at
time"
what will you give us if we take
you back?' asked the fish,
MY express wagonw cried the boy.
'It wouldn't be any good to us"
said the fish; "but you have something
that we'd like. We have young
cousin. a jelly fish, who is the meek
est creature you ever saw; anybody
can do anything they like with him.
They even pinch him and he doesn't
care He simply hasn't any DISPOSE
tion at all, and If you will only give
him some of yours we might make
him sit up and have some self-respect."
"Oh, certainly" said jeremiah;
"take all my disposition; only take me
home first"
VERY WELL" said the fish, and two of
them took hold of the wheels of the