The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-01-26
cnAprER X.
Now Riddle Me TIL


The children were sitting in the
swing. Florence Hammer, q little
girl whose mother was spending the
day at Miss Minerva's, was with
them.
Don't you-all wish Santa Claus had
his birthday right now stead o wait
ing till Christmas to hang up our
stockings!" asked Frances.
"Christmas isn't Santa Claus birth
day." corrected Lima. God was born
on Christmas and that's the reason
we hang up our stockings"
eyes; it's old Santa's birthday,
TOO" argued Jimmy, cause it's in
the Bible and Miss Cecilia 'splained
it to me and she bout the dandiest
'splainer they Is"
(Which you'all like the best: God or
Doctor Sanford or Santa Claus"
asked Florence.
Il like God mother sight better'n I
do anybody" declared Jimmy, cause
He SO forgivingsome He's bout the
forgivingest peraon they is. Santa
Claus can't let you go to Heaven mol.
Doctor Sanford neither, nor our papas
and mamas nor Miss Minerva. Now
wouldn't we be in a pretty fix If we
had to pend on Doctor Sanford or
Santa Claus to forgive you every time
you run off or fall down and bust your
brooches. Nav; gimme God ev'y
time"
Il like Santa Claus the BEST" de-
clared Frances, "'cause he isn't f'r-
ever getting in your way, and Hasn't
any castor oil like Doctor Sanford,
and you don't f'rever have to be tell
ing him you're sorry you did what you
did, and he hasn't all time got one
eye on you either, like God, and got
to follow you round And Santa Claus
don't all time say, 'Shet your eyes
and open your mouth like Doctor
Sanford, and poke out your tongue.
Il like Doctor Sanford the BEST"
said Florence, cause he's my uncle,
and God and Santa Claus amt kin
to me-"
"And the Bible says, Love your
kin-folks,' Miss Cecilia 'splained"
Il use to like my Uncle Doc heap
better'n what do now" went on the
little girl. needless Of Jimmys inter
ruption, till went with daddy to his
Office one day. And what you reckon
that mans got in his Office? He is
got dead man 'thout no meat nor
clo'es on, nothing tall but just his
bones"
WAS he a hant?" asked Billy. II
like the Major best-he's got meat
on"
NAV; he didn't have no sheet on
Just bones" was the reply.
mo sheet on; no meat on!" CHR
ruped Billy, glad of the rhyme.
WAS he angel, Florenoe?" ques-
toned Frances.
Nav; he didn't have no harp and
no wings neither"
ut must have been a skeleton, >
explained Lima.
"And Uncle Doc just keep that
poor man there and won't let him 60
to Heaven where dead folks b1ongs."
Il spec he wasn't good man fore
he died and got to go to the Bad
place" suggested Frances.
5'I'll betcher he never asked God
to forgive him when he sceived his
papa and sassed his mama, this
from Jimmy,-"and Doctor Sanford's
just a-keeping old Satan from getting
him to toast on a pitehfork."
T hope they'll have a Christmas
tree at Sunday-School next Christ,
mas" said Frances, barking back,
"and / hope I'll get a heap o. things
like / did last Christmas. Poor little
Tommy Knott he's so skeered he
wasn't going to get nothing at all on
the tree so he got him a great, big,
red apple an he wrote on a piece o.
paper From Tommy Knott to Tommy
Knott and tied it to the apple and
put it on the tree for hi'self."
Lets ask riddles" suggested Lima
"All right" shouted Frances, 'I'm
going to ask the first"
Nav; you amt neither" objected
Jimmy. You all time got to ask the
first riddle. I'm going to ask the first
one
Round as a biscuit. busy as bee
Prettiest little thing you ever die
see?'-- "A watch
/" 'Humpty Dumpty set on q wall,
Humpty Dumpty had great fall,
All the kings horses and all tn,
kings men.
Can't put Humpty Dumpty bach
again "A egg.
Round as ring. deep as q cup.
All the kings horses can't pull Il
up "A we'll
House full, yard full, can't ketch-'
Hush, JIMMY" cried Lima. in dis
gust You don't know how to asl
riddles. You must mt give the an
swers, too. Ask one riddle at a tim,
and let some one else answer it:
AS / was going through field O
wheat
] picked up something good to eat,
Twas neither fish nor flesh no
bone,