Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-06-21
round in his whirly-wheel and enjoy.
ing life generally. n.

ling life generally. -.
"As the winter days heightened into
spring, however. Frisk las they had
named their pet) grew more and more
sober, until by mid-Aprl he became
finisky as to his food, careless as to
his coat, and unresponsive to the boys
caresses. He spun round and round
in his wheel no more, but sat pensively
in his tin boudoir, punched up In the
corner soonest reached and latest left
by the bright spring sun as 1t shone
into the laundry window. Dich chang.
ed his food to more carrots and fire..
quent lettuce leaves, and David dosed
him with dog biscuits, and both Of
them were sincerely concerned for
their pet which kept getting more and
more detected, until the middle Of
May found the poor little creature SO
melancholy that David could stand 1t
TO longer.
I'm 'fraid," he confided to mother
in very shaky voice, that Friskies
awful sick: and Dick and l don't
know what to give him. You come
and look at him, mother. please do, and
tell us what's wrong and what to do
for him.
"Whereupon mother looked, saw and
agreed to prescribe remedy, IL you
boys are willing to try it,
cot course we are cried both in
breath; we'd do most anything for
our Friskie.'
Then give him his freedom said
Doctor Mother, for that's what he
wants He's mourning for the sky, the
sun, the trees, and the great outdoors
SO, deeply that, If you don't set him
free, fear he'll die on your hands"
Accordingly, after considerable
demur and some salty tears-for that
sort of cure came hard on pet-loving
Dick and Davy-the boys next day car
RED the tin squirrel-cage and it's oc-
cupant out to the middle of Jamaica
woods, where they set 1t down and
opened it's little door and then
"Out streaked Friskie-out and up a
tall gum tree, where he Immediately
began brisk, long distance game OF
hide-and-seek with the boys; who,
crouching among the anemones and
crone-bill, followed him with eyes that
kept winking hard and fast; laughing,
albeit with big, hard lump In the
throat, at their pet, mourning, no more
but entirely comforted and complete.
ly cured"
Blessed Are the Meek.
This morning shall tell you," said
Jack, "a story that was told me by a.
wise and very old, old crow. He said
it was legend, and 1t goes back to
the days when the kind father was
making the birds, whom he had al.
ready created joyous, soaring, and
songful, beautiful as we'll. Seated up
on a great tall, golden throne, with
scores of rainbow-dye-f1lled shells at
his right hand, he was painting the
different birds according to their taste
and fancy. Eagle, maybe, swan,
oriole, whip-poor-will, wren, robin, and
many, many more were finished and
lovely in their fresh new colors, and
The pigments in the shells were rapid
" giving out as the new birds remain
ing, all gray and sad and colorless,
pressed forward, hustling and jostling
each other In their eagerness; all but
the dove which, modestly making way
for one and another, third and
.ourth of its companion birds, was soon
left the last of the drab, sad-tinted
little band. ...... .....
"'Oh, my. poor, bonny Bird ex-
IuS hIAu dCAOl, pACyAA6
there's hardly any more satin left,
and red wings and a blue head would
nave gone so we'll with your size and
shape!' and he deity touched up her
wings and her tail feathers with sill
very gray, a bit of white, and an &C.
,asional streak of darker gray. AS he
vet the dove upon his left hand to re-
mark the general effect, her bright
eyes noticed that the paint
shells were not entirely emptied.
There's still some red left, Kind
Father she said timidly and quite a
bit of blue, as we'll as an atom Of gold
and remnant Of green. If you'd but
give me wee dab of what's left, some
where or other, on my sober gray
gown! am so fond of bit of bright
color, Kind Father
"Whereupon the Kind Father with
infinite care and patience took from the
the remaining scraps-tiny
fecks of red and dabs of green, blue,
purple, and gold-and blended them
together so skilfully that the doves
broad necklace makes her one of the
most beautiful Of birds. Throw her a
handful of corn, dearie, and see her
meekly approach and modestly and
daintily peck up her dinner; and note
how her smooth soft throat and breast
glow in brilliant rainbow colors as If
she wore jewels ..