St. Tammany farmer., 1913-07-19
THE FISH, THE WATERMELON
AND THE MONKEY.

THE FISH, THE WATERMELON
AND THE MONKEY.
Should Munahausen or even scion
of that noted club, presided over by
that potentate of fabrications, Anani-
as, be credited with the following
narration little wonder would accrue
therefrom. Be it as ii. may, the fol-
lowing incident vouched for by its
Inarrators, through no emanations OF
distorted or disordered occipital OF
cerebellum. l give it thee, as given
me, by all the Oaths that make the
depths of truth reverberate with its
realism. I'm premis'' the ..dramatis
personae" were Mr. and Mrs. a lady
companion and little three yeRr-old
tot of Mr.. L. Sunday afternoon be-
ing warm and sultry a stroll in the
forest was suggested by one of the
party. No sooner projected than
We're their plans put In progress and
they jointly concluded to stroll en-
that belt OF forest bordering the wat
ers of the placid Abita in the neigh
borhood of Sulphur Springs. known
/ to all for its rolling anc almost pri-
meval beauty. OFF started The party
on that sunny Sunday afternoon ana
! they did not fail to look to the re-
| freshment part of the program, for
they had secured luscio. S water
melon, and provi I'm, themselves with
ample fishing paraphernali,, as the
Wa:els offer .ex>e 'sEt spot, They
set OUT with light hearts and untan-
ned faces. Mr.. T. bp.as familiar with
the lay OF the land SLATED 2 short
gut TO a place cf vantage beneath
the shadoWy depths Of the sylvan
Ldells.. Once arrived at most in
yitipg spot hasty preparations were
made for . pleasant afternoon amid
the lfchens and velvety grass. The
sport began and ere long the nimbie
rod had landed a Eood!y string OF
fish and during the piscatorial sport
that portion of the watermelon re-
naming after the feast was snugly |
placed in . cool retired spot In the |
fork of a near by tree safe from in
sects and prowling beasts and birds. I
Now came the ''si.sta" su ec' starry
after tucking 2 quantity OF water
melon beneath ones girth, Tho lit +
tie group now lnztl5 betoOk them
selves to securing comfortable posi-
tions and chatted volubly expa.ial-
Ing upon the beauties Of nature and
drifting into that sweet
semi-unconscious threshold OF Nor
pheus. so akin to sleep. The fish
neatly gilled upon wisp of grass
we're slaked in the oozing waters O.
a flowing spring at the base of the
tree, where the melon was safely
cached" Refreshed by forty winks
in that SYLVAN paradise, the party of
amateur foresters were now of one
consent astir, and Mrs. l.. In her dain- I
" gown and slippered feet betOok he
self in quest Of the hidden melon an6
scached,' fish. She was not long gene
ete her form soon reappeared through
the open brush, her voice ringing
n high SC" gasping: mon-monk-
The little group in &
twinkling was In q state OF ferment !
Tot grasped her papa's coat and 'buri-
ID her face in its folds. Miss MS
hands went At once to her mouth ]
and her nailless fingers today explain
Ter GOODNESS under fire." The he I
-oine T., bIanched to ghostlike ap-
partition, reached the startled grouI G
md sprang continuously into the air 9
Ter eyes fairly starting from their t
Iockets, screaming 'mOA-monk-mon
1ey." '.Pater familias" was bewilG- G
red at this sudden change Of scene
nd only calculated. where? where? b
Nhere?" A hasty but martial par q
ey ensued among the SYLVAN sojourn
RS, now suddenly converted into. Q
hostile phalanx. and the foreman, Mr.. j
-, armed with bludgeon, SO recently
sturdy. sapling, headed the column t
f attack Mrs. L. grasped her hus- Q
,and's coat tails, which she had b
visited into rpes. Miss NJ, in turn.
aught Mrs. L. by the '.lax pagnier"
f her skirt, while poor wee-wee
Cot" the blue-eyed three-year-old
Nond, hung nervously to Miss Ms. b
ash streamsfs Yhe line of march t
vas taken up. The order forward v
1as given by "pater," as far down I
is throat as he could manage to I"
end his voice. Through brush and Il
riars they VENTILATED for breath. =
I'd | say? | mean to swallow that b
imp that would uabidden rise in the n
hroat. At last they reached the field
( carnage, to ''reeonnoitre" for . :.
oint of vantage. They are upon the
aemy Sitting at the pool beneath =
IL IOOlS VI tAO I1CS WoS
lr. Simian, chatte:;ny reaching in
he shoal pool and daintily drawing
herefrem each serarate finny prize.
$ he stroked their shiny sides with
is nimble paws, oe ,asionally putting
ne of his lank fingers to his lips E,
,hich he Tapped lovingly with his 81
ongue. Then reaching down he o
5ould scratch his ribs, and chuckle :.
t the sport he was having. But y
las! presto! the scene changed. Mr.
[onk espied the battle array and ft
uicker than l tell it, he clamherei n
p the tree, and soon has his black r.
avs thrust deep into the melon, de- bI
curing the luscious and dripping m
its. Charge" echoed from the Mr..
u.s. lips. In = jiffy "Jocko" was A
kimming from tree to tree like a,
ird entangled in q green maze. He pl
as heading for the Bogue Falaya in Il
is aerial fight, and soon he reached F
he stream and plunged in. Pursuit
as vain, for as the quickly mustered
rmy gathered on the banks of the
tream "Jocko" had reached small
'let, in midstream, and jeered back
t his pursuers with his staccato "cak b,
ak-cak-caaa.' Outwitted, outgener- tr
led by Mr. Monk, an indignation fo
leeting was held to determine what a
purse to pursue Defeated in their
ssault upon his simianship, nothing
as left save to gather up the frag- Ief
tents of fish and bemOan the fate CT
, their melon, which naturally left in
lie woodland party in a melancholy be-
ate of mind. Repulsed. disappoint- ht
i L. T.. 4. ~