Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-01

Aie p.aee.
! Ny ancestor came out. There was 3
bright sun shining. but the land was
bleak, and there was cutting wind.
Who. demanded my ancestor. had
the double-dashed gall to call me out OF
bed at this time of the year,
"A hoarse laugh answered him. High
on a treetop was one of those cussed
| magpies.
Look at yourself shouted the mag
pie, look at yourself
My ancestor looked around, but, nat
uraliy, could not see himself. Then.
craninS his head over his shoulder, he
happened to get a good. look at his
silhouette. II was horrible, horrible be-
yond expression. Patches of dirt and
straw chung to him and made huge
bumps and knobs In his contour His
whiskers dropped, his ears looked loppy
For q moment my ancestor stood
paralyzed. and then with rush he
Owed back into his hole again And
nobody could convince him that the
shadow he saw was himself"
But why the ensuing six weeks of
cold weather. inquired the Observer.
The elderly ground hog lowered his
voice solemnly.
That" said he, was him He shivered
and shook and shook and shivered every
time he thought of that shadow until
he got the other ground hogs to doing
1t, and the cold chills that emanated
from all of them froze up the world for
six more weeks
The ground hog paused and bit nut
tentatively.
And thus has tradition come to us"
he concluded. IF We see our shadows
the old fright comes back to US. But
If 1t is cloudy We don't see ourselves
and We stay OUT
This seems to be infallible," said the
Observer
ut is infallible,'' replied the ground
hog.
Then why do you protest so bitterly
against the weather bureau?'
Why?" growled the ground hog. Sim
ply because it is destroying art
How so?'
Does a weather bureau have to wake
up? Does it look at its shadow? No.
1t employs a lot of things called men
and kiosks. both with granite tops go
they tell me, and they figure things out
on charts and little tubes filed with
funny looking stuff There's no art in
that. It's as bad as old Bill Beaver build
ing his winter dam"
But said the Observer. gently, they
say 1t Is necessary for them to supple
ment YOU
''How's that?" said the ground hog
sharply
They say repeated the Observer,
that sometimes you go wrong in your
calculations"
hogs face. Furtively he gnawed his toe
nails with his stumpy front teeth.
We do make mistakes he said slow
ly. Then eagerly: But can prove we're
right most of the time
Then you're not infallibIe?'
The ground hog turned petulantly and
started toward his hole.
We've got to keep up with the weather
bureau They say they're infallible, don't
they2 he snapped.
just as he reached his hole he turned.
Don't forget" he called back. ito men
ton that my ancestor was the one who
invented ground hog day-one of the old
est families Of ground hogs-collaterally
descended from the famous ground hog
woodchucks Of Madagascar
II won't forget" shouted the Observer,
and the ground hog disappeared.
Now during the latter part of this con-
versation the Observer noticed, some dis
lance away, a thin-faced ground hog
which had the most disconsolate appear
ance OF any ground hog he had ever
seen. The ground hog was seated di-
rectly in front of his hole, which was
quite clear of the wooden fence His
head was hunched between his front
paws and as the Observer drew near he
could hear the little animal sobbing.
Il know I'll miss it. "moaned the
ground hog. waggling his head between
his paws. I'll be sure to miss it,
Miss what?' asked the Observer,
drawing opposite.
'O-o-o-o-o-h!'' yelped the ground hog.
and would have fed into his hole had not
the Observer extended handful OF
shelled almonds.
Miss what?'' repeated the Observer.
Ground hog day." replied the ground
hog. relapsing into melancholy.
1t Is not wise to intrude on grief. The
Observer waited until the ground hog
should see Z: to speak.
II am three years DID, wept the
three years l have missed out. I have
the reputation now of being the worst
prophet In the whole community
He looked up.
What do you want" he asked, sus-
piciously.
The story of your nisfortunes.'' re-
piled the Observer.
And so. shaking his head and shifting
at intervals, tae sad-faced ground hog
told his tale
"on my first year. he said. Il made
elaborate preparations for the ritual.
When I went to sleep in early winter /
had my bed fixed SO that l would hear
the tap-tapping of the magpies when the
time came to wake up
DO the magpies awaken YOU
That's the trouble said the ground
hog they are supposed to. but they
, don't. l waited for my call February ..
supposed. Of course. that some one
, would call me. but nobody did. Time
went on and the day darkened into night
woke up after shutdown and. of course,
didn't see my shadow. And that very
Black Stripes, our Official head prophet
! he laughed until thought he'd die
THE second year ] resolved to see that
! awakened and SO l got Bushy Tall. my
brother, to call me. Just my luck! got
out at high noon. Any fool could have
| seen there was a sun. but what good did
that do me? 1t being high noon couldn t
| find a shadow of myself to save my
soul.
so l went back again and reported
! that the weather was going to be warm.
And II froze up that night.
! Things went along all right until the
| third year and by this time l was getting
! talked about. Old Black Stripes told me
unless 1 did better he'd make me move
over on the other side Of the hill.
This time l awoke early in the morn
| ing and went outside. II was a beautiful.
| bright, sunshiny morning and could sec
| my shadow as plain as tree. l felt my
! old horYOr-cnillS coming over mo and