The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-11

night--thin belave me, it'll be warts like thim yell be gittin' on yur back, begorrai'
 "Whew. Whe&-you!' gasped lit tie Donald, entirely oblivious of every word Nurse had just uttered "Geel From bitin' his finger-nails. Um-um -umhhi"
 And, for long while he stood star ing in at the ugly Wart Hog and vow ing that never again, so long as he lived, would he bit off so much as a "hang-nail," much less a healthy one. He was simply fascinated by the hid eous animal before him.
 So might you have been, too. had you been there. Take your Natural History. or get down Papa's big En- cyclopedia and turn to the picture of the Wart Hog. Then you can see for yourself--better than anyone can de- scribe him to you--what an ugly, ter particular those bideous warts he has one on each side of his face! II makes you shiver all over, doesn't 1t?
 So Donald stood by the cage, gag ing in and literally devouring every feature of the monstrous beast. And he thought and thought and - and presently he heard familiar voice right beside him exclaim:
 "Yes, he certainly is ugly, isn't he, Donald?"
 "Oh," cried Donald, delightedly "Oh, MT. Old Man of the Woods I'm so glad you've come. I haven't seen you for a long. long time and-say, is it true that the Wart Hog got his warts from bitin' his flnger-nails? Nurse says sol"
 The Old Man of the Woods laughed uproariousy.
 "Of course not, you silly boyl" he replied. Why. Donald, I'm surprised at you--how could that be when, as you can see for yourself, the Wart Hog hasn't any finger-nails to bite?"
 "Oh!" gasped Donald. And again, "Oh!" He was a very crestfallen youngster, as you can we'll imagine. And his queer little friend who had bobbed up out of nowhere right by his side continued to regard him quiz xicalIy. chuckling all the while in high glee.
 Now this old Man of the Woods Wdb a luIiny littlC AonOW lHuCCQ. <>b bigger than a minute--so you know how small he must have been-he had a comical little bald head that glistened like a highly polished bill Hard ball.
 Sticking straight up above each ear was a horn; his face was old and wrinkled and tanned to the color of very old weather-beaten leather. But his eyes were merry and twinkling and roguish. His tiny legs. no larger than match sticks were covered with little trousers made of the skin of white and brown bears; and his cloak was fashioned of the brilliant wings of hummingbirds.
 "So--so-," he said, Nurse told you that. did she? why?"
 Because" replied Donald. hanging his head, q bites my finger-nails just lots-'specially when she's undressing me for bed-and I do lots of other things. too. like wiggling and"
 "Oh, I know what you dol" inter- rupted the Old Man. You don't have to tell me, for often I'm watching you from under the pillow or behind q picture or--or--I'll tell you where the Wart Hog got his warts. Donald"--- and the Old Man fell to chuckling all over again.
 "'Way, way back in the dim and distant past" he said. when I ruled over all the animals and the birds and every living creature except man, the Wart Hog was as pretty hog - if any hog can be called pretty-as you ever saw. Bless you, he hadn't a wart on him; no sir, not one!
 But he was a most fidgety fellow and very restless. Also, he was ex- tremely ugly. His face was hideous and his skin quite rough and tough and 'blistery' looking. Besides, he was extremely irritable.
 Now 1t happened that every night, before he went to bed. he had to have his head scratched; but, being very fat and lazy, he wouldn't reach Up or around with his forefeet and scratch.
 For . long while he had been inn posing upon poor little Lizard.
 Here, you Lizard! he would srunt, climb up on my snout and wiggle around and scratch my cheeks. or I'll gobble you up in one gobble! And