Evening star., 1916-08-25
Long|egs Calls RattIes a Thief.
The reckless tongue is quite the worst
of all the things / know
So watch your tongue and guard your tongue,
And let your tongue be alow.

| The reckless tongue is quite the worst
of all the things know.
SO watch your tongue and guard your tongue,
And let your tongue be slow.
| a quick tongue is apt to be a reckless
| tongue, and a reckless tongue is one
| that says things without stopping to
| think If they be true or of what harm
they may do by being repeated. The
| tongues of some people seem to be
reckless all the time. Cosby tongues
almost always are reckless Other
tongues become reckless when their
owners lose their tempers. 1t was this
way with the tongue OF Longlegs the
Heron that beautiful summer day
Longlegs lost his temper, and then he
said things which he wouldn't have
said if he had stopped to think
You see. Longlegs was very hungry,
and he had waited patiently for long,
long time for his breakfast You know,
LongiegS is a fisherman, and he is one
OF those who wait for their meals to
cone to them instead of going after
them. Little Joe otter is fisherman,
but he is the other kind. He is such
famous swimmer that he can chase and
catch fish. Longlegs isn't a swimmer
at all, so he has to wait for the fish to
swim near enough to where he is
standing for him to catch one by dart
ing his long neck downward like light
ming and swapping up the fish in his
great spearlike bill.
so on this particular morning when
Longiegs h;>l waited and waited
patiently anC at last a school of min
noyvs had come swimming in almost
within reach it had been more than
he could stand to have Rattles the
kingtisher suddenly dart down and
seize the very biggest, fattest minnoY
which Longlegs had counted as surely
his, at the same time frightening away
all the other minnows.
you're thief he screamed at
Rattles. You're a robber That was
my fish"
Rattles the Kingfisher chuckled. 1t
wasn't a pleasant chuckle to hear. be-
cause Rattles hasn't pleasant voice.
In fact, it is a very unpleasant voice.
He didn't reply at once, because he
was too busy swallowing that big, fat
minnow. 1t was so big that it stuck
in his throat and he had to twist and
squirm and wriggle and gulp and gasp
to get it down. But at last it was
down. Then he looked across a Long
legs and chuckled again.
If it was yours why didn't you
catch it?" he asked. Il didn't even
know you were over there. Not that
it would have made any difference"
he added, with another harsh -chuckle
for fish belong to whoever can catch
long to you. because you hadn't caught
it,"
1T did. too" retorted Longlegs; and
his voice was as harsh Rattles'
voice. II was just going to catch it
when you stole it. You're a thief, I
tell you. I'm going to tell everybody
that you're thief You stole my
eakfast,"
Rattles chuckled again. You see
having that big, fat minnow in his
stomach he simply couldn't lose his
temper. You know temper is very
largely a matter of an empty or a full
stomach. The stomach of Longlegs
very, very bad, while the stomach of
Rattles was full, and so his temper
was very, very good
Go ahead, Go ahead, Longlegs"'
said he You tell everybody that I'm
a thief, and I'll tell everybody that
you are a long-legged. long-necked,
cross grained, bad-tempered, lazy do
nothing, who waits for his meals to
come to him instead Of going after
them Everybody knows that L never
stole anything in my life, and every
body knows that you are just what
have said you are. 1t is true 1 haven't
many friends, but it is because l don't
want them. But it is just as true that
YOU haven't, either. 1t is easy enough
to call names, and 1 guess I can do
that as we'll as you can. So go ahead
Calling me a thief doesn't make me
one. and you know as well as l do
that that minnow didn't belong to any
body until it was caught. Just to pay
YOU for losing your temper I'm going
to stay right here by the Smiling Pool.
and you ought to know. If you don't,
that / can beat you fishing every time.
If you'll take my advice you'll go over
to the Big River. You'll fill your stom-