Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-05-04

asked DR.. Pigg.
TIN bad tramp fox" was the an.
swer, "and I want you to give me
something to eat Quick! I'm in a
hurry"
Now that wasn't nice way to
speak, and DIR. Pigg knew it, and,
what is more, that bad fox knew it,
too. But, do you s'pose he cared?
Not bit of it. He was as impolite
as he could be, and he took pride In
lit.
II want something to eat in hur-
voice and he was such big fox, and
DR.. Pigg was such nice, gentle kind
Of creature that he didn't dare re-
fuse him.
Every WE'LL" said Buddy's papa.
"step into the parlor, Mr. Fox, and I'll
see what l can do for you. There
ought to be something in the pantry"
So he went to look in the pantry
for bone, or something like that, just
as Mother Hubbard would have done,
you know, and when the fox went in
the parlor what do you suppose he
saw? Why. that big, red frecracker
on the mantle, of course. And when
he saw it wicked plan came into his
head.
'Il just light that" he thought to
himself, "and it will blow this pen up,
and DR.. Pigg with it. Then can take
anything want. That's what I'll do.
I'll blow the place up" -t
Then he lighted the string of the
f1recra cker, standing up on his hind
legs to reach it, you see, and, as it
was long string, the fox knew it
would burn some time before it would
explode the firecracker. So the fox
ran out into the kitchen where Dr..
Pigg was getting him something to
eat, and he cried:
Here, give me what you have
ready, I can't wait" , ..
you must be in a hurry" replied
DR.. Pigg, as he gave the fox some
And of course the fox was in hurry
for he wanted to get out of the way
before that firecracker went off and
blew the house up. .-.. .s..=
Then the fox ran and hid in the
bushes, waiting for the house and DR..
Pigg to be blown up, SO he could 60 in
and take whatever he wanted. The
string on the flrecracker burned slow
ly, but surely. And the fox knew it
would be a perfectly tremendous ex
plosion for the firecracker was as big
as hundred lead pencils made into
one.
But now watch and see what hap.
pens. After DR.. Pigg had put away
h. hy~no n l~Ft of
giving the fox some. who should come
along but Percival, the old circus dog.
He came to pay friendly call on DR..
Pigg, but, no sooner had he reached
the front door than he cried out:
"Oh, I smell something burning"
and, sure enough 1t was the f1recrack.
er string sizzling away.
Maybe the house is afire,' said DR..
Pigg. Let's look!" So he and Per.
cival went all through the pen, and
the first object they saw was the long,
red thing burning on the mantelpiece.
And Percival knew at once what it
was for he was smart dog, let me
tell you. .-~s-.....
Obi" he cried, that is cannon
firecracker, and il it goes off it will
blow the place to pieces, and me and
you tool" -,
Then, for mercy sakes, don't let it
go off," cried DR.. Pigg, and that brave
dog Peroival jumped up, grabbed the
cannon cracker in his mouth, dashed
out Of the house and leaped into a
pond Of water with it, which put out
the burning string, and wet the fire.
cracker so it wouldn't explode.
And when the fox saw Percival he
sneaked away with his tail hanging
down, can tell you. So that's the
story of Dr. Pigg and the firecracker,
and when his family came home he
told them of his narrow escape.
Now, in case hear a June bug buzz
like an electric fan blowing soap bub.
bles, I'll tell you in the next story
about Buddy Pigg in a boat.