Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-11

PATSY KILDARE
BY JUDD MORTIMER LEWIS
LOsing q Pet



WHEN woke this morning got out
w of bed without lying stil to think
things over When I;owdy and I went
out OF the front door we had the bo,
with the snake in il Under my arm. Ths
young man was sitting on the edge Of
the porch which ta one of the best things
he does. lIC said. where are yor going
with the snake" | said, Whats 1t to
you?" He said, Nothing. only you'd
better let me pull his poison teeth Uut
before you 20 If you are going to keep
him, for then he cannot hurt you If he
bites you" lie did not seems 10 be
joking. so | said. "All right"
The young man got the stick with the
fork and a pair of pinchcrs and a bottle
Of brown medicine and then lie put the
snake box on the ground and opened the
corner and when the snake came out
he stabbed 1t around the neck with the
forked stick. Then he caught it in his
hand again and opened its mouth and
pulled two of its tee.f There was a
little bag of poison on g lCh tooth. He
rubbed some of the brown medicine in
the snakes mouth with cotton on "A stick
and then put the snake back into tho
box. The young man said. Now he cam
not hurt YOU If he bites YOU and he
knows it, so he won't even try TO bite"
IL WAS SO, LOT I1t NOulE lndl put MS
hand into the box and pulled out the
snake and he did not fight ut all. which
proves that We learn something every
dav
When Rowdy and I rambled the box
was kind of heavy and | was tired be
fore We got to the river across from Mr..
Rockrudders. | hol'ered for Levy and
he { ime and took us across in the boat,
hut he nearly Jumped out into the water
when he saw the snake. The cook was
afraid of the snake. too. so after I had
hreak kfast and Rowdy had gnawed a bone
We went 10 the house of the m IN who IL
"A hundred years old. He was sitting on
the porch as usual and when I showed
him the snake he said 81 am "A hundred
wears old. and when was hoy caught
bigger worms than that" | said, You
are crazy in the head This Is not a
worm this Is a snake" He said "rt is
n worm and when was hoy I used to
fish with bigger worms than that"
said you did not" And that m de
him mad and he tried to hit me with his
cane.
I picked M my snake and went out
where the burglar was. He got very
much excited when he saw what | had
He said It was "A water moccasin and
sure death II It bit me. said its poison
did not make any difference and I must
not keep II. I said I would and took Il
out of the box by its neck to show him
that its poison teeth were gone. but he
was very much afraid Of It and would
not let us come near and said he would
hit me with the hoe. | knew he wouldn't
go chased him with It and he certainly
did run. even if he did have Il sore leg,
but 7 can run. too.
The silly snake wrapped itself around
my legs and I fell down and 1t got loose
and before l could see what he was up
to Rowdy had grabbed it and broken it
nearly in two SO that IL was not any
good any more. The burglar patted
Rowdy OH the head and he wagged his
tail. Then the burglar said to me. You
little savage. what you need is "A good
epanking." But just sat on the ground
and laughed and pretty soon the burglar
began to laugh. too. Rowdy jumped
around both of us and barked and
laughed as hard as we did.
Rowdy and | came home tonight and
we kneeled and prayed. Dear mother
which art in heaven, l. thank YOU and
God for the snake. 1t was interesting
but not exciting and so ! do not miss it
much. I don't believe I care for any
more snakes they are too wiggly. Ask
God to bless you and my father Amen"
"Arboreal Pleasures" the next Patsy XII
dare adventure. appears In tomOrrow's
Evening Public Ledger.