Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1917-05-04
= s&s%s%s&s& ~ sAsISp&SNsS
/. PROSE- GRITTY AND
] TIE nhTTIE TInK
Fable.


gold--was making her annual trip
among her children. She had touched
crops and cattle and enterprises in
many sections with her magic wand
and had left rejoicing in her train.
Her steps now took her southwark to-
ward the gulf.
She stopped at a Southern farm and
looked at a herd of cows and their
calves.
On each of the cattle she noticed a
number Of olive-green or black In
sects.
"Ughp She shuddered. "what are
theseT"
1--WE are your enemies, the ticks"
the insects replied in chorus, I'VE
defy you to reign over the cattle indus
try as long as we are here"
Prosperity, angry at being defed by
the greedy cattle ticks. picked the
largest and noisiest speaker off one Of
the cows.
Let me alonew screamed the tick.
''It's none of your business. am not
even a citizen. / slipped into this
country long before quarantine laws
were thought of. If the people who
own these cattle don't care, why
should you, a stranger in these parts,
interfere with our selfish happinessT
1T certainly Is my business" retort-
ed Prosperity. "You and l can't exist
In the same place. Destructive COM
petition isn't fair"
"We are IN business for ourselves
and competitors can look out for
themselves" sneered the tick. 1--WE
haven't any use for Prosperity in
these parts, and we win do our best
to put her out of business"
Prosperity was SO disguised that
she threw the tick forcibly at rock.
The tick burst and spattered blood all
round.
where did that cattle thief get that
blood?" asked Prosperity in stern
voice.
"Where did that tick get that blood?
l demand an answer" said Prosperity.
''From the air and grass" whlm-
pered a young seed tick which had
only six legs.
Hush, and let a grown tick with
eight legs answer"
"From the air, as my nephew said,"
replied matronly old olive-green tick.
''But don't bother me. am busy max
ing eggs. / expect to hatch out a fam
lily of five thousand dear little hun
cry, six-legged darlings, and shall
have to teach them how to crawl from
the grass to these lovely cows, where
the air Is SO good"
"Perjurer," said Prosperity. mo
tick ever made blood from air. You
stole that blood from these cattle. I
was wondering why didn't get prop
er returns from all that pasturage and
corn and cottonseed meal these cattle
have been eating. It's all clear now.
A large part Of that feed has been
wasted in making blood for you ticks"
"Can live here?" unused Prosperity.
"Or shall / pack up my rare gifts and
leave this ticky district? No. I'll see
If something can't be done. Blood
suckers, you have cast an evil spell
on these cattle. In ancient times they
used to dip witches. Thousands Of
other counties in the South already
have freed themselves Of ticks by
means of dipping watts. A dipping vat
would be mighty useful in this COM
munity."
Prosperity left the herd and walked
tboughtfully over to tumble-down
COW shed. A tired, poorly dressed
woman was milking scrawny COW, dot
ted with ticks-black and olive-big
and little-six-legged and eight-legged
"Good evening, madam" said Pros
perity.
"Go away; we don't want strangers
round the place. I'll call the dogs"
"But ! am Prosperity"
"Don't know you or any Of your
kinfolks. You must be a foreigner"
Madam, be patient. Ny other name
is Happiness. / want to bring you
new clothes, better household conven-
fences, more to eat and brighter
chance for your children. / want to
help your husband get bank account,
fine, fertile farm and fat cattle"
"We amt got money for no such fol-
derols."
"T-don't ask for money. I'm just a
helpful fairy. I'll begin my good mag
ic now"
Prosperity picked a tick off the COW.
The woman watched Prosperity pick
the tick of the COW.
"Are you sure you aren't crazyr'
she asked.
"No, madam. The same simple mag
ic widely applied by the people else
where In the South has made thou
sands of farms and hundreds of South
ern counties prosperous. Trust me.
Your own state agricultural college,
the United States department of ag-
ricuiture, and your local bankers and
business men will tell you am thor
oughly reliable. But let me ask you
question:
How much milk does that COW give