Mexico Missouri message., 1918-09-05
[ DAD[R'S[ S[V[NING
|| GA|EY TALE
Il N MAON GRANMdBQiNER
THE SEALS.


eve have the same Mr.. Seal whom
we share between u.s." said Mrs. Sally
Seal, "but our little baby seals are our
own"
''That is right" said Mrs. Susan
Seal. "In fact our Mr.. Seal is shared
by about one hundred Mrs. Seals. We
don't care to have a mate apiece
that's foolish for we are used to shar-
ing a Mr.. Seal and so we think it's
all right that way"
81 wouldn't like to share the babies,
though" said Mrs. Sally Seal.
Neither would l." said Mrs. Susan
Seal. "You see how nice everything
is. Nothing happens which we don't
like, and everything happens which
we like"
"It's a nice world" said Mrs. Sally
Seal.
MY babies were born ON this very
beach," said Mrs. Susan Seal, "and
was so interested in them that from
the time 1 came up on this beach un-
til four weeks or more had gone by 1
didn't have q thing to eat. Somehow
/ didn't think of food, was so in
terested in the children and everything
around me-"
81 didn't have anything to eat for
about six weeks, think" said Mrs.
Sally Seal. "The beach is so inter-
esting and when / come to it like to
stay for quite awhile. But then be-
Ean to grow restless and knew the
children wanted to be fed, so l went
back and forth, back and FORTH"
1.-The same as 1 did," said Mrs.
Susan Seal. "And i do believe that
all the other seal mothers did the
same. Do you know that there is
something about us which puzzles peo'
ple"
81 didn't know it," said Mrs. Sally
Seal.
would you like to hear about itF"
asked Mrs. Susan Seal.
II would, indeed" said Mrs. Sally
Seal. Can you tell me? Do you know
what it isl"
81 do," said Mrs. Susan Seal, "and
will tell you about it."
"That is good of you," said Mrs,
Sally Seal. And they both settled
themselves on the beach, after they
had had little bite of fish for their
luncheon and then Mrs. Susan Seal
began her story.
People" she said, "are very much
puzzled because the Seal children al-
ways know their babies. They think
it is strange"
"Don't mothers know their babies?'
asked Mrs. Sally Seal.
"Yes, believe they do," said Mrs.
Susan Seal. SIN fact 1 am sure they
do. / have never heard anything diff,
ferent and in fact l am positive they
always do"
"Then why do they think it is
strange that we should know our own
babies?" asked Mrs. Sally Seal.
Because, you know" said Mrs.
Susan Seal, "there are so many of us
and such lots and lots of babies. To
every Mr.. Seal there are about hum
dred Mrs. Seals and every one of those
Mrs. Seals, of course, has her own
little family. So there are just lots
and lots of children around the beach.
It's different, you see, from the way
people live. Different mothers live in
different homes so that the children
don't get mixed up so easily.
"They think because there are SO
many children along the beach that
they're bound to get mixed up, and
that because the children all look alike
to them they must look alike to u.s."
"Well, did everl" exclaimed Mrs,
Sally Seal.
"Of course, when the little dears
come around we love and look after
our own; we don't bother about the
other mothers family. And the seals
find their own mothers, the little pets,
"Yes," continued Mrs. Susan Seal,
1--WE know our darlings and they know
us, and if people think it is strange
all l can say is that I think it Is
strange for them to think such things,
"Our only trouble in life is the fear
of the whale which tries to kill US
but oh, for the most part we're very
very happy"
And Mrs. Sally Seal agreed. "Yes.
we're playful and we're good swim
mers. We can dive and leap and al
most dance. All seals, until they're
four or five years old, are just full of
frolics and fun. But though We play
and have a good time we always know
our little children and can pick them
out, even though there are thousands
of seals on the beach,"