The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-02-28
AMBITIOUS TOMMY.


bilious mole who wished to amount to
something in the world He felt sure
that there was more to the earth
than the dark underground tunnels
that his family Inhabited, although
his father told him repeatedly that
there was nothing above ground worth
looking at. ..-..-, .-.-..... 60.
The moles are hard working little
people, and this particular family
were employed in. a mine and dug
early and late for their living. One
day, as the little mole was at work
in a lonely corner of the mine, he
met the old gnome who employed
them, and got into a conversation.
The old gnome was in a particular.
ly good humor having had mushroom
pie for his dinner, and as there was
no one about, he condescended to be
pleasant to the little mole boy. When
Tommy-that was the mole's name
asked him about the earth, he de-
scribed, at great length, the forests
and meadows, the trees and blue
skies, the sun and the stars, and he
even told him about people-which
was funny, for gnomes do not usually
believe in people.
Tommy could scarcely wait till
evening that he might tell his family
the wonderful story. But his father
fell asleep in the middle of the recital,
and Mrs. Mole was so busy over her
house accounts that she only nodded
once in a while without even hear
ing. Tommy was discouraged, and
all the next. day, he was turning. oyer
in his mind ways and means of see
ing some of these things for himself
One day, instead of going to work
with his father he pretended to have
an errand to do for the old gnome.
He dug up and up. and up till at
last he could poke his head right out
He looked all around; then he was
so disappointed that he Topped on the
ground and cried. Imagine!
"Everthing's just he same." he
walled, dismally. ,,
s whats the same?"
A little fairy on her way to visit
a sick bird family stopped beside him.
"The gnolne said the trees were
green, and the sky. was blue, and
everything is brown walled the
mole again. Are you a person."
mot quite" laughed the little
creature, softly. 81 am fairy!'
We'll, you're brown, too!''
The mole sat up and viewed the
little fairy dolefully.
why, I'm pink!' cried the fairy,
Indignantly. Then all at once she
began hopping around in an excited
circle.
Il know what's the, matter! I
know what's the natter" she laughed.
"You wait here!"
Off like flash she scurried, and
just as the mole was about to go down
into his hole again she returned with
what do you 'spose? A dear little
pair of spectacles. ... -
For, of course, dear. heart, mole
is almost blind, and everything does
look brown to him-that's why he
thinks the whole world is like his
dark. damp hole underground.
Now, these We're magic specs, and
no sooner did Tommy look through
them than he saw all the beautiful
things of which the gnome had told
hinl-the blue sky, the green trees,
and, best of all, the dainty little fairy
Al day ne ran hither and thither, ad.
r'iring everything he saw, and when
night came and the stars came out
over the treetops he could not go to
sleep at all.
Twill never live underground
again" he said, delightedly. And he
never did. In fact he got a position
as chief clerk in the fairy bank and
lived happily for the rest of his days.
Isn't it a pity that all moles cannot
have fairy specs?
gks