The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-05-09
Blackfooters and the
Quails; Parable Of
/ the Wheat Fields

A father quail and his hen and
flock of little quails were in the
wheat field when it was in the boot
and they picked off chinch bugs and
grasshoppers and were happy. But
one day when the wheat was in the
head and the dough in the kernels
was hardening, the owner of the
wheat field came thru with his sons,
and the quails snuggled down low
and did hide from the farmer for
they were beautiful and good to eat.
The farmer talked with his sons
and remarked that the wheat was
getting ripe and they would summon
the laborers with sickles to come and
garner in the harvest. The mother
quail was worried and said they
would have to leave the wheat field
and seek a new home in lands they
were not familiar with, and mayhaps
there would be greater danger to the
children. But the father quail was a
wise old guy and said there was no
need Of moving yet nor even feeling
uneasy about it, so they remained in
the wheat field many days and each
day they did rejoice.
One day the farmer and his sons
came again and they remarked that
the wheat was fully ripe and ready
to cut and that they must get after
those laborers and hurry them up
and if necessary step into their jitney
and drive over and see them about
it, for mayhaps they we're off boot
Logging somewhere. Then the
mother quail was worried again and
when they had passed she said they
would surely have to move now and
in the new lands they would go into
there might be stills and drunken
galoots and women with high heels
looking for young quails for dinner,
but the father quail said for them
to hold their horses and not be wor-
ried about the fellows who had no
pep, and so they remained two more
days in the wheat field quite con-
tent because it was their choice.
But on the third day in the morn
ing the farmer and his sons walked
that way again and the farmer said
this wheat was over ripe and must
be cut and threshed Immediately,
and that there was no use in spend
ing any more money for gasoline
driving over where the laborers were
supposed to be; he said, 1--WE must
cut this wheat ourselves, and ought
to have done it sooner and we should
have gotten more wheat for our
trouble"
When the farmer and his sons had
passed on, each carrying straw be-
tween his lips crosswise of his face,
that old father quail stepped out
from behind a plaitin leaf where he
had ducked, and told the hen quail
and all the little quails they would
have to hike right away and If neces-
sary walk right out across the alfalfa
stubbles in making their getaway,
for, said he, when people talk about
doing a job themselves that is no
time to be taking chanches by stick
ing around-there is going to be
something doing and right away
soon. So long as they depend on hir-
ing it done there are chances for all
kinds Of delay, but they are going to
step on 'er' themselves now, and
we've got to crank up and get out of
here while the getting is good"
So they liked out past the head
gate and across the alfalfa stubs and
down between the beet rows, being
careful not to skid nor exceed the
speed limit nor stop suddenly and
block the traffic. At sunset the
father quail made the excuse that he
wanted to see man." so he took q
little trip on the elevated, and 10, the
farmer and his sons had finished the
harvest and were walking home quite
happy, and the field was all bare of
the harvest, the cleanup being COM
plete.
When the Blackfoot people look
over their town lots and talk about
moving their rubbish themselves will
be good time for the creatures hid
ing in the trash to hike out for new
quarters, because that is the day the
cleanup is liable to begin, and there |
is no telling where the shovel and |
pitchfork will strike first.
Ce1ahi