The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-04-29
Billy WE,i<.kel:s
By Frances Treso Montgomery.

For the beneit of those nttle read CTS who do coc know Billy N51iskers. the famous whito gnat who has trav- eled all over the world. the artist has made this lovely picture Of him.
 Billy had several good friends who were almost as famous as he him self. There was Bettina, a pretty Httle burro; Stubby. Q small yellow dog; Button, great. large, black cat, and Mamie was Biily's gentle wife. They all lived at the Clover leaf Farm owned by the Treuts.
 One day when Tom and Harry, the two older Treat boys, went to the country fair they brought home two young kids.
 when she saw her two stalwart boys turn into the home driveway. each bearing a kid in his arms. Did she not know how many times her family had been deprived of fine, smooth custard made for dessert and set careuly in the pur1ing water | of the springhouse to cool? Did she l not recall how many times she had 1 rescued her dear. downy chicks from l a breathless chase? And who knew 1 better than she of thee Ountless de- l predictions on her stores in the pam l try? And who. pray. was responsi- l b1e for all of these pranks but one 1 mischief-1oving goat?
 No wonder, then. that she regarded the advent of two more of the same ! family with dismay. hTo think of en- l during three times as much troublei l It was wel1-night overv4@a aelming. l However. she stood aIS8e in the matter. or her husband smihqg1y de- l c1ared the boys must be encouraged in their business ventures. While 1 Dick, the baby of the family and gsn- l T1Qt nf e al wa overjoyed at the prospect of having a fine team to hitch to his gayly paintd Overland Express"
 And in the farmyard the twins met with a most cordial reception.
 It was Billy whiskers who was largely responsible for this. for he was a power among his comrades, l and he ruled with a mighty hand. As soon his sharp eyes spied Tom and Harry letting down the bars, he ran l up b1eating his pleasure at the pros- pect of having some children, even though they were of the adopted kind. He therefore promptly took the pair under his care, and all the farm animals knew by this token that they must welcome the newcomers and treat them with courtesy.
 Now. If you are at all familiar with the customs of goatdom. you will l know before I tell 1t that the twins were called Billy and Mamie.
 AS far back as anyone can remem- I Der, no seIf-respecting parents have ever even considered naming their sons anything but aristocratic Will l liam, although it does usually become the familiar and easier Billy later on 1 when the baby goat grows up and | goes out into the world. Just think l for one moment and if you can call l to mind one goat bearing a different l name, let me know. I never have And each daughter has just as faith fully been christened Anna, common. 1 1y Mamie.
 So it happened that the twins were known either as Billy Whiskers l Twins-because of the older goats 1 protecting care-or as plain, every day Billy and Mamie.
 l Billy Whiskers straigh tway asgum- ! ed such airs over his adopted son and daughter that he became the | laughing stock of the barnyard.
 It was the proud and sarcastic | Duke of Windham-the yearling cali who had won the blue ribbon at the l fatr-who suggested that everyone
 call him Father William. Much tt
 their disappointment. Billy took al
 their taunts and gibes good-natured
 ly enough, and the title did no'
 ruffle his temper one teeny-ween.
 bit. but did serve to distinguish be
 tween Billy the older and Billy th'
 younger. it clung to him throughout ] the rest of his days.
 (Tomorrow you shall hear of sons
 of the froltcs these three goats on 1 joyed during the fine summer
 months.)
 Copyrighted by the SaaIsfeld Pub
 fishing Co.,. Akron. o.
 !