davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1923-02-11
A Strange Dream.

one night before I had gone to bod
I read a short story. The story
was about a dark canyon and of men
hictng and robbing people as they
were going through. I went up
stairs and went to bed. Very soon
I was asleep and I was dreaming of
that story.
I dreamt I was a girl and I had to
go through the canyon to get home.
So when I got to the canyon some
men Jumped out and robbed me, then
took me off my horse. I was strug.
Cling to get loose and I was jumping
and rolling in bed until I fell onto
the floor. Soon Mother came in and
put me in bed and I slept soundly
the rest of the night.
LILLIAN ROTH.
Central, Grade 0.
, 1923-02-11
A Japanese Story.

AN a little Japanese boy. I live in
L Japan. You may think our land
is funny. but we don't. I will tell
you all about US. Our walls of the
house slide. In the day we keep
orr walls open. In the evening we
shut the walls. We have little stools
for tables and we sit on the floor
when we eat. We have pretty little
gardens. We have two names.
a rice nearly every meal. We
wear little kimonos. We go to school
before We eat breakfast. We have
lots moro words in our alphabet than
you have. We ride in jinrikishas
with men who can run fast pulling
them. Have you ever seen a Jinrlk.
isha? I will have to tell you more
about japan some other time.
THOMAS H,
West Casper, Grade 4.
, 1923-02-11
BY RUPERT HUGHES

$7,oool that he had a salry of s1.750
a week! sho thought of little Terry
Dack and his secondhand express
wagon. helping his mother to pack
her bundled wash home to bitter toll.
He had a dismal life on tho deserts
edge. nlumined only by his own un.
querable fancy and his dramatic gifts.
His was the home life of multitudes
Of American children. He had far
more Of mothers love than most Of
them. Yet the stage child and the
movie child were spoken of with PITY
Mem decided that 1t was well worth
a child's whilo to accept such pity as
, 1923-02-11
A Strange Dream.

ONE night I went to bed later than
" usual, and when I had fallen
asleep I had a very strange dream.
I dreamt that I was picking daisies
in a large field and making daisy
chains.
Pretty soon a very big bird flew to
the ground. I had made all the
daisy chains that l wanted, SO I
asked the bird II he would take me
home. The big bird said. Sure. I
will, but how am I going to take
your" Then I said. "'You can put an
end of my daisy chain in your beak
n I can hang onto h other end"
So he did SO.
After we had gone over many hills
and t~reetrops my arms started to
grow weary. SO 1 tried to hang on
tight, but as I was shifting, my
hands slipped. and down Town I fell
into the valley below.
When I woke IN I did not know
whether It did, happen or not.
KATHLEEN mccoy.
Central, Grade 6.
, 1923-02-11

pr'sed her in her tub, and that in
her confusion she had put on her
husbands undershirt and nothing
else.
But hundreds of others were seen
hurrying from that same fire in
much the same costume.
The girls she was with parked the
car in a little blind alley ending at
the walk along the sand. Mem had
como at last to where the noun
tains meet the sea-"
The binding blue desert of the
Pacific. almost as calm as the sky
1t met and welded with. the twin blues
overwhelmed Mem for a moment with
vastitude. Then she caught sight Of
the margin where the waves broke
lazily in long corkscrewing lines of
green fringed with white froth.
Among the pillows and in front Of
them swarming human midgets leaped.
swan. ran. walked, squatted. bur-
rowed. flirted. lunched. nursed ba-
bles. slept.
The sand was abloom with umbrel.
las, a monstrous poppy field. Along
the endless walk miles on miles Of
little shops were aligned. with piers
thrustlng u into the ocean bridges
that led nowhere and were loaded
down with pleasure shops. Giant
wheels, insane railroads that made a
sport of seasick ~terrors. every ingen.
uity for making happy fools of the
mob bent on unbending.
AS far as the eye could see along
the vast scythe blade OF shore thous.
ands seethed, all so lightly CARRIED
that IL Mem had mot any one of them
In Cnlvorly she would have tainted
or fled. She was stunned. But the
enormity OF the multitude gave the
exposure an impersonal aspect. 1t
was like looking into a car Of fishing
worm wriggling unc:othed in any
thing but a light nuptial band Of
color.
As she stood benumbed Leva nudg.
ed her nj said Hurry up; we must
not miss a minute"
Am I expected to go in there like
thatY"
'of courser'
Not mel Not today No, thank
you"
She could not be persuaded. She
hardly consented TO sit on the sand
and wait. While she waited her eyes
, 1923-02-11
Our Little Dog.

WHEN we came to Wyoming we
w had a small dog. His name was
Buster. He was a very playful lit.
tie dog and no caught squirrels, 60
piers and pack-rats. He followed us
everywhere we went.
One day my mother, sister and I
went after water We saw a large
rattlesnake. Buster helped us kill
It,. 1t had nine rattles ON 1t.
. One day my sister and 1 saw him
digging in tho bank. We went TO
SEQ what he was digging for. He had
dug a large hole and caught a rab-
bit.
When he saw a gun or heard my.
one shoot he got very excited. One
day some hunters campe0 along the
road. After dinner they went to hunt.
Buster went down the road and fol.
lowed them. When they had gone n
long distance from the house they
shot him. We missed him that night
and could not think what had hap
pencd to him. The next day my Sis
ter and I found him IN a gulch-
dead They shot him in the heart.
We felt very sorry. He was 16 years
old when he got killed.
LORRAINE STERLING.
Elk School. Grade s.
, 1923-02-11
Valentine Day.

ONCE upon a time there was a lit
" tie girl who was very poor. Close
~. this poor little girl lived a rich
girl. 1t was near st. Valentines day.
This poo little girl did not have
any valentines to give away. But the
r.cn girl old. The rich girl brought
lots Of valentines for her cousines,
uunts and unclea
She had one too many and she did
not know what to do with it. After
she had thought a little while she
said. "oh. mother. I know what 1
will do. I will give It to hat poor
little girl. because she can't have
any,"
The little girl got her wraps on
and started for tho poor girls house.
The poor little girl was very happy.
That night the rich girl went to sleep
very happy.
HERBoRG BARHAUG.
Elk School.
, 1923-02-11
Abraham Lincoln.

A BRAHAM Lincoln was bon IN Ken.
n lucky. February IL, 1909. His
father was Thomas Lincoln. and his
mothers name was Nancy Hanks
Lincoln.
He was known all over thu country
for his kindness. He was a poor raj
splitter, who lived in q little log
cabin. in the west. His father bought
his clothes until he was big enough to
buy his own. His clothing never fit.
ted him properly.
When he was put s years OF age his
mother died. This brought sorrow
into his heart
He attended school only one year
in all his life. After his mother died
he and sister Sarah were worse off
than ever. His new mother helped
him to study. He studied difficult
subjects, such as grammar, arithme.
tic. surveying and law.
Once he borrowed a book from an
old farmer-it was the Life of Wash.
ington. He read 1t over and over
again. When he got through reading
book he would always put It be.
tween the cracks in the wall. One
day It rained and solled the book. He
, 1923-02-11
A Strange Dream.

ONE night when I was going to
" bed I decided to sleep or my
back because that day l had read in
my physiology book tina IL you
lie oil your back while sleeping It
pressed certain nerves that made you
dream.
That night I dreamt I was in a
big tree in the Jungle. A lion was
racing up and down tho path under
me. I threw things at him and
called him ame Tho lion roared
and roared, then he started to climb
the tree. I climbed to the very tor
OF the tree. but tho lion kept climb,
Ing.
I was Just about to jump to an.
other tree when a whirring above me
caught my attention. 1 looked up
and saw a giant bird sailing toward
me.
1t seized me and flew away with
me. I fought till 1t let loose OF me. I
dropped down. down down. until I
hit the ground. 1 woke up and found
myself on the floor.
AUBREY KELLEY.
Central, Grade 9Th.
, 1923-02-11
CHAPTER xxv1I-tcontinued).

CHAPTER XxvII-(Continued).
"EERE was no pleasure in lying
abed Of mornings. There was
no comfort in emitting the
stampede to beat the time clock.
The pay day came around no more,
either. She had debts TO apsolve for
clothes no longer fresh. She had to.
morrow's and next weeks hunger to
dread. The girls at her house were
equally idle and their hospitality lost
its warmth for lack of fuel.
They tried to make the best of idle
ness. They wore the records to shreds
and danced together all day long to
pass the long time away.
Young men who had no money to
$pend on excursion came to the house
of evenings n helpec to dance away
the tedium.
1t became a commonplace for Mem
to Jig about in young mems arms.
She learned to dance. She learned to
play a little golf. a little tennis. She
even gained a bit of familiarity with
the saddle at the home of an actress
who owned horses and had built a
riding ring on her estate when she
was flush. and was glad now to have
her friends exercise themselves and
stable.
Mem went also on her first beach
picnic. If she did not learn to swim,
she learned at least to ade the pagan
ism of the ocean to the paganism of
the canyons. tho deserts. and the palm
blown plains.
passed all the other coasts in its re.
tuJn to the pre-figleaf days. on the
J6agues OF sand v~ariously named Cor.
onado. La Jolla, Laguna, Redondo.
Hermosa, Santa Monica, there was US
much carefreo, clothes.free Eayety as
in the Mnrquesan and Tahitlan
realms that Frederick o'Brien found,
or made, so Elysian with his fragrant
pen.
The first day of Mems visit to the
shore was terrifying. As the automo'
bile in which she roda threaded the
long and narrow lane of Venice, a
woman tarted across the path. drag
gins a child by the arm. Mem thought
ut first that the mother must be
fleeing from a fire that had sur.
, 1923-02-11
Jacks Venture With a
Ghost.

JACK was out in the woods with
two boys. 1t was dark and they
were sitting around the fire. Jack
shut his yes a minute. then he OPEN
cd them. Tho boys were gone.
Harry! Bobr' he shouted. 10000"
he heard. Then he saw a white sheet.
1t had head. legs n arms.
Then It walled again 10000"
He got up and started to run. It
chased him.
Jack ran TIL he came to a high
tree. He climbed it. u when he got
to the top he saw another ghost
there.
He started to climb Gown but the
ghost ut tho bottom climbed up and
the ghost at the top climbed down.
Jack was almost caught when no
thought Of something. Why not jump
to the next tree?
Ho waited till the ghosts reached
for him and then gave a jump.
Tho ghosts arms grew long and
caught him, but he was going so
fast that he broke loose. Then one
ghost cried. Look out Jack!'
The next instant he found himself
In tho creek.
Bob asked. why did you call US
and then start running?"
"Oh! I had a crazy DREAM Jack
answered.
EDWARD Nc ELvENY
East Casper, Sixth Grade
, 1923-02-11
A Troublesome Neighbor.

WHEN I was going to another
w school I knew a little girl
named Edith. She was my trouble
some neighbor. and I was her trou-
blesome %neishbor. Well. one night
coming home from school: It was a
very muddy day: OF course I wore
my rubbers. She made a big mud pie
and threw IT at me. ana n OF my
rubbers came off, and I threw that
at her.
About n week later my father went
over there and told her mother. And
she told my father what I had done.
And then we had to tell eac other
we were sorry. Then We went home.
The next day we made friends. and
she and I were great friends after
that. And she often came over to
play with me.
ELAINE MEYERS.
Elk, Grade 4. ?
, 1923-02-11

was, but she took the risk of embar.
rassment rather than risk the boys
future. Her motherhood had trans.
planted Itself to that other child, and
his welfare was vital to her.
As a final inducement she promised
to introduce Terry to the manage.
ment OF her own studio. She per.
mitted the impression thai she was a
rather important person on the staff.
And the day after she mailed the
letter she lost her Job.
Tho tide of hard times had engulfed
the studio where she was engaged.
All but two or three companies were
, 1923-02-11

against her as the gates of Eden
against Eve.
Here and there they arrested or
mobbed some woman or man who
took off an inch or two too much of
he mysteriously permitted. ever.va-
rying minimum. But millions bathed
in public and sought the fountain of
youth not in dark forests, but on the
sun gilt ground where sea and land
debated boundaries.
BY the time Leva and her company
came leaping out to join the revel.
Nom was q little better. Seeing her
friends. whose good sweet souls she
loved. was a fresh shock. but she
survived It and envlec them their
ability to fling off their solemnities
with their othsr garments.
Before the afternoon had slipped
into twilight she was able to laugh
when she saw them Paying ball
with sunburnt young men OF their
acquaintance. When they gathered
about her and sat in a crlsscross o
brown n white legs she a to re.
concile herself to South Sea stand
ards. The sky was too bright to
nuts and popcorn and introduced her
to that wonderful meal composed of
n roll split open like n clam and
stuffed with cleft sausage. dill pickle.
lettuce and mustard. n Wand so IRE
sistibly good that it lent a grace to
its shameless name. hot dog"
A few days later Mem might have
been seen in n bathing suit Of popu-
lar brevity. substituting n general
coat of tan for tho forty blushpowcr
she had abandoned.
She was not sure whether to call
herself n lost or n newfound SOU,
but she was sure that she was an ut
ter changeling from tho remorse.
full girl who stole shamefast out of
Calverly to hide herself from human
eyes.
She WIS N.roady publishing her
bodily graces to tho world Ind she
was devoured with ambition to give
her soul also entire to the millions.
She wanted to nttitudinIze her soul
upon n film as public and as huge rs
the sky and compel mankind to
watch It and It and admire.
Mem in a way was an allegory OF
all recent womanhOcd. She had
dwclt in PurItanIcal r~cspcctabI.lty rs
, 1923-02-11
A Visit in Japan.

MERE you ever in Japan? If you
w were not. we win take a visit
right now. Would you like to? Well,
<he first thing that we have to 10
is jump down through a big hole and
away we go. whoopeei Down! Down
we go. Now. see, here we are. And
as we go along we learn Japanese
talk.
Now we arc there. See the little
japanese boy and girl. The girls
name is True Pearl. and the boys
name is Hog. True Pearl is having
a tea party. and Hog is flying kites.
Now you are right beside little
True Pearl, and she sees you. She
takes you by the hand and she tells
you to sit down and have some tea.
Then you go out and have a ride in
the Jinrtlishn- When you have a
long ride, she tells the Jinrikisha man
to take you home.
When you are in the house the
maid pulls the sliding wall back in
place. Then the maid takes out the
mats and blocks OF wood, which are
the pillows. True Pearl gives you
the soft pillow Inc she takes the
hard one. Do you think Japan is very
nicer Now we will jump back up
through the hole Now you arc back
nome
GRETCHEN SMITH.
West Casper. Grade 4.
, 1923-02-11

was SO honest he took it back to the
farmer and asked him what he could
do to replace It. So he worked three
days cutting corn. and the book was
his. That was the first book he ever
owned.
He was the strongest boy IN the
country around. He could throw any
boy in his neighborhood. He was like
Washington in this. for they were
both good wrestlers.
Once when he moved to a new
place the big boys got him to wres.
tie their champion. When the cham.
pion saw he was getting the worst of
it he began to try unfair ways to win.
One thing Abraham Lincoln would not
stand for was unfairness and mean.
ness. He caught the big fellow and
, 1923-02-11

and mUtor. Abcut the feet others
scampered or stallied. peckinE, COB
ling. On h nearer ripples ducks,
terms and geese moved like little
ferryboats: coots scooted. and swans,
black and white. thrust up their per-
scopes from the reedy banks where
they moored.
Mem Ioafed about until she grew
too weary to stand. Her desmond
ent soul drifted as lazily as the swans
and felt almost as willing to beg for
bread. She sat down on n bench on
the Seventh Street side. and by and
by was hailed by a sturdy midwest
ern voice.
We'll. as I live and breathei II
1t amt Miss stecdonr'
why how do you do. Mrs.
Sturgsi''
It WINS n mid-aged who had
been a member OF her fathers church
and had gone west-Mem had now
to say. Come west - because of
her husbands lungs.
Mems first impulse was to well
come anyone from home. Her sec
ond was to fear anyone from home.
But Mrs. Sturgs was already squeez.
ing her broad person into the re-
naming space on h bench.
Her life in this Babylon had not
or p~rejudIces.
, 1923-02-11

Eleanor had heard and Joined the
group by tho shelves.
She picked up the box and stood
staring at it.
open 1t! Open itr' cried several
children at one.
Why Gol's you CT en- it. Eleanor"
asked her chum. Nellie. "wo are all
anxious to see IT."
Perhaps Eleanor does not wish to
open It until she reaches home.'' sug
gested Miss Clarke.
"oh. yes. of course 1 shall open 1t
herer' cried the happy girl. at
looked SC big I Just couldn't believe
1t were mine. I wonder who gave it
to me?"
Carefully unwrapping It. she raised
the lid. What a beautiful sight!
1t was as large as the box. The cen
ter formed a basket This was filled
with beautiful silk flowers. while
around tho edge was fold upon fold
Of wide, white lace.
The children had never seen a Val
. IT &c so bea T'.'i.
"Lt is so beaLt:u.! Who could lave
5crt It to ~" cri.sl ElSanyT.
lI-o chEorei examined It again
and again. but not a mark could
they find which would even hint
where It had come frcm.
"Such lovely lacer' exclaimed
Eleanor as she ran her fingers
through the wide folds.
All! look what 1 have foundr" hi
cried.
There. hidden deep under the lacy
edgs was an envelope. Reaching in
she pulled out two other envelopes
smaller than the first.
She pulled the paper out OF one,
and out it. written by a ohilcrs un-
steady hand was this verse:
ITO my one and only Valentine,
Little Eleanor. who smiles all the
time"
Out OF the other envelope she
pulled n tiny Kodak picture.
why. It is the little boy who lives
in the beautiful houser' she exclaim.
ed. "why didn't I think to send him
a Valentine? Is 1t too late now, Miss
Clarke?"
MY Dear Child" Miss Clarke ex.
planned. Your passing has been one
of the few pleasures that little Grip
pie boy has had. When 1t was time
for you to pass. his nurse wheeled
him to the window. and after You
were gone he remained happy the
rest of the day.
mo sweeter nor more beautiful
Valentine could be sent to him, than
those you have already given-your
sweet and happy smiles.
, 1923-02-11

Editors Note-The Tribune will print each week in
the Magazine Section of the Sunday paper this depart
the best articles will be printed, and each week an Honor
Roll will. be published, containing the names of the three
best stories of the preceding week and the authors. The
Tribune Story Contest Editor will judge the stories and an
nounce the winners weekly.
Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grade stories will be judged to-
gether, and Seventh and Eighth Grade stories together.
Today's department contains some stories from all these
grades, but the best will be chosen in each class, respec-
lively.
All the stories are written in school, under the teachers
supervision, and the contestants are not permitted to get
help from their parents or from older persons, in the COM
position.]
, 1923-02-11
A. Strange Dream l Had.

ONE night last fall I had a dream.
" We were living In a little brown
house IN the country. I went to the
mountains and I saw a giant. I be-
gan to run I went under a large
rock and the giant did not see me.
But soon he sat down on the very
same rock I vas under. Then I was
smashed all to pieces. I woke up
and I found my sister fighting me
and the pillows. But h was asleep
when she was doing It.
THELMA ROWRAY.
Central School. Grade 9Th.
, 1923-02-11
A Valentine for Each Day
BY MRS. JULIA e. WINTER.

CT. VALENTINES Day! Such q
~ wonderful day. full OF hidden Sc
crets and love. Next to Christmas,
the children of Sheridan loved It the
best Of all days. For several days
tho air had been filled with mystery.
A whispered word or a half hidden
smile gave away no secrets. Every
one had been planning and making
Valentines for their dearest friends.
AT last the day arrived.
Little Eleanor Hughes was very
happy as she RAJ to school. She
crossed the street in order to see the
little boy. who lived in tho beautiful
big house. Today, more than all other
days she must smile as she passed
his window.
Long before she reached the house
h could see tho eager lace watch.
ing for her. He waved his little white
hana in answer to her happy smile.
The Carter family had moved to
the big house a few months before
and every day Eleanor had seen the
sad white face at the window, and
had always greeted him with a smile.
81 wonder why he doesn't go to
school like other children?' she ask
ed herself as she passed.
The school room was filled with
happy faces when she arrived. The
children all greeted her merrily. as
she vas a great ~favorite.
r7n1a.r a,,arxy a-a $500, -
Miss Clarke. their teacher had told
them they could have the whole aft.
ernoon for pleasure. provided they
were real good all morning.
They were not going to have a
Valentine box this year. Miss Clarke
was going to hide the valentines all
around the oom and let each child
find his or her own.
One of tho rules of the game. they
were not to say q word. II they found
ono belonging to some n else.
How slowly the time did go; It Just
start the hunt.
There was a merry scuffie when at
las Miss Clarke announced:
You may put all books away"
Such excitement when the search
began. 1t was so hard not to tell
when they found a Valentine for a
dear friend.
Eleanor was so happy admlring the
ones her little friends were finding.
she almost forgot to look for her
own.
1t was George. who first discovered
it. Down beneath the library shelves.
He seemed SO interested several chill
dren ran to him to see what he had
found.
Such a big box for a Waller tine. It
was addressed to Miss Eleanor
Hughes. who could have given It
to her?
Why didn't she look? She didn't
even notice the children grouped in
the corner. She was so interested in
Mary's latest find.
Little freckle-faaced Freddie could
stand the suspense no longer. so yell
ed at the top of his voice, "ITl bet
Eleanor hasn't looked in all the cor
ners."
shut up" cried George. Teacher
told us not 20 tell"
b Georges warning came too late
, 1923-02-11
What l Am Going to Be.

ONCE my brother and I were talk.
Oing about what we were going TO
be.
My brother said he was going to be
n farmer Ink grow fruit and vege.
tables.
1 said I was going to be a carpen-
ter and build houses. I would saw
boards and put windows in houses
and do everything a carpenter is
required 20 do.
NORMAN JoRGENSON.
Elk, Grade 4.
, 1923-02-11
3AA.

Three double A, this was the size.
She asked the clerk; he turned away
A moment to conceal surprise
3AA?
"My present Shoes" he heard her
say,
Are quite too wide, you might sur.
mise,
In them could go n horse and dray."
From box marked p a pair he prizes:
She takes them in n manner gay,
as the salesman signs
3AA.
Thomas ]. Murray.
, 1923-02-11

lifted him into the air. shook him like
a dog would a rat, then threw him
down on tho ground. He mas a
friend OF Lincoln as long as he lived
And you may be sure the boys never
tried any more tricks on Lincoln.
After he grew up he became the
president Of the United States.
LLOYD TAGGART.
East Casper Special Class, Grade 8