The Lambertville record., 1925-10-22
Mu Fduorite Stories
by lRDlN S. COBB
AS Translated Into the English

Sometimes story takes on added
value in the re-telllng of 1t even
though the man who repeats II gets
II twisted. This doesn't happen often
still it does happen. | recall an in
stance:
one night at dinner in honor of
distinguished visiting EngliShman |
was reminded Of yarn which | had
from sam Blythe and when | was
called upon by the chairman to speak
Il few words | told it, and 1t went
very well. 1t had to do with n pros
pector in Oklahoma, who, on Sat
urday night, bought quart Of moon
shine whisky and took it to his lonely
cabin, anticipating "A pleasant Sunday.
But as he crossed the threshold he
stumbled and fell, dropping his pre-
cious burden and smashing the bottle
so that its aromatic contents were
wasted upon the floor. Depressed by
his misfortune, the unfortunate man
went to bed. AS he lay there bemoan-
ing his loss, NANCY, furtlve, half
grown rat with one ear and part of
tail, emerged timorously from hole
In the Dashboard sat up, shifted the
laden air and then, darting swiftly to
where the liquor made puddle In n
depression of the planking, ran out
Its tiny pink tongue, took one quick
sip of the stuff and fled in sudden
panic to its retreat But 1t didn't
stay; shortly il again appeared, and
now student of rats would have dis
cerned that a transition had taken
place In the spirits of this particular
rat, suddenly 1t had grown cocky,
debonair, almost reckless. Ii travelled
deliberately back to the liquor and
imbihed again. Seemingly satisfied 1t
started for home hut. changing its
mind, ii returned and partook a third
time of the refreShment Immediate
ly then its fur stood on end, its eyes
burned red, like pigeon-blpod rubles,
and Strengthening itself upon its hind
legs II waved its forepaws in ges-
ture of defiance and shrllly cried out
Now, bring on that dad-bamed
eat |"
No one seemed To enjoy my little
story more than did the guest of the
evening. After the party broke up he
made me tell it to him all over again.
could tell from his expression that
he was trying to memorize II. In fact,
he confessed to me that he expected
TO use 1t when he got home as typ
ical example of American humor.
Y t,, I
attended a dinner My English
friend was the POSTMASTER. Perhaps
my presence recalled TO him the anec-
dote he had so liked. At any rate,
he undertook to repeat It.
His version of 1t ran for perhaps
twenty minutes. He entered into a
t1ll exposition OF the potency of the
Illicit distillation known among the
Yankees, he said, as shining moon.
He went at length into the subject
of the habits of rats, pointing out that
inaSmuch as rats customarily did not
Indulge in intoxicants few drops of
any liquor carrying high alcoholic
content would be likely for the time
being at least, TO alter the nature of
almost any rat. At length he reached
his point 1t ran like this:
And then, this little rodent, being
now completely transformed by It's
repeated potatlons, reared bolt mp
right and, voicing the pot-valor of ut
ter intoxication both in tone and
manner ii cried out in a voice like
thunder:
I say, wonder II there isvt
cat about somewheref"
(copyrght by the Central Press Association