The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-02-13
~ FAVORITE
STORIES
By IRWIN S. COBB
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AS Translated Into the English

(Copyright.)
AS Translated Into the English
Sometimes story takes on added
value in the re-telling of 1t even
though the man who repeats it gets
it 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
few words l told it, and it went
very well. 1t had to do with pros
pector in Oklahoma, who, on a Sat
urday night, bought a quart of moon
shine whisky and took it to his lonely
cabin, anticipating pleasant Sunday.
But as he crossed the threshold he
stumbled and fell, dropping his pre-
cious burden and smashing the bottle.
so that it's aromatic contents were
wasted upon the floor. Depressed by
his misfortune, the unfortunate man
went t. bed. AS he lay there bemoan-
ing his loss. NANCY, furtive, half
grown rat with one ear and part of
a tail, emerged timOrously from a hole
In the Dashboard, sat up, shifted the
laden air and then, darting swiftly to
where the liquor made a puddle in
depression of the planking, ran out
It's tiny pink tongue, took one quick
sip of the stuff and fled In sudden
panic 10 Its retreat. But 1t didn't
stay; shortly it 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 ii had grown cocky,
debonair, almost reckless. 1t Travelled
deliberately back TO the liquor and
imbibed again. Seemingly satisfied it
started for home but, changing its
mind, it returned and partook a third
time of the refreshment Immediate.
ly then its fur stood on end, its eyes
burned red, like pigeon-blood rubies,
and Strengthening itself upon its hind
legs it waved its forepaws in ges-
ture of defiance and shrilly cried out:
Now, bring on that dad-blamed
cat!'
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 it. In fact,
he confessed to me that he expected
IN xrho ha f.,,,-
ical example of American humor.
Six months later | was in London.
| attended dinner. My English
friend was the POSTMASTER Perhaps
my presence recalled to him the anec-
dote lie. had SO liked. AT any rate,
he undertook to repeat it.
His version of it ran for perhaps
twenty minutes. He entered into
full 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 a 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 its
repeated potations, reared bolt up
right and, voicing the pot-valor of ut
ter intoyication bott in tone and
manner, it cried out in voice like
thunder:
~ say, wonder if there isn't
cat about somewhere?"