OL’ MISTER TURTLE AND THE MISCHIEVOUS MINNOW.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 January 1929, Page 16

OL’ MISTER TURTLE AND THE MISCHIEVOUS MINNOW.

“Oh Dear!” sighed tiny Mr. Wood Mouse wearily as he put his pack down beside him. “I just wish there uas some way of getting across this uvei without making that long journey upstream to the old covered bridge. It. wastes a whole day, and I never get back till long after firefly time.” “You’re right, Mister Wood Mouse, piped up little Jimmy Muskrat, from his scat on the mossy rock. “It’s a terrible nuisance for you fellows who can’t swim; bun cheer up; Perhaps someday 01’ North Wind will uproot a tree and throw it across for a bridge.” , . ~ “I’m afraid that will be a long wait, a very long wait,” replied Mister Wood Mouse; and without more ado he shouldered his pack and. with a farewell nod to Jimmy, continued on his journey upstream. “It's surely-too bad,” mused little Jimmv, ‘that a tiny chap like him has to make such a trip just to get over this stream when I can nearly toss a pebble across it. It seems as though there might lie some way ol crossing right here.” , “Sure there might,” said a brisk little voice; and right out from behind a clump of reeds stepped Mister Mink. “I you and I were only stronger we would build a raft and tow all the little folks across or carry them light on our backs.” . “I have it,” shouted Jimmy, jumping right into the air. ‘ AV? 5 l?- t A* into business and hire 01 Mister Turtle to carry them across on the top of liis shell?” Old Mister Turtle, lazily sunning himself on a log, was suddenly awakened by a lively tatto on the back of his shell and slowly poking out his funny head, he blinked and blinked as he saw little Jimmy Muskrat and Mister Mink standing beforo lmn “Ho! ho! That’s the idea,’ chuckled 01’ Mister Turtle, when the scheme had been explained to him. “Y 7 ou take in the money, and I do the work.” “Well, we thought up the idea, didn’t we?” asked Jimmy. “That may be,” replied 01’ Mister Turtle. “But if there’s going to he any ferry started, your old Uncle Hardshell will be the boss and you two can tote tlie baggage.” Suddenly the brow of little Jimmj Muskrat grew very wrinkled as an idea popped into his head. “All right, Mister Turtle,” he said. “You just go ahead and open the ferry, and Mistei Mink and I will attend to the baggJl“Whew! I guess lie’s fixed us all right,” Mister Mink remarked after the two partners had reached a secluded nook. “’Pears to me our business has failed before it started. “Failed nothing!,’ little Jimmy Muskrat retorted with a mysterious look. “All we need is a little strategy and he’ll take us in as partner© yet. But I must see Li’l’ Mister Minniiov and Peter Possum right away;” and he dove into the water and disappeared beneath its surface. . A few days later the ferry was ready to open, for while OP Mister Turtle was slow in movement he was not slow to catch an idea. And my, my, what a gay little ferry it was! Oil either bank 0’ Mister Turtle had established a ferry house and a sturdy little dock. Time-tables had been posted and an old stump bore the sign: “Ye Hollow Stump Inn.” Little Jimmy Muskrat and Mister Mink, putting aside their disappointment, were both on hand to ferry the baggage, assisted by good Mister Beaver. All the little people of the forest and meadows were on hand bright ana early for the opening. They inspected the docks and the ferryhouses, and congratulated OP Mister Turtle on hea public benefactor, and ne replied with a brillian speech, telling how the scheme had occurred to him. “He is not going to give us credit for the idea,” mourned Mister Mink. “Perhaps he will later,’ replied little Jimmy knowingly. Presently OP Mister Turtle, smiling from ear to ear, entered the stream and drew up beside the dock, wide the little people jostled and crowded, caver to be the first aboard. I mally. when every seat was filled he wagged his tail and rang the hell, and the great ferry started. “It’s a success right funn the start,” chuckled OP Mister Turtle to himself. “It looks as though 1 d be In a- very short time —that is, short for Mister - ' Turtle—the first trip was completed amid much cheering, and Mister Turtle hurriedly returned for another load. . ... “Whew! He’s working with enthusiasm,” exclaimed little .Timmy. “He made that trip much quiceker than he ever did before.”

Trip after trip was made. Finally Air. and Airs. Funny-Bunny arrived with her entire family, all eager to get across “I ouess you’ll have to divide up, there’s so many of you,” suggested 01’ Alister Turtle. “I’ll take Mas. Furnv-iiunnv and the babies first. We'll'have to pack them in the wicker 1 basket though. The little ones will never be able to sit on my shell. Airs. Funny-Bunny took a firm hold on the big basket. . I “All aboard!” wheezed Ol Alistei Turtle. And then with a final cast-off he slowly moved out into the stream and headed for the opposite short. “Now is my time,” said little Jimmy Aluskrat to himself as he quickly clove into the very depths of the. pool where Ataster Alinnow made his home. “Hurry! Hurry! Alinnow!” he shouted excitedly. . And the little fish darted swiftly away toward Ol’ Alister Turtle, wlio was placidly paddling his way across the stream. Quick as a wink Alistei Alinnow darted right under the ierryboat and, as he did so, one of Ins bttie fins just grazed the sole of Ol’ Alister Turtle’s toot. Alister Turtle stopped short and raised his foot quickly only to have it grazed again. “My, that tickles!” he exclaimed. “Whew! Some rascal is trying to annoy me,” lie muttered as lie felt the tickling sensation again. “1 II have to see about it.” Putting his head down beneath the water’s surface, lie saw a tiny minnow dart swiftly under his shell and at the same time ho felt the tickle again. “See here, Alinnow,” he called, “it you do that again you’ll have trouble.” “Boo! You can’t, trouble me,” shouted Mister Alinnow, making another rush. “Why, you’re nothing but a big. fat turtle.” And then he gave Ol’ Alister Turtle the greatest and most irritating tickle; of all. 01’ Mister Turtle right then and there forgot all about liimself and his (precious passengers and, with a mad (cry of “I’ll fix you!” dove right down ‘after Li’l’ Alister Alinnow. And then what a time there was! For the passengers, taken by surprise, plunged—SPLASH !!!—into the water, and with screams of fright they-.fran-tically struggled about. Little .Jimmy Muskrat and Alister Alink plunged in and dragged them all to land, all hut the bunny babies whose basket was

caught .. y a mischievous eddy, and before I- could be reached went whirling away downstream to where the rapids went racing over some hidden rocks. “Help, help!” cried Mrs. FunnyBunny. ’ “There go my precious babies!”

“It’s headed straight for the falls!” tlie crowd shouted. “And nothing can save those babies now.”

Directly beside those falls was a tree and from that tree grew a branch which hung directly over the very brink of the wateriall. And sitting serenly on this branch, his little head cocked to one side, was a funny little possum. “Oh, hum!” said he. “It’s about time for things to happen.”

And sure enough, hardly had lie spoken when around the bencl bobbed the basket, filled with the bunny babies, and along the bank came a scampering throng of frightened forest folk, crying for help. \ But Alister Possum never moved. He only sat motionless. “They’re lost! They’re lost! Those poor bunny babies!” the pursuers shouted, expxecting to see the basket dashed over the falls while they looked lielplessely on, unable to avert the terrible calamity But just then something happened. The little possum overhead, with great presence of mind, suddenly dropped and swung from the branch by his long tail directly over the water. In a flash, he had grabbed the basket, bunnies and all, and drawn it upward to safety. And then what a shout of joy was heard!

“Here are your babies, mum,” said the possum, turning to where Airs. Funny-Bunny stood, too overcome to answer.

OP Alister Turtle, crestfallen and dejected, could only sit on the bank and moan: “I’m ruined! I’m ruined! No one will ever want to ride again on my ferry.” “Yes, sir, you’re ruined all right,” little Jimmy Aluskrat told him; “that is, unless you take Alistei Alink and myself into partnership to keep that minnow away.

“Done!” exclaimed Ol’ Alister Turtle, a look of hope coming into his eyes. “We’ll all he partners from this time on, and we’ll make Alister Possum an honorary member, as Life-Saver.” And so to this day the little ferry runs across the Winding Stream, and little Jimmy Aluskrat Jxas never once told of how he bribed Li’l’ Alister AJinnow into tickling OP Alister Turtle’s feet.