That Imp, Jimmy

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22949, 29 January 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

That Imp, Jimmy

AS the topmost teacup overbalanced young Jimmy Todd made a frantic grab at it ... . and missed. A moment later it was followed by the other three that lie was carrying. The result was a crash thai brought his mother quickly to the scone of the disaster. " You really are the most troublesome child I ever knew!" she said, eyeing the scattered fragments. "I'm frightfully sorry!" stammered Jimmy. " I didn't mean . . ." " It's all because you will try to do two things at the same time," Mrs. Todd went on. " And that isn't possible —not if they're to be done properly. If you'd opened the door first, instead of trying to do it with your hands full . . " I've managed it easily enough lots of times before," protested Jimmy. Ancl anyway it is possible to tlo two things together. Why, I even did three together this morning." "I don't believe it!" declared fcis mother, bluntly. "Oh, but you shouldn't say that!" said Jimmy in an injured tone. "It sounds as if I'm not telling the truth, and I am. I swung on the front gale,

and whistled, and while 1 was ihiing both these things I throw a lump of turf at Willy Graham —because he'd thrown one at me first. What's more, 1 hit him good and hard. And if that s not three things all done together there's something wrong with the arithmetic they teach us at school!"