The.Bed-toothed Poffiwumpus.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 83

The .Bed-toothed Poffiwumpus.

- ' „ By TiITTiE JOHNXT.'SJEy: lather he *ed,, Johnny, your .uncle Hdard .and -that- -Mister Gipple—haye 'ben - "telliri' you sum oSe woppers 'lately, "~ I ha-veh't.-a;' t word for', to sa again- it, cos if -Ithay dident talk thay wud be sick/ but I ehud * like" to point- out sthefc" ,a man wich haaeut ben in'lnjiahny ,and every ~whare, *nd has&nt -never s-bens -ben- a jmishonary preecher ; to the natif niggers of New » Jerzy, -jisay be - «ble for to 'tel* stprys J.Ms -self, and that's- " arie. - Then. l ast him wuld he tel me one about ataggar .of .the jingle, or a king- wich wore r - a-bricht' clowf and ef babys, and he eed, any. father did, Johnny, sseii low theeins as ~ them -5s uilwurthy of my tallents, ,but .cne. evening in a Jonely spot in Coneticut I met - a. ' reel-tooth . pottiwumpus. „ • I was a long ; Tray from horn, .and too .tired for -to run, ■- «'o *>I elimed a tee aiiil told him to go away. The -potty he jest 6et, up on his tail eiid' -.-■uttered^ inosrnfle sound; much' as-' to. say" r'Vl'waseriVpla-yin' fair ; «"6ut- r,wa_s^mityj brave . and- -stuck to ...the - ire. ., :SeinV N he..'-'euqent > jacomplish jay ruin; by- gSej-- j&e 4/ elimed -souther -tre.'" \Sa ■ l7<HinT~dow.h . and ;XlqoEif up' at hlin- an!- made^a> nibaxnflejsound v nay.; pwn Js<?lf «f. The', potty -he -"stbcd.'lt iox a' i lrtieQyrß&r-'DTiI his better" nachnre^vereataed' - 3iiin- apd jx&; ,started.»foivto descend -and 1 meet . ? me :on. equ^l-4irrins;': ma.rr'-agwsi :naanj/sd'T[ r'c^nt-iijj^riiy rfere agin};wileuhe^Lwas,'.'a;c J unir' *- * arin'f down' our -of'jiisen. 'Wenjhe'nad-'-re-raitecHfihis -earth she 'was .mity .disagointed- _ * ancL~sh~ode -his -red' teeths, -wich-'in <numlK>r .was .like^jstars' on the fie; wen _the ~,_ blue , wbavas'-zole- miiely -on deep 'Galilee. - " .- " ; • .- OPeelin' -that.ol was Iceb, inclu'din' me, I breathed- a-prair-and'sed 'Ide '*be-<tvith- him .~uin a minnit if- ie -eiide enSure-'the pangs- , -of; 'hungry that long, and begun -fax 'to , elide down, ;but -fore I ccude -ofer toy self . . a williri' sackfice to Jus Just «of -meat, 1-e was ones- more aiming the : top niost bows - of- iiis -towery 'pine. '*' ' ' Johnny, this memorable .combat lasted ol 'nite, _just :i bat way; and eer;the bugle- sang . trice -'me "and the rpotty "was that fafeeg'd ,-that^rure" uncle 'Edard^culd have roled up hk^keves-and spit oh^his liands and "licked - Ms- .both, ' and jMistjr r'Gipple .^jiild - j hai' 'Hang <bur. unresisifie -"'boday .into the grate gulph 'Trhetxe' he -iberrys ■ his ■ =6lottere<3 iomen. - - - J <ast my -iather how it ended, ,and he "«ed, It dident x-nd -a*, all, the march of iiajproofment com- along vand Jeveld \that fonst- primeval, and -once was jherd the-'rore of 'Mtle, the crysof the combaters, and, the thucder"<of';fhe* captins isXnow the peeefal .jnurmur Sof a facktry -for -.making iras : duiner jplaies out- of old "tin -cans. ■ Wen '«my_4atber *had tble liie story ,arid bad^ent>^away'-I-Mote'.it ol^dowjnr -^for 'the yapjef," ii^ flfien -Uncle : .~Ned' -.h'eV corned " in -and sed, ' Jphnny.- have you se ji'pe'ece ' of -Srritin.Tvtch I^have Txtstfi ijtr - > ;■' ' ' '*, _ I-sed noi I'-hadent," \vdt"Va6\it' about? Uncle^Nea " heVee'd, 0 it jjsr, Je6t_':a r ,'.littl& ; »count *wich> I * wrote for *<you* -pf-;a •'ierible * „-enepujiter- wieh :; F ! h'ad--pne r'-rlnie;>m"-C6'nefi-"r '-rlnie;>m"-C6'nefi-" -■ 'Tctxt './<" * ■ 1 ,o!h©n"(s spoke 'up-afi^-'sedr.^i-'-dori'v-'waiit. ifc^^cos father -he Iba3 > ji"*fitc-with < -"'one rWsdwin'self, 4n3''Jias^jest nbwtdle ine.ol about It. ■ - 2 Uncle- Ned thot wile -and 'bime' by , lie sed, Did, the .potty <slime "a tre?li^sed, Tes, 'he did, - but -that dident save him, 'for father' he climea'- a uther one, mity .bravi. "Uncle Ned 'Said, "Wasent there sum thing .about a bras faektery? I 6ed,.l?hare is a' bras t&etikery there now, -iut it was one time a fo'rist primevil. Then Uncle m^d he shuke his hed, real £cl!em,,and sed, -Johnny, .fur be it from me to denouneh a parrent ;to his own child. "Yure father. is a, good man^and sl»tely -bald. .!He -arisos the lark and goes v *4ourth rejoicin in his duty and. ful' of gratefleness to Piofidcnce wich -has -given Trim -eech a noble bruther .and a"'wliifewich_i3ent per■fickler and 'wotchy. -His- voice is 'herd in - the eownails of :the gTate, and he wud rather his -harts goa-r than for 'to -refusse to -be .a 'pose.-master -for ,his- country. ~ELh -dwelling is "ibe -home' of vertchu arcd the liouse of peace"\and a. 'mity Jjice >place for me to .board .wen :sfcockx is lo and .'meat 1 is "hL. . Yes, ;my boy, .^rure' father, is 'a-ishiny ,lite of polly ticks, a pillow of the chiirtch, thdihope 3-nd .pride <of all the .fellers -wich tbhiks >thay. i_are 'like... x him. 'he- 's -too gum-3astea"litterary. ' J6h*nny.<rl used to Ije-that Avay myself— -' litfcerary ~i rom the crown. of^my feetsto th& „ sole oi«my^Ji€dTTfcil^ane-.tjme-.-my;' unbridled ' ~s>a<shpri- % for "fanie me . to steel 4 .the -multiplication jiabl-'an >publi^i-iitVas x«y- . "owe compisishon.,"-. ■Trfih,- Jmy Vnaine .■ ; to --? it.; Tliats whare I broke, my laig,, Thais J»'hare- . ray (litterary; .career ren'apt - off ' an y d I a -be- ;, *camedia»..outeast .in"'the-£ind'df'3uy,rburth". . JLpd.thate'wot- wil -Tiapen to'vurs^talleated w ..father-' if .'nis "love -of.-fins llterchure temps : '"-3iira-' to, >swjpe"- it,--jnstea .^of ,-whaclun 'it.' up : -It^self..,* And he' wil get .a -lickin, too." I . goi;/mv- : boy/-I^£o' to^pray for"--him. - ' So Unole Used went s away for to pray. . Ibut . Mister Gipple he 6es, Pray for- yufe «i?pimys 7 cos yure friends -can take -care of thair .selfs* if you have choosed the rite - kind. Mister PHchel, thafcs fche preecher, he was t»Vour house an:l he sed, One time vry 'oongashon jheld ;a jpray -'meetjn, and thare was a oarpenter' wich Jiad- ben snacht :from ihc\*buxnin suite resent, , and <his name was Smith, .en -wen it cum his tern for to iiray . 2 sed, Wil' bruflier, Smith putupapurtishon .- to -.the 1 throah -of grace! ' Brubher Smith re -"^arose •.up real "mad, and~-spoke up an sed, - This congashfon As o.l\ Jewels, and I aint - ntithin only'.bufc jest «a common carpenter. ■ -but.-you -needent thro it no to me, and liores whare I -back elide. It T. was to .put upr.-a pnrtishon to the throan of grace it - >vtQd 'be jest.^-for>.-.to -you fellers from -BraTdn in and steelin. .the 'gold off of tie - thi;oan. . --,"-„.-■-_ But <the "Bible -it oomands us for to keep silents in the* cKurtches, and -thats wy I say j? wooman, wich is a .few days and a fool idh, trubble," rhal be casteS into, the, lake of - fire and broom- stone. . ,r, r - - ' . S: i-