JOHNNY LIKED CREAM.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 27, 5 July 1890, Page 19

JOHNNY LIKED CREAM.

Now that Johnny liked cream no one could deny, and now that his grandmother sent milk to the factory, instead of keeping it in the dairy where he could get at it easily, he was often wishing for the old days when he could dip his fingers in the dish and suck them. That was when his grandmother made butter. Well, Johnny’s liking for cream got him into trouble once, as I will tell you. He used to go down with the milk on a sledge to the factory, which was on the banks of a river. He was a jolly little fellow, and was a great favourite with the manager, Mr Parumea. One morning he was the last on the list, and the manager being in a great hurry to get his horse, did not watch him ofi' the premises as usual. ‘ Now,’thought Johnny, ‘.is my chance for a little. I must have some,' and watching Mr Parumea’s retreating form, he crept quietly into the mill again. There was the cream in the vat. He dipped his hand in, but the cream was too far down for him to reach, so standing up on something besides it, he reached down, but reached a little too far, and, alas ! poor Johnny tipped head first into the vat.

Struggling and splashing in the rich cream, the wretched boy was nearly choked, but with a violent effort he managed to get out again. Head, face, arms all covered with cream.

what was he to do? Just then he heard a step, and rushing frantically out, he made ort' home as hard as he could, He never thought of the horse or cans, but ran and ran, up hill and down hill, till he saw the well-known refuge -home—in the distance. But, horror of horrors! he saw the pigs coming towards him as they used to when he returned with the cans, but now it was different. It was not the cans they smelt, but Johnny. The more Johnny ran the more the pigs ran. Johnny screamed and the pigs squeaked, ami they began to tear the coat off him. Just then his grandmother looked out of the door. ‘Oh,’ says she, ‘there’s Johnny, and the pigs chasing him ! What has that imp of mischief been doing ?’ ami out she ran with a big stick and beat the pigs oft'him, whilst the old man followed with the dog.

Oh, what a sight was Johnny ! The cream had dried on him, ami he looked like some strange white animal with black legs so horrid looking that tlie old woman, without asking him how he had got into such a mess, lifted him with a strong grip into a tub nf rain water, sousing him well in it ; the second bath that day for poor Johnny. Then she scrubbed him down with a broom and dried "him with her

roughapron. When 'he heard from hint what had happened, she promised not to tell, but ki.xe.l his ears and sent him off back for the cans. When the manager came back to his factory what a mess met his eyes. He thought, ' surely a dog has been in the cream.' and he went away in a rage ami wrote up notices that |<oison was laid for dogs. " hat he did with the cream 1 don't know, whether he threw it away or made it up into butter. Most likely the buyers would know if it had a different taste : if so it would be the taste of Johnny who liked cream.

Polly Cherry.