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Show Christmas in 1 I the Barnyard 1 g By MARV VAftAM BONNER g vtv viv tCopyrlgbt, 1919. bj Western Newspaper Cnlonj tHRISTMAS is coming," crowed Mr. Roosler. "Christmas Is com-c com-c Ins," gobbled Mr. Tur-"Don't Tur-"Don't be too happy about it, for you may he eaten, Mr. Turkey," r4i-tc sa' M'ss Hen. jJplT3 And then she clucked, fe-ji L'4jr'S "Christmas is coui-jofiRifc coui-jofiRifc lug." "Gobble, gobble, gobble," gob-ble," said Mr. Turkey; "you needn't be so rure that you won't be eaten yourself." "Well, it's the best time of the year to be eaten. It's an honor." "That's what I've always said," gobbled gob-bled Mr. Turkey. "Please, Miss Hen, try to be original." "I may try to be many things," clucked Miss Hen, "but it is impossible impos-sible for me to try to be original." "Why?" asked Mr. Tnrkey, who was much puzzled. "Because I don't know what it Is to be original. I don't know what the word means. How can I be something if I don't even know what that something some-thing is? I can't try to be a thing 1 don't know anything about." "You could ask what it means, couldn't you?" Inquired Mr. Turkey. Are you too proud for that?" "Not too proud," said Miss Hen, "but I don't ask favors. I like to have them handed to me without the asking. ask-ing. It makes me appear so superior." supe-rior." "Absurd," said Mr. Turkey. "Well, ' If you RmxaaiA think so then," lnfw M Be Eat. said Miss Hen, "I en Mr. Turkey." suppose I will have to swallow my pride or my superiority su-periority and be friendly at this time of the year. Yes, I will actually ask you. What does it mean to be original?" origi-nal?" "I will tell you," said Mr. Turkey, "but first of all let me say that you cannot swallow your pride nor your superiority. Those are not things to eat. "You may rise above your pride, but it is impossible to swallow it." "Now, Mr. Turkey, I may be only a poor hen, but I know a few things. It's a saying and a perfectly good saying' when I speak of swallowing my pride. Everyone knows no one means to chew it and swallow it actually. Besides, Be-sides, as far as that is concerned, I might say to. you that it was not correct cor-rect to talk about rising above your pride as though pride were the ground and one took a trip in an airplane above it." "Let us not quarrel," said Mr. Turkey, Tur-key, "for the joyous Christmas season is fast approaching." 'Tes," mutttered Miss Hen, "and I was fast approaching victory In that argument." Mr. Turkey pretended ' he hadn't beard. "Oh, by the way," he said, after a moment's pause, "you wanted me to tell you what it meant to be original." "Yes," clucked Miss Hen, while a sm'.le .passed over her hen face. "Well," continued Mr. Turkey, "when a creature is original and say original things it means he is saying things he has thought up himself and hasn't copied from someone else. A person who has original ideas all his own. A creature crea-ture who says original things, says things uo other creature says." "l'ou copied me w hen you said it was an honor to be eaten at Christmas. That was what 1 "Everyone Should sld." Give Me Pres- "Don't be so erlts-" lussy, Mr. Gob bler, said Miss Hen ; "we can't all be original, as you call it. Besides words are words and we all have to use the same ones to tv understood, so what difference does It make how we put them touetlierV" .'I Ir. Turkey walked proudly about, as though some creatures really hadn't enough brains to bother talking to, but soon a great noise was heard. The pigs were all squealing and grunting. "It is the time of the year when everyone ev-eryone should give me presents," squealed Pinky Pig. "Everyone should give me presents. That Is what Christmas means," said Porky Pig. "They should ail give them to me," said Brother Bacon, "or you pigs don't know the spirit of Christmas giving." "You don't l;now It yourself," said Miss Ham. "Christmas Is coming. I'm all ready for presents." But the other animals sighed and shook their heads. "Pigs don't even forget they are plg j during the Christmas season I" |