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Show APRIL FOOL The other day in the newspaper newspa-per I read that it's the little things in life that bother, us; we sit on a mountain and we don't mind it a bit, but we sit on a tack and Mrs. Pulsipher, together with some famous persons, said that an honest confession is good for the soul. Five years ago last Wednesday, Wednes-day, Mr. Worthen, noted educator, found a cactus in his chair much to his delight. I did it. And that reminds me. When I was younger and still more foolish, I conceived the scheme of placing a tack on the principal's seat in assembly. He was a good old soul who wished to be the pal of every boy in the school. Surely he would take the joke in the right way. I got the tack in the proper place with little lit-tle difficulty. The students were all seated and a subdued murmur cowed me. The teachers filed onto the platform, each one looking at me acusingly. The pricipal stalked in and hovered hov-ered over the chair a moment. Then, before I could cry out a warning, he sat down like a ton of feathers. A sickly grin o'er-spread o'er-spread his countenance and he turned red and green. The victim arose slowly oh, much too slowly slow-ly and I could see his white knuckles as he gripped the table to keep from laughing. He bit his lips in order not to smile. "Who did this?" It thundered about me. I knew very well that I had done it, but being modest then, I answered him not. My school mates looked blank at his question, ques-tion, while I could feel my eyes beat upon the floor. Limply the principal sank into his chair once more, but not until after he had carefnllv scrutinized the seat. Tf you believe this, you're a bigger phool than I. Down through the ages all Christendom has celebrated the first day of April as a day of practical jokes. The same tricks catch someone every year and only now and then is there a new joke pulled. Every year someone goes to the library to find out the origin ori-gin of All Fools' day. They find many different explanations but none of them satisfactory. For instance, the other day I heard that January, February and March you worry and by April the first you find out what a damphool you have .been to worry so much. But if you want the real low-down it's this. My great .great grandfather, many times removed, was sitting on his grandfather's knee when ' he asked why there was an April Fools' day. Well, my little one, it was this way, the venerable man began relating while he settled himself comfortably and drew on his pipe. In my home town a band of robbers rob-bers were accustomed to pay a visit every year on the first of April, in order to celebrate the birthday of their leader. They would do many funny things that the town folks wouldn't like, for it was a dignified city and proper people never laughed. Once the Lord High Mayor was pulled out of bed and his night-cap put on an ape -who filled the mayor's place admirably. Once the courthouse court-house was painted a sickly green. Horses and cows somehow got into the wrong corrals. Well, the citizens stood this very stolidly and the school children were even heard tittering when the school master was ducked and when tfye tax collectors were put in stocks the taxpayers didn't seem to notice no-tice their discomfort. Affairs went on thus for some years, until the robber band, during dur-ing an extra large celebration, set fire to the city. The burghers did not see the joke right away and began to chase the frolicsome robber rob-ber band, who took offense, and left, never to be seen again in those parts. Years wore on and the people of the town missed the jokes so much that they played tricks on one another once each year. My great, great, great grandfather, grand-father, many times removed, was satisfied as he jumped from the trembling knee and scampered off to bed. |