| OCR Text |
Show A REAL LION STORY. What Actually Happened to a Traveler on the East Coast of Africa. 1 had finished both my water bottles, and ; having a splendid thirst on me I shouldered my ride and strolled over the void to some palm trees about a mile off to see if 1 could shoot dowu a cocoanut. . I walked on steadily to within tweuty yards of some very tall palms, gazing up at them to see if there were any coooanuts on Jem, w lien ten yards in front of me somethim; attracted at-tracted my attention, and on looking down from under the shade of a low palm up Bprang a httLre, full row-n, male lion with a mane half covering his body, and before you could say "knife!" he had disappeared like a garden thrush away Tnnong the trees, lie had been asleep, and awoke at the sight of me with a grunt and a growl. A FINE SFKC1MKN OF A I.ION. It would be hard to say which were tho more frightened of the two, the liou or I. He was awfully scared, while on my part, I must confess, there was a good deal of honest terror mingled with my amazement. amaze-ment. I didn't go after cocoauuts, but did a rightabout turn and walked straight back to my party. I didn't fire at the brute, as if you w ound them they go for you. 1 was alone and had uo use for him. It's all right if you get up a tree, as they can't climb. But. an African lion never goes for a man without some provocation. He wib steal youngsters at night from a camp. I am glad I have seen a lion, as it h;i3 been my wish ever since being here, and I couldn't have been closer or have seen a finer specimen. I'm glad he awoke when lie did, as I was walking straight toward him, and I should" probably have trodden on his tail w hile gazing up for cocoanuts, and I believe they don't like having their tails trodden on. " The Larkspur anil the Poppy. ' Larry Larkspur, Larry Larkspur, Wears a cap of purple gay: Trim and handy littie dandy. Straight and smirk he stands alway. Larry Larkspur, Larry Larkspur. " Saw the Poppy blooming fair; Loved her for her scarlet satin, Ixived her for her fringed hair. Sent a message by the night wind, "Wilt thou wed me, lady ay? For the heart of Larry Laekspur Heals and burns tor thecal way." When thamorn began to bt:. V'en, . , ,. Eager gianeed he o'er t he bed; Lo! the Poppy's leaves had iallea; Bare and brown her ugly head. Sore amazed stood Larry Larkspur, And his heart with grief was big. "Woe is mel she was so lovely, Who could guess she wore a wig?" Sarah Simonda' Scholars. A little girl who resides on Long Island sent the following story not long ago to The St. Nicholas. She explained that she composed the story with the assistance of her mother, without using a dictionary, with words beginning only with S: Sarah Simonds sought some Sunday school scholars. "Scholars seldom sit still," said she, so she selected six straightforward, straightfor-ward, sober, steady, serious, save Stella Stark's small sister Susan. Susan seemed stubborn, sullen. Stella started scolding. Seeing she seemed sorry, she soon st opped said sweet, soothing sentences. Soon she seemed satisfied, serene. So Stella spun some startling stories. She said she saw seven ships sailing southward Sunday. Sun-day. Suddenly she saw some shipsslowly sinking. sink-ing. She screamed several seconds. Strauge-ly Strauge-ly she saw six sailors swim swiftly shoreward, shore-ward, seeking succor. Sad scenel Six sole survivors! She simply said, "Sabbath breaking!" Susan sighed. How Coast Tribes of New Guinea Mve. Many of the coast tribes of New Guinea live in pile dwellings in the sea. Upon a strong platform raised on piles driven int.) the sand they build rainproof houses of laths of split caue and thatch the roofs with palm leaves. The rooms are lofty, and the better class of dwellings are provided with a veranda in front, from which a ladder lad-der runs down to the water. Communication with the shore is of course nan.oymeans 01 uoai.3,0110 01 men is always kept moored to the ladder. But why do the natives live in houses like these, which, in spite of their healthiness, are not very convenient? Partly because it is terribly ter-ribly hot on shore, but mainly because the fierce folk that live in the bush in the interior inte-rior of the great island are fond of making sudden attacks on the settlements along the coast. Therefore, to avoid these surprises, sur-prises, the possible victims hit upon the device of erecting their houses on piles in the water, where, if not positively safe, they cannot be raided unawares. The Farmer and His Family. There once was a farmer who owned a youaj pig That could stand on its hind legs and dance a Scotch jig. He also possessed a remarkable cow Who played the guitar-well, you hardly knew how. Tho farmer had, too, though it seems quite. absurd, - , A talented cat that could sing like a bird; A VERY QUEER F.VMII.f-A F.VMII.f-A squirrel who really was quite a good druro- And a do j who could whistle the " Last Row of Summer." Small wonder, indeed, that with all these together to-gether The farmer cared sauglit for the state of tha weather. |
