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Show Paddys Lq j ; f Fairi Talo . THE ICE BOX "I never let myself get overheated and excited," the Ice box said. "That's because of me," said the big piece of Ice which was In the Ice box. "True," said the Ice box, "but still you would do badly If you weren't In me, "You wouldn't have much fun If you were put on top of the kitchen stove, for example. ' "You need me and I need you." "But while I am not so much appreciated ap-preciated in the winter time I am very useful. "I keep things so nice and cool. I help keep the Ice cream frozen as It stunds in Its freezer waiting for the supper part to commence." "Yes, you'o hnve a good time," said the piano. "Now I am here so much of the time and I don't have any fun. I'm closed for hours at a time. "No one plays nie and I become so very, very quiet. It's not natural for a piano to be kept so quiet so much of the time." "Well," said the big chnir, "suppose . you were sut upon nil the time how , would you like that?" "It wouldn't be nice for a person to be sat upon all the time," said the dining-room rug, "but as you're a chair and ns that Is your business It is quite all right." "I suppose so," said the armchair. " "Still I thought I'd have a grumble and I thought It would be a nice grumble to say I was tired." "I don't know whether there .are such things as nice grumbles," the rug said. "We don't know so very much. I don't pick up much knowledge, for example, though I do pick up my share of dirt " 'Goodness only knows whe,re It comes from,' the mistress of the house often says. The children are pretty good about wiping their feet before they come into the house." "Now I don't grumble," the rug continued, "and yet I am often beaten. "I enjoy being beaten as a matter of fact. I like to see the dirt come out of me. "I feel as though I were saying to . the dirt: " 'Now will you be good und get out of the wayl' "I feel, too, nt swh times as though I belonged to myself and not to the members of the Dirt ond Dust brigade." bri-gade." "' "Well," said the strainer In the kitchen, "I never get anywhere." "Different things go through me and they see the coffee pot or the teapot or a howl or a dish, but I never get onywhere at all. "It's rather hnrd to he a strainer and yet It Is splendid to think that I "I Enjoy Being Beaten." con keep back the coffee grounds and the tea leaves and can show them who is boss." So the different things ln ths . kitchen and dining room and living , room were talking. "Keep cool Is what I soy," the let box continued. "Don't get excited. Don't get upset "Follow my example and keep cool. "There Is nothing like It In the world. Moybe It la nice to keep warm I the winter time, but even then no one wants to have the butter kept warm or the milk kept warm or the cream kept warm or the other things which I look after, "It would be pretty hard on the butter but-ter If It didn't have me. "Yes, I'm the nice cool Ice box and '. this Is my song: I'm the Ice box cool, the Ice bo cool And I hold a big: piece of Ice, I keep the food so freeh and wood, I make tt taste no nice. I'm the Ice box cool, the Ice box coot, And I'll never change my ways; I'll alwaya tea that food keeps well NlKhta as well as daya! |
