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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 1908)
.. fi r iliMaiii n jmrr-r -- - - - 'i-Jiii tlr'- mm ., ...m, in i .11 mmmmmmmmn , ,,"...,'"";' ""JMI , 1 "lJi;j(i il.iU hult im V V i HlHintli! HiiUiim! h ji lR i.MjliH hijhl hth V Wai Hrm.j j ijii liHil'lttti I hii iii! i.i iitj ii IH ft, ai.lnih,' M Ui, , ,1 li!l..ltf.-Jl-jlilH,.,ll;M L ' , I : mi 1 h t i ii i n ; J hi,.. ., LJ.Iii'li.'jljJ.ilJIllllMLi. ... I , - T&I&&&S!!, "',, , 7"; .un.;.., i,.im...a.u..ji,.Iu..lui-,.i -t.tm. i.J.iiti.'-r., . i mt hs; itJiuijt 1 ttf uu.. .ri n;i.ai,m lijL.i'.ji. a :-';rt:i..Ji;. :ii . !. i. , -Jt i y' ru,m. 1 $ DUMPIJNG'S WONDERFUL) YOYAGE. ." ' ': ;: - . By E. BOYD SMITHS , " ' H 01 a balloon," cried Dumpling suddenJy.camft "interested in the- different-places which -he -as the boys of the little town of .Bon-paed over -How tmy the hou.es axe in that heur, In, France, wr getting ready for tovnr be thought; "and bow small the trees are!,; a game of marbles one afternoon. 7 And, oh. there's the seal''.- True enough; for Dump-. ' And, true enough,' there was a bat-ling's cloud . was rapidly carrying, hun out ow the - loon axfling over the wood and comingocwa Suddenly ,he .became frightened. Oh, 1 toward the village. At one all was excitement, forshall be drowned 1 ,; he cnea. unr 1 want ,ro go a balloon was a rare sight to the boys. As it ap-backt I mutt go back! . , 'v . ' ' I . proached, the occupants-of the basket ' dropped a He was very much frightened at the idea of stay long rope, shouting to them to catch hold and fnakeing out all night, and on a cloud too. It was bad it fast to a post. They wished to come down. ; Theenough in the daytime, when he could at least see , boys ran eagerly for the rope; but the balloon waswhere he was going; but now, at night, he might going too fast, and they were unable to hold it "Take a turn around that post," called one of the men from above. But before the eager boys, tug ging with all their might, could do as they were asked, a sudden gU6t lifted the balloon,; and they, carried off then feet, were dragged along, their toes barely touching the ground. ' "Let go,-let got" shouted the men,. alarmed lest the boys should be hurt The boys, now somewhat frightened, let ,the rope slide through their hands, and tumbled and rolled on the ground, unable to stop themselves. But Dumpling, as always, was too slow': the last to take "hold, he was now the last to let go. In fact, he did n't let go at til; for just as he was making up his mind Ho do so, the balloon, freed from the weight of the other boys, rose with a Jump, carrying him high up from the ground. "Stop, hold on, stop! I want to get down," cried poor Dumpling, now very anxious to let go. . But the men above cried out to him to hold on for dear life, for they saw that should he fsll from such a height he would surely be hurt, and perhaps seriously.- So Dumpling set his teeth -and held on. At last, quite low down, he found himself drain ing across Mere Seigle's garden. The linen was hanging out on the lines to dry. Now was Dump ling's chaneet he decided to drop; but just as he had come to thJs conclusion, a sheet flapped around his Dumpling thought they looked rery funny with their smooth-shaved heads, and long; pigtails of hair ; hanging down their backs. And their eyes, too,, were , queer, running up at the corners. And they wore strange' shoes and strange ctothes. It all looked very funny to him. When he smiled at them the people shouted in their joyr for they thought it a sign of his great favor, and that he would bring them .much, happiness and glory. For the first few days he enjoyed himself, seeing the strange things, the beautiful palaces, and the flowery gardens. A iruard of soldiers always car- - -,ried him about; and since they could a't understand.. a AWAY HS WENT, WITH SEVUlAt OF MEXX SEICHES BEST SHEETS AND TA1L8-CXOTHS HANGING ABOUT HIS NECK. head and so bewildered him that he forgot to let go. "Get out of that! Get away from that clean linen," angrily cried Mera Seigle. Poor Dumpling wished to: he had n't come there of his own free will And he did get away; for the balloon suddenly rose again, dragging him across the clothes-lines. They broke, and away he wen:, with several of Mere Seigle's best sheets and table cloths hanging about his neck. "Come back, come back, you thief 1" she shouted. . Dumpling would have liked only too well to come back, but the balloon was in too much of a hurry. Another strong gust of wind, and away they sailed, this time? high above the houses. Dumpling shut his eyes in terror; but he held on. Far down below, the other boys, in 'open-mouthed horror, watched him sail away. The men in the balloon were having trouble them selves to keep from falling out, as the basket rocked dangerously, shaken by every squall. And they , could not putt Dumpling in s they, had intended 1 When Dumpling, nearly out of breath, again opened his eyes, he saw, beneath him, the village, looking like a collection of tiny toy houses. The boys were only little black specks. - . ' ' Oh, dear," he . thought, "how shall I ever get down?" . -. ' But higher and still higher flew the balloon. Soon they were among the clouds. These looked temptingly soft to Dumpling. "I think I 'd rather be on a cloud than dragging along like a tail to a kite," he said. And the more he thought about the clouds, the more her liked the idea of trying one. At last a big round cloud just below seemed to invite him. a ; ' , . "I 've a mind to drop down n it," he said to himself; for he was getting very tired of holding on to the rope, and It hurt his hands. The temptation was too great to resist, Dump-' linglet go. Wh-r-r-r-rlihe shot down through the air, while the sheets were released and whirled up and away. He alighted in the middle of the soft ' cjoud without a shock; it felt like a featherbed. He was delighted; it was so much more comfortable than the end of a rope. ,The balloon .soon disap peared, still going up," up, and he found ' himself alone. .-.-; ;:. ' "Now this is very well so far," said Dumpling; "but how shall I get home in time for supper?" . He crawled oyer to the edge to look down: but all he could see at fjrst was more clduds. And. to his surprise, they air seemed to be going in different directions. At last, between them, he saw the earth far down betow. "Oh, I '11 never get baclf in time," he thought. - As he looked the land seemed to slide away from -beneath him. For a while he could not understand, this: but he soon discovered the reason his cloud r was moving1 .along all the time. And now he be-. THEY FXOSTtATED THEMSELVES. AT HIS FEET. sail away to some distant, savage country, he knew not where, and in the morning be so far from home that he could never get back. He might even go to China, he thought, away to the otlyeT end of the world. . And his heart sank as he thought or It. Poor lost Dumpling tried hard to keep awake; but he was tired from so much excitement and such unusual exercise, and his eyes closed in spite of all he could do to keep them open. The cloud was soft and comfortable, so at last he fell asleep. The sun was shining brightly when he awoke. He looked down from "his cloud to see where he 'was. All below him was a great desert of rocky plains, burnt and dry from the heat of the sun.. Here and there he saw tlroves of sheep and oxen, and occa sionally a man or two; but thy looked very foreign to him. , And now Dumpling discovered that? he was hun gry. And the sun became hotter and hotte. He crawled down into a shadowy nook of his ctoudto try to keep cool. While he satthere, reiecting fiver his mishap and wondering where he could get . a breakfast, he discovered that his cloud had grbwn smaller while he was sleeping. And even now, as he looked, it seemed to be breaking up. It also -became thinner and more transparent, and he was surprised to find that he could almost see through it. Th hot sun was drying it up. in the course of a few hours, though to Dump ling it seemed a much shorter time, the larger part of hi cloud had melted away before his eyes. Here was a new danger. What would become of , him tf it disappeared entirely? He no longer could move about on it with safety, for steadily, big pieces would break off and float away. And now be noticed that the remnant of the cloud was also. getting nearer to "the earth all the, time. ' '':' "; Vlf it only holds together till. I get there 1" he thought to himself. But he very much feared that it could not last long enough to let him down in safety. Now' be saw houses, plenty of therm He, was just over a great city: he could see it stretching away in every direction. And what Strang houses! He had never "seen the like before, They were of Much odd shapes, like great wooden ; tents,' and all briffhtly colored. V "Perhaps it s .China." he thought J. ; iler'e the cloud ' began breaking up in a most alarming manner. "Piece after piece broke off and melted away into the; air. :. Dumpling scrambled from each shifting piece to another, and held on for .dear life.,; But they kept growing thinner and thhv ner. To his" horror, he found that his feet went through and left holes. He felt that he must soon fall unless things changed at once. - But the sun grew hotter and hotter, and the cloud still melted ; away before ; it. t Dumpling felt himself rapidly sinking. , lie tried to hold to the last lump of cloud, but it vanished in his arms. He shut his eyes, for he knew that now he was lost. Down, down he rushed through the air. Thud! He had struck something. Crack t crash I It gave way. Splash! Dumpling had landed. For a moment he was dazed; but a great clamor and shouting made him. open'his eves. He looked up. Above him vas a hole which he had made in the bamboo roof. He looked down. He was sit ting in the middle of a big fountain. Now he under stood why he yas not hurt. He looked about him. Strange people were shouting and waving their hands. Some were on their knees, as though wor shipping before him. "It is the Child of the Sun," they cried. "He has come to us from the sky!" At once they helped Dumpling out of the. water. They took off his wet clothes and put a rich robe around him; then they' sat him on fine cushions and brought him all sorts of strange food and drink, which they placed before him. Then they pro&trated themselves at his feet, while musicians beat gongs and sang what seemed tuneless songs. .., Dumpling was so bewildered that he" forgot to be frightened. But when the food was presented to him he remembered that he had had no dinner the day before, nor breakfast that morning. He forgot everybody in his hunger, and ate until he could eat no more, for Dumpling always had a good appetite. And those who watched him said to one' another that he must be a god, for no mere human being , could eat so much. Next he looked about him. What strange men these wefel He had never seen any. such before. He would have been afraid, but he saw that they seemed to fear him This gave him courage. "I wonder if I 'm in China," he thought. . He asked where he was, but of course they could not understand him. 'They are Chinamen," he thought "He Is a god," they thought. "He speaks a celes tial language which we do not know" And again they bowed down before him. . Dumpling had fallen through the roof of the prince's palace. To every one of course it was evi dent that he had come straight from heaven; they . knew well that no ordinary person lived in the clouds. The prince-gave up his best throne to him: So overcome was he by this great honor that the gods had done him. Messengers were sent running through the city to announce the wonderful event; and soon the people came in multitudes to see the Child of the Sun. Dumpling was carried to the temple on a golden throne, while all the populace of the city fell down on their faces as he was borne before them. him, he made signs when he wanted anything, and everybody ran to wait upon him. But after a while he grew very homesick and could think of no way to get back to his own village, for he knew it must be very far off. ' The Chinese) boys were very fond of Hying kiCc and as soon as there was any breeze they .were 01. at play. In , the palace Dumpling saw some i; mense kites of odd shapes, bigger than' men. I asked the people, by signs, to fly them. - They an swered, by signs, that they needed much more win! At last, one day. there was a, strong breezej It? big kites were taken out,: and Dumpling was lighted to see great clouds, high up in the sky. "Oh, if I could only get up to themt" he thought. The men-sent tip the . big kites. One of them pulled sohard that it took two men to hold it. A" soon as it was up long way in tha sky, almost , to the clouds, it seemed to Dumpling, they tied v firmly tot a post. Then they, came bowing to Dump ling, the Child of the Sun, to show him that they bad fulfilled his command. They invited him to feel how strongly it pulled. Dumpling was surprised to find that he could not move the great kite, though hr used all his strength. Suddenly he thought, 'A kite may do as well as a balloon .to carry me up : to the clouds." The more he thought of this. the. more he was convinced that the idea would work. He was very homesick and very desperate. "I wfl try it, at any rate," he ..said at last; !I want to go home." So, while his unsuspecting attendants watched him adoringly, he suddenly cut the Hne which held the kite, and, holding on, to it.firmjr, away he sailed. The prince and his guards, when" they saw hir go, fell ,down on their faces, crying, "The Child o; the Sun is vexed with us, and he has gone back $r his house in the sky." , The kite soon carried Dumpling up among llc clouds; and as he was now 0 used to traveling this way, he easily dropped off upon a soft, thiV one, and soon was speeding away toward home. As be had made an early start, he reached hi own part of the world just before dark. . ' He skilfully dropped from one cloud to another, tintil quite near the earth. When he approached hi home his cloud, swayed by a gust of wind and hb weight, passed close over the tops of the ; forest trees Dumpling managed to drop in the branches, and, after some trouble, succeeded in climbing dow; to the ground, once again safely at home. "Hehyl Dumpling! I say, Dumpling! Where arc you?" Dumpling robbe'd his eyes and looked out There he saw the other boys with lanterns in their hands It was quite dark.. They were looking for him, 1 "Indeed,- but you do sleep well t" said yictor "Did n't you hear the supper bell?" "We thought you. were lost, and have been hunt ing for your for the last hour," added George. "What have you been dreaming about this time Dumpling?" asked Howard, laughing. But Dumpling would n't tell In fact, he is n'; sure yet whether it was a dream or not. ABOVE HIM WAS A HOLE WHICH HE HAD MADS IK THE BAMBOO JtOOJ. THE LIGHT OF THE FIREFLY. What a pleasure it is to watch'the brilliant, inter mittent sparking of the fireflies over the lawn and in the shrubbery! On some. warm evenings in sum mer the vanishing and reappearing of these innum erable little lights is very beautiful These so-called "fireflies" are not flies at all, but .beetles that have' soft-shelled flexible wing-covers, instead of those that are hard and shell- or metal like, as is usually the case in the beetle family. There are several kinds of the "lightning-beetles" in different part of the country. In our common firefly, the two end joints at the rear of the body are of a sulphur-yellow color. From these the strange, bright, phosphorescent light is given out . It is produced by the action of the nervous system, at the will of the insect, upon a peculiar formation of microscopic cells at this part of the body. A famous firefly of Bratil is catted the cucuju. In some tropical countries there is a targe firefly caHed :the Pyrophorus, that gives a steady light, not flash- ing like our firefly, and is brought alive to the United States and sold as an ornament PONE-BREAD. By GRACE MACGOVAN COOKE. . Little Bobby Black, - ' - ' He's a-singin' ior a snack, . An' what shall we make him from de meal in de . sack? . . , '. Go chunk up de fire wid a piece o hick'ry wood, .Mix up de dough, . Pat it on de hoe ' Am', sinner, did y ever taste hoe-cake?, V Oh. sinner, did y' ever eat ash-cake? Ef y' didn't, jr- don' know what's good. -7 yuuuuui - !H I M l 7. .liftsi I3E:: .-III I 0-(CDr I Ll N 1.11 m , Ml- "I tic -c- ' iMui a siunvoaioneGi TDfTTi. - 'hV-'-r iWastomym-wifb , their wera ml ml at iirnnri 1