THE GREASED POLE
"Did you ever see such large tomatoes?" exclaimed Jerry, pointing to a
booth where some prize vegetables were being exhibited.
"I'm glad you like them," said a fat, smiling old woman who was
standing near them, "for I grew them myself and they're prize winners."
"Oh, I don't see how you ever did it," declared Jerry. "I had a garden
once and most everything died but the weeds."
"Well, my dear, wasn't that just too bad? Perhaps you forgot to water
the plants. It's a bit of care every day that brings them along," and
she patted Jerry's rosy cheeks.
"I guess the poor things starved to death," thought Jerry as she joined
the others, "for I'm sure I often forgot them."
"What an enormous pumpkin, Uncle Billy. Do you think it's real?" asked
Beth, as they stopped before a large display of them.
"Yes, of course it's real," he assured her, "and just think of all the
good pies it will make."
"I wonder if Cinderella's chariot was as big a pumpkin as that," mused
Mary.
"What are those funny looking poles over there, with cross pieces at
the top?" Jerry exclaimed, "there's a boy trying to climb up one of
them."
"Let's go over and see," suggested one of the others, so they made
their way over and joined the crowd about the two poles and were soon
watching the boys who tried to climb up to secure the presents hanging
from the cross pieces.
"I believe they are greased to be slippery like the pigs were,"
remarked Mary.
"They are," Uncle Billy replied, "it's a game brought over from
France."
It did seem for a while that not one of the boys ever would succeed in
reaching the top. They would climb up a short way and then slide
back, while the crowd laughed and cheered.
[Illustration: "Now I've got you, you little rascal!" he cried, and the
crowd cheered.]
Finally a long-legged boy twisted himself around one of the poles and
with funny, quick motions worked his way up near the top.
"Oh, I do hope he gets there," whispered Jerry, under her breath as the
boy had almost reached the top, "his clothes look so ragged and poor."
"He's up," shouted the crowd. "What's he going to take?"
The boy now had one arm thrown about the crosspiece and was looking at
all the different things he had to choose from.
"Take your time, sonny; look them all over first," called out a
good-natured man in the crowd below, but the boy was quick to decide
and slid a shining pair of skates from off the pole across his
shoulders.
"They'll come in handy before very long," he told the crowd with a
laugh as he came down the pole.
"Good for you, Spider," called out his boy friends, running up to
admire the fine new skates which he was proud to show.
"What a horrid name," commented Beth, "but I'm glad he won."