I've often heard of the man in the moon;
And his profile often have seen
In the almanac, drawn on the side of a lune,
Just so--with a smile serene.
[Illustration: (moon-1)]
But I guessed the secret the other night,
As the clouds were clearing away;
And what do you think was the wondrous sight
Which the mystery did betray?
[Illustration: (moon-2)]
I fancied I saw in the crescent, half hid,
Fair Luna herself reclining;
Not a man in the moon, but a woman instead,
From the sky was brightly shining.
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For the Companion.
"CHUBBY WUBBY."
She had such an honest, hearty, round little face, with two brown eyes,
a dot of a nose, and such chubby, hard, red cheeks that Aunt Gussie
named her "Chubby Wubby" as soon as she saw her.
Her real name was Fanny, although mamma called her "Blossom," sometimes,
and papa declared she was his little "Boy," while grandma had a whole
host of pet names beside.
Aunt Gussie thought "Chubby Wubby" seemed to suit her the best of all,
she was so round and plump and rosy.
Miss Chubby was cross one day, and among other things, she took it into
her head that she wouldn't be called by any of her pet names. When mamma
said to her, "Blossom, come and get your hat on," she shrugged her
shoulders; and she answered, "Agh!" when Aunt Gussie made a rush at her
for half-a-dozen kisses when she came in off the lawn, with such
tempting cheeks that it was impossible not to want to bite them.
When Aunt Gussie said, "Come here, quick, you sweet little Chubby
Wubby!" Fanny just kicked out one of her bare, plump little knees, and
cried, _"Pig!"_
Now that was a very dreadful thing for her to call her auntie, for Fanny
thought pigs were very horrid sort of beasts, and it was the worst name
she knew, and beside, she said it in a naughty, wicked tone.
"O Chubby," cried Aunt Gussie, laughing, "we haven't got any pigs in
here, and we don't want any colts either, and if you are going to kick
that way, we shall have to put you out in the stable."
Chubby didn't feel a bit like laughing at this, but said again, very
loudly, "_Pig_, Pig, PIG!"
Mamma heard her from the other room then, and she called out, "Come in
here to me, Fanny; I want to look at your tongue." Fanny kicked up her
heels and ran in to her mamma, and stuck out her little coral-tinted
tongue. "Wha' fo', mamma?" she asked, thinking perhaps some little sweet
pellets might follow.
"I wanted to see the naughty spot on it," answered mamma, "I heard it
call auntie a _name_ just now, and I wanted to tell you if I ever heard
it call any one that again, I should put something on the spot to cure
the naughtiness."
Little Fanny shut her lips very tight then, only opening them to say
very earnestly, "Never no more, mamma."
"Well," replied mamma, "I hope you won't forget, for I shall not; now
kiss auntie, and run out on the lawn and play until luncheon."
Then little Chubby Wubby went in and threw her arms around Aunt Gussie's
neck, and all was forgiven.
Somehow "never no more" happened to be a very short time, for not very
long afterward, when Annie, her nurse, called, "Come, Fanny, bread and
milk is all ready," she ran away off down by the brook and answered,
"No, I don't wan' to tum."
"But mamma says you must come in right away," and Annie ran after her.
"_Pig_, Pig, PIG," again cried Fanny, in an angry tone.
Mamma heard her, and came to the door. "Pick her right up, Annie, and
bring her to me. I am going to cure her of that habit directly," and so
poor little naughty Chubby Wubby was borne into the house, kicking and
screaming lustily.
"Stop your crying and put out your tongue," said mamma. "I'm going to
put some pepper right on to the naughty spot, and burn out the name you
have called auntie and Annie to-day."
"No, mamma, no, no, never no more," sobbed little Chubby Wubby, her eyes
and round red cheeks all wet with tears.
"Well, if Aunt Gussie and Annie say so, I will let you off this time,"
said mamma, with the little pinch of pepper in her hand all ready.
"But remember, if I ever hear your tongue call any one 'Pig' again, I
shall put the pepper on it and burn out the naughty spot."
Chubby Wubby sobbed over and over again, "Never no more, mamma," and
Aunt Gussie and Annie were very glad to say they would not like to have
their darling punished "this time," and Aunt Gussie whispered to little
Fanny's mamma, "I feel half to blame myself, for I suppose she thinks if
I call her a _name,_ she may call me one," and after that day little
Fanny never called anybody "Pig," and Aunt Gussie stopped calling Fanny
"Chubby Wubby."
G. de B.
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For the Companion.