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Pontypridd.

- Treforest.

itRhydfeleq

Williamstown.

Porth.

Perjrhiwceiber.

Senghenydd.

[No title]

Trealaw.

Treorky.

- Treherbert.

Ferqdale

The Shop Assistants' Movement…

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MTION.M EISTEDDFOD OTE LETS.

PONTYPRIDD OHAMBER OF TRADE

Our Library Table.

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fPUBLISEED BY 3PECIAL ARRANGEMENT..] TOMMY TWADDLED THANKSGIYJNG. BY EDWAltD H. LEBENS. [COP YRIG H.T. ] Tomm.y Twaddles was tirad. lie had lived through a day of unadulterated full. as he him- self gleefully said, "nowthin' but eat in' he whole day." There was old Goby, the big gobbler, by whom Tommy bad often been, conquered, if a sedate promenade on that gentleman's part—meant pro- bably for the edification of certain turkey belles and resulting in Tommy's ignominious escape through the garden gate-could be called a con- quest. Even without the cannibalistic fun of eating him, Tommy was glad that Goby was out of the way. How often he had withed it while his fat little sausage-like less were taking him at a lively gait across the farm yard! How Goby's many good reasons for hostility towards him tiasJvi/1 through his mind at these times! How he repented of the sticks and stones thrown over the fence, of the faces he had made, of the venom with which he had stuck out his tongue and wrinkled up his nose, as soon as the slamming of the garden gate assured. him of his safety! Haw he repented of the impulse which so often caused him to run along the garden fence taunt- ing his enemy! He was awfully glad that Goby V, s out of the way. I However, there was Gobv. brown and crisp 3a the outside, white and tender underneath, with the juicy gravy dripping clown into the apple filling that spread I itself around the dish. I; Then there was, according to Tommy, who counted it off on bis fingeTs before dinner, cranberry sauce, an' apple sauce, an' oal'ry, an' sweet putaters, an' reg'lar putaters, an' chicken an' -ham, an' tongue, an" corn what came in a can, an' pickles, an' onions^ an' coffee wid four lumps of suger. 'stead of one, an' puddin' wid white stuff on top, an' mince pie, an' pmn'kin pie, an' ca-ody an' nuts 'tween tim." This had all b-sen enjoyed, and Tommy was tired. lie was seated before the fire in the large wooden rocker -n-atch:-lg the firelight, when the door opened softly, and someone entered. Tommy, supposing it to be his mother come to put him to beJ. did not turn. "Tommy Twaddles! came a solemn, sepul- chral voice. Tommy started, jerked his head around, and there stood Goby i' His body was brown and crisp, just as it had come from oven for dinner. The head, which Tommy had chopped off at the invitation of his Older brothsr, was fastened on again somehow, a red flannel cloth concealing the wound. It was covered wi-tli dust, just as Tommy had left it after kicking it around the yard vindictively, His ou-e eye was swollen from contact with Tommy's copper-toed boots. From the other he glared at Tommy fiercely. Tvnamy Twaddles!" repeated Goby, arrang- ingtb), flannel cloth more comfortably, and rest- ing his browned arm on the door knob, I have ecrito for you." Tommy grew pale, and his lips trembled so that he could utter no sound. Goby cast a furtive look around the room with his uninjured eye, and then gobbled softly three times; a wonderful thing to do consider- ing the condition of his neck. In response to th? evident signal, three gob- blers of great size and fierce demeanour entered. They stood in line, erect and with folded wings, until Goby waved his browned arm towards Tommy. Then they approached, keeping step like soldiers. One jerked Tommy out of the rocker, while the others, as if drilled in their parts, took a position on either side of him. They dug holes in his ears with their sharp claws, and passed stout lines through them. One they gave to the third gobbler, the other too -Gobs. Tommy tned to call to his mother, but the gobbler to his left clapped his wing over Tommy's mouth. And so they dragged him from the house. Tommy stumbled aft?r his captors directly to the large barn; lis hopes of rescue fading with eaeh step. When they reached this place Goby gobbled three times again—not so well this time, for the cold night air seemed to affect his throat- whereupon the great door opened magically. An immense fire burned in the middle of the barn, lighting up a strange scene. There were all sizes and colours and forms and qualities of turkeys. Old baldames and young K'—ly whn BVOwlcil beldames and walked with the buds, gobbling eoftly such tender things as gobblers can. There were drakes who walked more soberly than the fascinating gobblers, holding their arms "for the ducks beside them, and show- ing plainly that they were invited guests by the frequency with which they cautioned num. bers of ducklings, their offspring, to politeness. There were also geese, jealous of the ducks, who with their families of goslings around them, looked in vain for their truant ganders. These, having found the corn-bin, chose to partake freely of its contents with certain speckled roosters of low birth, with no characters to lose, who took their corn like topers and crowed like veterans, to the secret admiration of the ganders. There were guinea hens and cocks, running here, there, and everywhere, 'tending to things like elderly ladies at a Church fair. All the hay had been thrown from the loft, and was scattered in rows along the floor, making comfortable seats for those who wished to sit down. Directly in front of the fire a divan was erected, over which was artistically draped Mrs. Twaddles' best parlour tablecloth. Here sat in state, and in all the gorg< ousness of his plumage, a peacock. To his left. on a slightly lower plat- form, sat his wife, while surrounding him was a body guard of roosters, arrayed in their shining coats of red. They strutted aroung haughtilyancf b-eld their hekis teiy1 h'^h,- thoua-h. as a matter of fact, some of them were of stock just as ple- beian as the speckled roosters in the corn-bin. There were other roosters here, some in pure white, which shone just like satin, and some in bl ick'and white like ermine, and they bowed and scraped to dowager hens and to their daughters, long-legged, short-winged, bashful creatures, who were henpecked for their behaviour, good or bad, by their mothers upon the departure of the roosters. The whole arrangement reminded Tommy very much of a qjiromo in the parlour, under which. so Mrs. Twaddles had told him, was printed "King Ferdinand's Court." As Tommy, led by his captors, approached the peacock's divan, there was a general rush from all sides. They all wanted to see him. They cackled and screeched, and crowed and gobbled, and clucked and quacked, and shoved and pushed, and pulled and tore, and elbowed in their efforts to get a point of vantage. Hereupon a small bantam rooster, evidently a cavalier, judging by his heavy spurs, acting as a cavalier, tiew on the pitchfork handle, and in a shrill voice cried: Ladies and gentlemen will please take seats and refrain from disturbing the quiet, by special command of Kiner Peacock." Tommy decided the peacock was truly a pown when he saw how rapidly even the busybody guinea hens took seats. The quiet of the grave' yard reigned throughout the barn. The peacock on the parlour tablecloth looked so stern and mighty that Tommy's eyes sought the ground in fright. Tommy Twaddles." said the peacock, after clearing hie throat and throwing his left leg over nis right. Tommy Twaddles, answer me. Do you knovr why .)U are here ? Tommy was about to plead ignorance, when he happened to observe Goby. His answer died in his throat. "Aha! said the Peacock, rubbing his claws together briskly, he knows but let everything be done fair. Lord Bantam, kindly read the charges, and then for the punishment." The fowl of "equestrian rank produced from I under his wing, which evidently served him as an inside pocket, a document of greM length, and read in a ringing voice such a 1Ü.t of crimes as rln made Tommv wonder at his own hardihood. He was accused first of cold-blooded murder. I He bad chopped Goby's head off. He was charged with having caused the dea-th of a tender duckling by stepping on it wh;ie treispa^smg m the poultry yard. This was called manslaupiiter. He was accused of chasing with a stick on various occa-sions certain defenceless females, the most noteworthy case being that of an elderly white-haired goose, who took to th<> water, and barely (soaped drowning. He was forced to hpar lhat. he had thrown stones—not only at Goby and at certain roosters—but also at a blind hen, who, not being able to dodge, had tuffexed. He was accused of having, on frequent occa- sions, interrupted the crowing of roosters, by rushing upon thfrn in the midst of their crow- ing. to the severe injury of their dignity. When Lord Bantam had finished there was an intense stillness, and everybody strained his ears to hear what ieliteiin-,the peacock would inflict. But the peacock turned slowly to (iDbv who looked decided shabby against his background of gay roosters. OoioneJ Gobv." he said, "the most heinous o £ thi. wiuitaiuii- biteik 'iiftcitd. tr>wijr,lR I you, an,rfo sficir-my apprft-a^'on of your- pa services, J now give to you the privilEge of select- I ing the method of punishing this youth." Goby bowed profoundly, and gobbling gently to try his vo,*Pe, soicl humbly: "Your royal high- ne-s. the purislirieiit I would suggest is a.t hand, lucre, in those reaping flame- fijid he waved hi-a. browned arm towards the fire. Tcinmv's knees gave way, and he sank TO tr. floor. bareEy hearing- the loud dapping of wings- and cheers that greeted Goby's speech. Good very good, Colonel Goby very appro- priate." said the Peacock, laughing loudly. "IT ø will get what you got in the oven. Ha! ha very; unique." Then he became stern again. and continued: 'Well, in order to save time md trouble, you, Lord G,i!)!iIestrong, and you, Lord Gabble- etrength, carry out tr." sentence." j words had bardiy been spoken when two immcr.-se gobblers seized Tommy and hurled him bodh- \uta the flames Mamma niamma! Tommy caSled inarticu- lately. in his anguish., The effort at speaking awoke him, and brought Mrs. Twaddles in from the kitchen, with a "Why, what's ailing voti? tt I thought I was burning up." said Tommy. no wonder, with you right on top of the fire. K (The End.) --7-NAW -,A

A TRIUMPH OF ALLITERATION.

TREHERBERT EXHIBITION

Death and Funeral of Mrs-…

Interesting Local Wedding

YSTRAD POULTRY FANCIERS.

BATHING IN THE RHONDDA SEWER.

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Treharris.