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Literary
March 9, 1928
The Midland Journal
Rising Sun, Cecil County, Maryland
What is this article about?
A weakfish speaks to children, complaining about its name but praising its graceful appearance, popularity as food in summer and autumn, silvery look, and croaking sounds in schools, while describing the uglier frostfish that eats sand eels.
Clipping
OCR Quality
92%
Excellent
Full Text
Story for the Children
"No creature could have a name which could sound any worse than mine does," said the weakfish. "Of course, people like me. Yes, I'm a popular fish. They welcome me when I first appear in the spring, and they like me right through the summer.
"They are also glad when I stay late in the autumn. Now, you know I'm nice to look at, for I'm a fish that cares about its personal appearance.
"By that I mean that I do not look any old way at all. You know some creatures will look so uncared for somehow. They will look dirty and untidy and far from attractive.
"They will walk in an ungraceful fashion and not pay any attention to charm, nor to grace.
"True, I cannot walk at all, but when I move I am full of grace, which is more than can be said for many when they walk.
"If I did walk I would be graceful about it. I'm graceful when I move. Maybe I have said that before. I don't know.
"Even if it is said that it makes brains to eat fish, I do not understand it. I don't think we're so very brainy. But anyway I was talking about our personal appearance!
"We wear handsome silvery costumes. Oh, very pretty, indeed. We're soft and pleasant and do not weigh too much, and yet we are not so small that we don't amount to something."
"We love the warm water. Summer is the time for us. Of course, some of us do stay around in the autumn, but the fish that likes the autumn is the frostfish.
"Now frostfish is an ugly creature with an enormous mouth and pointed big teeth—ugly teeth and an ugly mouth and has three fins which show prominently on his back. They're the fins known in fish talk as the dorsal fins.
"Every one has noticed them on the members of the goldfish family—not the same kinds of fins as the frostfish has, but dorsal fins, I mean.
"The frostfish is caught in great numbers in nets while close to where the surf is breaking along by the ocean. That is where they are looking for the sand eels which they are so fond of, as I've said.
"But when I say that the frostfish are so fond of the sand eels, and when I say people are fond of the frostfish, and when I say we are very popular, you must understand me.
"The frostfish like the sand eels to eat. People like the frostfish as food!
"And we're popular because we're good to eat! Perhaps you wouldn't call that being popular. I don't suppose so. But it means we're liked in that way.
"If one called a boy in school popular, I don't suppose they'd mean that every one would want to eat him and his kind.
"But we have something most interesting about us. We belong to the family of croakers. This family name has come from the family habit of making croaking sounds. Yes, we have voices.
"Of course, some might not like our voices. But at least we can make goodly drumming sounds, and when we go along in a school—you know they speak of a school of fish—we drum, drum, drum and make a great old noise.
"So though the name of weakfish is a dull name, it doesn't matter, for we belong to the family of croakers, and that pleases us. Then we are good to look upon and that pleases our fish vanity."
"No creature could have a name which could sound any worse than mine does," said the weakfish. "Of course, people like me. Yes, I'm a popular fish. They welcome me when I first appear in the spring, and they like me right through the summer.
"They are also glad when I stay late in the autumn. Now, you know I'm nice to look at, for I'm a fish that cares about its personal appearance.
"By that I mean that I do not look any old way at all. You know some creatures will look so uncared for somehow. They will look dirty and untidy and far from attractive.
"They will walk in an ungraceful fashion and not pay any attention to charm, nor to grace.
"True, I cannot walk at all, but when I move I am full of grace, which is more than can be said for many when they walk.
"If I did walk I would be graceful about it. I'm graceful when I move. Maybe I have said that before. I don't know.
"Even if it is said that it makes brains to eat fish, I do not understand it. I don't think we're so very brainy. But anyway I was talking about our personal appearance!
"We wear handsome silvery costumes. Oh, very pretty, indeed. We're soft and pleasant and do not weigh too much, and yet we are not so small that we don't amount to something."
"We love the warm water. Summer is the time for us. Of course, some of us do stay around in the autumn, but the fish that likes the autumn is the frostfish.
"Now frostfish is an ugly creature with an enormous mouth and pointed big teeth—ugly teeth and an ugly mouth and has three fins which show prominently on his back. They're the fins known in fish talk as the dorsal fins.
"Every one has noticed them on the members of the goldfish family—not the same kinds of fins as the frostfish has, but dorsal fins, I mean.
"The frostfish is caught in great numbers in nets while close to where the surf is breaking along by the ocean. That is where they are looking for the sand eels which they are so fond of, as I've said.
"But when I say that the frostfish are so fond of the sand eels, and when I say people are fond of the frostfish, and when I say we are very popular, you must understand me.
"The frostfish like the sand eels to eat. People like the frostfish as food!
"And we're popular because we're good to eat! Perhaps you wouldn't call that being popular. I don't suppose so. But it means we're liked in that way.
"If one called a boy in school popular, I don't suppose they'd mean that every one would want to eat him and his kind.
"But we have something most interesting about us. We belong to the family of croakers. This family name has come from the family habit of making croaking sounds. Yes, we have voices.
"Of course, some might not like our voices. But at least we can make goodly drumming sounds, and when we go along in a school—you know they speak of a school of fish—we drum, drum, drum and make a great old noise.
"So though the name of weakfish is a dull name, it doesn't matter, for we belong to the family of croakers, and that pleases us. Then we are good to look upon and that pleases our fish vanity."
What sub-type of article is it?
Prose Fiction
Fable
Dialogue
What themes does it cover?
Nature
Moral Virtue
Seasonal Cycle
What keywords are associated?
Weakfish
Frostfish
Croakers
Personal Appearance
Grace
Sea Life
Popularity
Drumming Sounds
Literary Details
Title
Story For The Children
Key Lines
"No Creature Could Have A Name Which Could Sound Any Worse Than Mine Does," Said The Weakfish.
"We Wear Handsome Silvery Costumes. Oh, Very Pretty, Indeed."
"The Frostfish Is An Ugly Creature With An Enormous Mouth And Pointed Big Teeth—Ugly Teeth And An Ugly Mouth."
"We Belong To The Family Of Croakers. This Family Name Has Come From The Family Habit Of Making Croaking Sounds."
"So Though The Name Of Weakfish Is A Dull Name, It Doesn't Matter, For We Belong To The Family Of Croakers, And That Pleases Us."