The Birthday Party | Page 6

His long beard and hair, his
tattered finery, and his hobbling walk, would have made almost any
one laugh--much more a company of children as full of fun as those

who were attending the birthday party.
"Children," said the old man, as he took off his hat and made a low bow,
"I heard there was a party here, and I came to play the fiddle for you.
All the boys and girls like a fiddle, because it is so merry."
"O mother! what did send that old man here?" cried Flora.
"He came of himself, I suppose," replied Mrs. Lee, laughing.
"I think it is too bad to laugh at an old man like him," added Flora.
"It would be, if he were in distress; but don't you see he is as merry as
any of the children?"
"Play us some tunes," said the children.
"I will, my little dears;" and the old man raised the fiddle. "Let's see--I
will play 'Napoleon's Grand March.'"
The fiddler played, but he behaved so queerly that the children laughed
so loud they could hardly hear the music.
"Why, that's 'Yankee Doodle,'" said Henry Vernon; and they all
shouted at the idea of calling that tune "Napoleon's Grand March."
"Now I will play you the solo to the opera of 'La Sonnambula,'" said
the old man.
"Whew!" said Henry.
The old man fiddled again, with the same funny movements as before.
"Why, that's 'Yankee Doodle' too!" exclaimed Henry.
"I guess he don't know any other tune."
"You like that tune so well, I will play you 'Washington's March;'" and
the funny old fiddler, with a great flourish, began to play again; but still

it was "Yankee Doodle."
And so he went on saying he would play many different tunes, but he
played nothing but "Yankee Doodle."
"Can't you tell us a story now?" asked Charley Green.
"O, yes, my little man, I can tell you a story. What shall it be?"
"Are you a soldier or a sailor?"
"Neither, my boy."
"The story! the story!" shouted the boys, very much excited.
"Some years ago I was in New York," the old man commenced.
"Did you see me there?" demanded Tommy Woggs.
"Well, my little man, I don't remember that I saw you."
"O, I was there;" and Tommy thrust his hands down to the bottom of
his pockets, and strutted up the space between the children and the
comical old fiddler.
"I did see a very nice-looking little gentleman----"
"That was me," pompously added Tommy.
"He was stalking up Broadway. He thought every body was looking at
and admiring him; but such was not the case. He looked just like--just
like----"
"Like me?" asked Tommy.
"Like a sick monkey," replied the fiddler.
"Go on with your story."

"I will, children. Several years ago I was in New York. It is a great city;
if you don't believe it, ask Master Tommy Woggs."
"You tell the truth, Mr. Fiddler. It is a great city, and I have been all
over it, and can speak from observation," replied Master Woggs.
"The story!" shouted the children.
"I was walking up Broadway. This street is always crowded with
people, as well as with carts and carriages."
"I have seen that street," said Tommy.
"Now you keep still a few minutes, Tommy, if you can," interposed
Mrs. Lee.
"At the corner of Wall Street----"
"I know where that is," exclaimed Tommy.
"At the corner of Wall Street there was a man with a kind of cart,
loaded with apples and candy, which he was selling to the passers-by.
Suddenly there came a stage down the street, and ran into the apple
cart."
"I saw the very same thing done," added Tommy, with his usual
self-important air.
"Keep still, Tom Woggs," said Charley Green.
"The apples were scattered all over the sidewalk; yet the man picked up
all but one of them, though he was very angry with the driver of the
stage for running against his cart."
"Why didn't he pick up the other apple?" asked Henry.
"A well-dressed man, with big black whiskers, picked that up. 'Give it
to me,' said the apple man. 'I will not,' replied the man with whiskers.
The apple merchant was as mad as he could be; and then the man with

black whiskers put his hand in his pocket and drew out a knife. The
blade was six inches long."
"O, dear me!" exclaimed Flora.
"Raising the knife, he at once moved towards the angry apple merchant,
and--and----"
"Well, what?" asked several, eagerly.
"And cut a piece out of the apple, and put it in his mouth."
The children all laughed heartily, for they were sure the man with the
whiskers was going to stab the apple merchant.
"He then took two cents from his