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Changeovers

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Welcome to the Changeover bench!

Sit and rest for a moment - cool off - and enjoy a brief respite from tennis as you peruse poems, shorts and other musings courtesy of Louise Vallas ... a Tennis Pensacola Mom. :-)

June '10

The other day a lady, accompanied by her son, a very small boy, boarded a train at Little Rock. The woman had a careworn expression hanging over her face like a tattered veil, and many of the rapid questions asked by the boy were answered by unconscious sighs.

"Ma," said the boy, "that man's like a baby, ain't he?" pointing to a bald-headed man sitting just in front of them.

"Hush."

"Why must I hush?"

After a few moment's silence: "Ma, what's the matter with that man's head?"
"Hush, I tell you. He's bald."
"What's bald?"

"His head hasn't got any hair on it."

"Did it come off?"

"I guess so."

"Will mine come off?"

"Sometime, may be."

"Then I'll be bald, won't I?"

"Yes."

"Will you care?"

"Dont ask so many questions."

After another silence the boy exclaimed, "Ma, look at that fly on that man's head."

"If you don't hush I'll whip you when we get home."

"Look! There's another fly. Look at 'em fight; look at 'em !"

"Madam," said the man, putting aside a newspaper and looking around, "what's the matter with that young hyena?"

The woman blushed, stammered out something, and attempted to smooth back the boy's hair.

"One fiy, two flies, three flies," said the boy innocently, following with his eyes a basket of oranges carried by the newsboy.

"Here, you young hedge hog," said the baldheaded man, "If you don't hush I'll have the conductor put you off the train."

The poor woman, not knowing what else to do, boxed the boy's ears and then gave him an orange to keep him from crying.

"Ma, have I got red marks on my head ?"

"I'll slap you again if you don't hush."

"Mister," said the boy, after a short silence, "does it hurt to be bald-headed?"
"Youngster," said the man, "if you'll keep quiet I'll give you a quarter."
The boy promised, and the money was paid over. The man took up his paper and resumed his reading.

"This is my bald-headed money," said the boy. "When I get bald-headed I'm goin' to give boys money. Mister, have all bald-headed men got money?"

The annoyed man threw down his paper, arose and exclaimed : "Madam, hereafter when you travel leave that young gorilla at home. Hitherto I always thought that the old prophet was very cruel for calling the she bears to kill children for making sport of his head, but now I am forced to believe that he did a Christian act. If your boy had been in the crowd he would have died first. If I can't find another seat on this train I'll ride on the cow-catcher rather than remain here."

"The bald-headed man is gone," said the boy, and the woman leaned back and blew a tired sigh from her lips.

- Little Rock Gazette