Published by The Dalles High School, June edition, pages 14-15 ONLY A TADPOLE "Oh, yes, you can fish! I would like to see you fish once! You would scream if you touched a worm and then you would never get your hook baited. "All right, Mr. Smarty, I'll show you that I can fish." "Well, if you want to convince me you can, just get your fishing line and come on." It was a very sultry afternoon in July and I did not care very much about going. It was a mile to the fishing hole and I would much rather have sat in the shade at the house. But a girl certainly dislikes to have a boy call her a coward, especially if he is her brother's chum and is exceedingly nice. So I just made up my mind that I could fish even though I had never tried it in my life. But I was determined so I said, "Come on then, I will show you." His eyes greeted mine with something of amazement. He did not think that I would do it, but girls are queer creatures, you can't tell what they are going to do next. I dragged out all my brother's old fishing tackle from the attic while Charlie went home to get his. Charlie was a nice boy, the kind of whom any mother or father might well be proud. He was just home from college, where he was learning to be an engineer. I had been boasting of our fishing hole, for we lived in the country in the summer, and so now I had to live up to my word. I packed a small lunch and was ready by the time Charlie arrived upon the scene, looking like a real fisherman. When he saw me he turned up his nose in an absurd way and said, "You'll be sorry that you ever mentioned fish when we get back". But I gave him a disdainful sniff and replied, "Come on". We walked along in the dusty road and talked of his life at college. But after a while the sun became less lenient and piled more heat upon our shoulders. This wasn't welcome for soon my head began to ache, but you can bet I never let Charlie know it. Robinson Crusoe wasn't more thankful when he found the hidden keg of bread, than I was when we reached the shade by the swimming hole. Charlie streached out full length and grinned at me, letting me know that I was to show him that I could fish. We ate our lunch and then he fixed my fishing line for me. I more than glad that he offered to bait it for me for I had never fixed on in all my life. After he had finished I dropped my line into the water with an elaborate air, and waited until the fish would take pity on me and bite. After I had been sitting there awhile I was glad that I had come after all for it was so shady and cool with an occasional gleam of sun flitting through the trees. The bees and insects made a low humming sound that was very pleasant to hear and the birds were twittering in their softest tones. All the surrounding beauty had cast a spell over me, but I awoke with a start. My line was moving about very mysteriously in the water and my heart leaped for I thought sure I had caught a fish. I called to Charlie to come right away. He had been fishing farther down stream and I noticed that he had caught five large fish, while I had yet to catch my first one. But he came over and pulled my line out for me and let my eyes behold the fruits of an hour's work: A TINY TADPOLE. The poor little thing must have been awfully hungry or it would never have eaten bait. Charlie pulled it off the hook and started to put it into the fish basket but I told him not to so he threw it away and then he sat down and laughed at me. When he had finished I was very angry so he said we had better start for home or we wouldn't stand much chance of getting any dinner. We started and of course he had to laugh most all the way because the joke was on me. So now when Charlie is around I never mention fish and when ever I happen to boast of what I can do, Charlie grins and says, "Only a tadpole". - Ben Hallyburton, '21 Submitted by Earline Wasser