"
"I didn't throw any!" said the other, in a rage.
"Yes, you _did_, you mean thing!"
"Stop! stop!" cried the others. Just then hot pudding flew in all their
faces; they had a terrible quarrel, and the Mischief Maker left them to
settle it among themselves as they could.
He entered the village near by, and gave the usual signal for news. The
runners came out and met him; the chiefs and all the people assembled,
lining the path on both sides for a long way. They asked, "What news do
you bring?"
He replied, "I come from at village where there is great distress. A
pestilence visited the people. The medicine man could not cure the
sick; till I came there was no remedy; the tribe was becoming very
small. But I told them the remedy, and now they are getting well. I
have come to tell you to prepare for the pestilence: it will soon be
here; it is flying like the wind, and there is only one remedy."
"What is it? what is it? what is it?" interrupted the people.
He answered, "Every man must embrace the woman who is next to him at
this very instant; kiss her, quick, immediately!"
They all did so on the spot, he with the rest.
As he was leaving them an elderly man came to him and whispered, "Are
you going to do this thing again at the next village? If you are I
should like to be on hand. I didn't get any girl myself here. The woman
I went for dodged me, and said she had rather have the pestilence, and
death too, than have me kiss her.
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