Judge, 1890-12-06 · page 35 of 52
Judge — December 6, 1890 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This sequential comic strip depicts a monkey attempting to ride an ostrich, with predictably disastrous results. The narrative arc shows the monkey's initial enthusiasm ("Hurrah! here's a chance for a ride"), the ostrich's confident demonstration, the monkey's inability to control the unfamiliar mount (progressing through loss of balance and desperation), and finally his humiliating conclusion. The moral appears to be a warning against riding "strange horses"—literally, but serving as metaphor for trusting unfamiliar or untested situations. The monkey's final self-recrimination ("What a confounded, absurd, tail-less baboon I have made of myself!") emphasizes the foolishness of his venture. This is classic Victorian-era humor: slapstick animal antics with an implicit lesson about caution and good judgment—appropriate for *Judge* magazine's mixed audience.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHRISTMAS JUDGE when he ¢hougAt he was dreaming, about all play and no work? Well, that was evidently only a half-and-half dream, before he dropped off for the night. But he didn’t want the world to be all holidays now. One ata time was good enough for him. And Christmas, 1890, was the jolliest one he'd ever known, for and he had five dellars’ worth of fun, and put aside the other half jolly old Goodem’s” tenner for the house they were going to build. “One Christmas a year in my stocking, if you please,” said Wink to Sue, after he'd told her his dream. And sensible Sue answered, “ Yes, indeed; if there were 365 of them, where'd be the fun ?” ARISTINE. ANDEKSON, OH, SO HAPPY! THE children were playing with their new Christmas toys. “ How pleased little Elsie is with her doll !” “Yes; she seems as tickled as a Boston schoolma’am with a new pair of eye-glasses.”” HIS SAVINGS BANK. Mrs, Brown— Give half to your sister, Johnnie. You sirely wouldn't wish to grow up like that old miser ?” Little Johnnée—"\ wouldn't mind having what he has in his stocking.” : UNSATISFACTORY. A CHRISTMAS CO. (LIMITED). “T eave for Nicaragua on Saturday.” He—" May | be one of your Christmas presents ?” a itil brealeiny heart ae She—*Oh, certainly; but 1 always get tired of them by the first 0 on FeAlly ea ae iC “It will break my heart if you neglect to send me one of those dear little colored. of the next year. lizards for my hair.” THE MONKEY AND THE OSTRICH; OR, NEVER RIDE A STRANGE HORSE. 1. THE MonKEY—“ Hurrah ! here's 2. ‘* Now I'll show you how to go." a chance for a rid Solly! T can’t stand “his pace.” 6. “Let's put on the brakes.” What a confounded, absurd, tail- a less baboon I have made of myself !” comicbooks.com