Judge — September 10, 1898 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *Judge* magazine illustrates a satirical comic strip based on the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence." The top panel shows a caricatured figure (appearing to represent a political or social figure) in elaborate costume at City Hall, serving "bread and money" to what appear to be rats or similar creatures—likely depicting corruption or misuse of public funds for political purposes. The bottom panel shows the figure knocked down, with a "blackbird" pecking at their nose, completing the nursery rhyme's narrative while serving as satire: the comeuppance for corrupt officials who feed patronage to political allies. The exaggerated facial features and theatrical costume suggest this mocks a specific contemporary political figure or practice involving municipal corruption or graft, though the exact target remains unclear without additional context.