Judge, 1900-06-23 · page 11 of 25
Judge — June 23, 1900 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This fable satirizes gullible people (the "silly sheep") exploited by unscrupulous hosts. A poor "jabberwock" invites a literary sheep to dinner, threatening to serve "mutton" (the sheep itself). The sheep escapes by claiming mutton disagrees with him—a dark joke about self-preservation through absurdity. The accompanying jokes mock contemporary social anxieties: a wife obsessing over a fashionable bonnet's cost; husbands bribing caddies to boost their golf egos; and rural farmers desperate to trade horses for automobiles to satisfy materialistic wives. The "Caterpillar" vignette appears unrelated—likely referencing Lewis Carroll's *Alice in Wonderland*. The overall theme: American society's preoccupation with status, consumption, and vanity, presented through satirical humor targeting both the gullible and the greedy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE SHEEP AND THE JABBERWOCK. A FABLE. A HARD-WORKING and impecunious jabberwock, who lived in the suburbs, once asked a literary sheep to come and spend Sunday at his house, promising him a good meal. The silly sheep, who had had small experience of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad, con- sented, and on the way across the ferry asked the jabber- wock what he was going to have for dinner. “Mutton,” replied the jabberwock with a. sinister smile, twining his hands firm- ly in the sheep’s fleece, which CATERPILLAR—"' Don't be afraid, Mr. Bugs; I'mnosea- Was long. serpent. I'm just little Jimmie Caterpillar out for a swim.” “Ah,” said the sheep, NOT REFERRING TO THE Mrs, Youncsmitit (aggrievediy) —** Oh, Jack! what are you scowling about? Can it be _ possible you don’t like my new bonnet? Is it the trimmings, or the toucan bird's plumage, pad Mr. Vouncsarrit (testify) —"* No; T don’t like the size of the bill.” alarmed,“ mutton disagrees with me, so I will retrace my steps.” * You wool, wool you?” said the jabber- wock derisively; and giving the sheep a box of jujubes advised him to keep his mouth shut until they reached the Jersey shore, for fear of the night air. Moral—When people come to your house get as much out of them as you can. MARY STRWAKT CUTTING. THANKFUL, Cobwigger—"" How could you promise your wife to go to such an expensive summer ' oC. resort?" Why not?" all the time that she'd insist on going to the ‘Sh-h! I've paid his caddie to laugh at every stroke he makes.” Paris exposition.” RUSHING THINGS, Farsek GRreexe—'' Seems ter me yer kind uv burying up yer plowin' this spring.” Farmer Brows—"' Got ter. My wife wants ter swap th’ hossis fer an automobile. Git up, Jeff!” comicbooks.com