Judge — August 8, 1903 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This six-panel comic depicts anthropomorphic animal characters (appearing to be dogs or similar creatures) in a domestic cooking scenario. The narrative shows them preparing a meal: one character mentions being "almost finished," another exclaims over the food ("Ooh! Pie!"), and they're instructed to "place the pumpkin, the oysters, the custard and the lemon-meringue" to cool. The final panel reveals the punchline: the characters have abandoned their cooling pies in a mud puddle, apparently unable to resist playing in mud instead of waiting patiently. The humor is straightforward slapstick—a contrast between civilized cooking preparation and animals' natural inclination toward messy play. The title "Left at the Post" suggests abandoning a task before completion. This appears to be gentle, family-oriented humor typical of Judge magazine's lighter content.