Judge, 1908-11-14 · page 16 of 16
Judge — November 14, 1908 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous children's comic strip showing cause-and-effect mischief. Grandfather gives Johnny a dime to buy snuff (powdered tobacco for sniffing), but Johnny and his teddy bear companions get distracted by a policeman flirting with a nursery maid. While they're distracted, Johnny uses grandfather's snuff to make a horse sneeze uncontrollably—a prank that backfires when the horse scatters the snuff everywhere in "a frantic whirl." The joke plays on Victorian morality: a small amount of money carelessly managed becomes "a source of great distress." The teddy bears themselves appear to be stuffed toys or child characters (popular items after Theodore Roosevelt's association with them). The strip warns children about the consequences of distraction and mischief, delivered through slapstick humor rather than stern lecturing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Aude LITTLE JOHNNY AND THE TEDDY BEARS. SHOWS HOW A DIME SPENT CAREFULLY A SOURCE OF GREAT DISTRESS MAY BE. 1, ‘Be careful, children,"* grandpa said, 2 John and the Teddies haste away And patted Johnny on the head. To buy the snuff without delay. “Here isadime. Go buy me quick Perhaps they hope another dime A bit of snuff, for I am sick.” Moy be their pay for speedy time. 3. But as the naughty band go home 4. The gallant p'liceman, on his horse, ‘Their eyes in quest of mischief roam ; Attracts the nursery maid of course, And lo! they see upon the walk And so they neither of them heed What Johnny ’s doing to the steed. A nurse and cop who sweetly talk. [hen suddenly the horse commences 6. Now, Johnny and the naughty Teds ‘To sneeze as if he'd lost his senses. Are almost standing on their heads Poor grandpa’s lost his snuff, alack! To watch the pliceman, horse and girl Alll sneezing in a frantic whirl. John really might have kept some back. COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY JUDGE COMPANY, PUBLISHERS, FIFTH AVENUE AND MADISON SQUARE, NEW YORK. First Series of the adventures of “Little Johnay and the Teddy Bears” is now ready in handsome book torn. Price, 60 cents. For sale comicbooks.com