Judge, 1909-05-08 · page 16 of 16
Judge — May 8, 1909 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a children's comic strip moral tale, not political satire. Young Johnny abandons his friends to read about President Theodore Roosevelt's hunting exploits. While engrossed in tales of "Teddy Roosevelt's mighty deeds," his playmates attempt to prank him by releasing possums and bees from a hollow tree to scare him. The joke backfires: the animals frighten the pranksters instead. The strip's moral—that Johnny's reading material about Roosevelt's adventures distracted him from friendship, but ultimately the bullies received comeuppance—reflects early 1900s values: respect for TR's outdoorsman image, and belief that mischief-makers deserve punishment. The "taffy possums" reference likely means the pranksters attempted a candy-related trick. The strip uses Roosevelt's popularity to add humor and patriotic flavor to a conventional children's "pranks backfire" narrative.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Auge LITTLE JOHNNY AND THE TAFFY ’POSSUMS. JOHN READS OF HUNTS WITH CLUB AND GUN TILL BEES AND ‘POSSUMS STOP HIS FUN. —A 1, One morning Johnny marched away 2. Beside a fallen hollow tree And said he didn't want to play. Young Johnny sits him down in glee. ‘They watched him go, the angry band, With wonder and surprise he reads And disappear, his book in hand. Of ‘Teddy Roosevelt's mighty deeds. 4% 3. He reads and reads, nor does he see 4, But suddenly some fearful cries ‘The band approach the hollow tree. Rouse John to terror and surprise. ‘They enter by the farther end, From out the hollow tree there seems And hope to scare their peaceful friend. “To come forth yells for help and screams. 5. John drops his book and hides in fear, 6, Now Johnny laughed to see their fright, ‘As mighty swarms of bees app. And sure I think it served them right. And mixed with bees and h H ‘The angry bees deserve our thanks Rush forth the "possums in For punishing their naughty pranks. COPYRIGHT, 190, BY JON A SLEICUER, Faaot, PUBLISHERS, VIFTH AVENUE AND MADISON SQUARE, NEW YORK.