Life, 1921-09-22 · page 3 of 34
Life — September 22, 1921 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a poem about childhood dreams of wealth followed by a satirical illustration. The poem describes how children pursue the fantasy of finding a "pot of gold" at a rainbow's end—a metaphor for unrealistic financial dreams that fade with maturity. The illustration depicts a street scene where a man (appearing to be a factory foreman or employer) sits elevated above a crowd of eager boys surrounding a "Strong Boy Wanted" sign. One boy boasts about his strength to prove his worth. The satire critiques economic desperation: poor children compete for meager jobs, their youthful hopes for wealth reduced to competing for manual labor. The "pot of gold" represents the false promise of prosperity through hard work—a reality check on American economic mobility myths.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life <4 The Pot of Gold George S. Chappell T° days gone by, I call to mind, An ancient tale my elders told Of how, with patience, one might find, At the rainbow’s end, a pot of gold— Which I, in childhood’s greedy way Resolved to make my own some day At night when I was tucked in bed It seemed to me I ran and ran, Beneath a rainbow overhead, Until I’d crossed its shining span And, counting pennies, fell asleep; I had no use for counting sheep. “Mister, I’m de strongest boy in de bunch. If ye don’t believe it, hold me coat an’ I'll show ye.” ‘Twas thus, all innocently, I Absorbed a devastating creed, Which snatched a glory from the sky And put a premium on greed. The promise of a rainbow meant To me not less than ten per cent. The moral of the tale is plain; The fair financial dreams of men Are merely blends of sun and rain That gleam and fade away agai And end up in some far-off spot, As in the story,—gone to pot. HT dnl comicbooks.com