Life, 1923-12-27 · page 14 of 37
Life — December 27, 1923 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical fable by Rose O'Neill (the Kewpies' creator) illustrated with her characteristic cherubic characters. The story concerns Bill McGee, an industrious young burglar who frightens people nearly to death during robberies. The Kewpies correct his behavior by suggesting he become a more pleasant Santa Claus-like gift-deliverer instead, using the same energy for good rather than crime. The satire targets the notion that criminality stems from bad character rather than circumstances—that a "careless occupation" can be redirected through moral persuasion. The fable's moral warns against being "horrid" when you can accomplish the same work "pleasantly." It's a gentle moral lesson about redirecting destructive energy toward socially beneficial ends, typical of O'Neill's whimsical yet didactic approach to her Kewpie stories.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Kewpie Fable By Rose O'Neill Illustrated by the Author tion ‘ome people call them little rounders; Their kind and careless occupation Correcting faults of bores bounders; and Correcting always in a gay way, An active acrobatic play way. Bill McGee was an industrious young burglar who did his burgling in a direct way that scared people nearly to death. One day, the Kewpies, taking the mat- ter up, addressed him kindly: “My hat! Dow't do it like that! Don’t look so like shooting To set people scooting. “Tt impr everybody unfavorably said they. “If young maids and aged grandmas seem reluctant to shell out, try an appeal to reason. And make a habit of calling early. It puts people out to have their sleep broken. “Don't catch them in their shimmies, And kind sare more than jimmies. “But,” the Kewps added, “with your second-story technique you'd make an A-1 Santa Claus. Why not turn your attention to that and take things to folks instead of from?” “The very thing,” said Bill, who was of an agreeable disposition. “All I ask is something to keep my hand in.” Then, with Kewpish collaboration, he bent his energies to the business and did very well. All his adroitness and enthusiasm went into delivering gifts. And does it really matter if, a little absent-mindedly, he, though full of— Zest for what he came to do Flipped out his gun a time or two? KewrisH Mora: Don’t be horrid if you can be pleasant for the same amount of energy! comicbooks.com