Life, 1924-07-17 · page 23 of 36
Life — July 17, 1924 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Section ("The Tragedy of a Long Neck"):** A cartoon sequence showing an ostrich with progressively contorted neck positions, illustrating the bird's attempts to manage various problems—likely a visual gag about the impracticality of having an excessively long neck. **"Lament" Poem:** Three farmers lament crop failures: one loses corn to a crow, another loses beans to chickens, and a third cannot sell squash. This is straightforward agricultural humor about rural hardships and poor harvests. **Bottom Cartoon:** A street scene where a policeman orders "Mickey" (a child) to move a toy/miniature taxi parked in front of a fire hydrant. The joke plays on formal traffic enforcement language applied to a child's toy—a satire of overzealous municipal regulation, or humorous commentary on how even children's play must comply with city rules. The page reflects early-20th-century American life: farming struggles, urban growth, and bureaucratic absurdity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE TRAGEDY OF A LONG NECK Lament TED a row of corn. I planted a row of beans. I planted a row of squash, The corn began to grow, The beans began to sprout, They waxed ; no squash could beat em. hen down on every kernel In came my neighbors’ chickens They grew—untouched row or chick— There swooped a hungry crow. And scratched my string beans out. But I can't get a soul to eat ‘em! “BEAT IT, MICKEY. DON'TCHA SEE YE'RE PARKED RIGHT IN FRONTA DE HYDRUNT?” comicbooks.com