Life, 1925-08-06 · page 13 of 36
Life — August 6, 1925 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous illustrated feature about mules, presented as a satirical "lesson." The page catalogs exaggerated mule characteristics through comic drawings and text: their tough muzzles, stubborn temperament, powerful heels, and distinctive braying sound. The satire appears to mock both mules themselves and the earnest "educational" format of the piece. References to the mule as "Official song-bird of Missouri" and comparisons of their stubbornness to "steers in a stupor" are absurdist jokes. The final captions about mules' "naughty" nature and their proud lineage suggest gentle mockery of rural American animal husbandry and Southern dialect ("jass" likely representing "jazz"). Overall, it's lighthearted Americana humor using exaggeration and whimsy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE - T Se ——————————_—EEE__—___________________ WHAT HO, THE JAUNTY JASS—MULE! | the subject of |this week's lesson. The mule is a mongrel mestizo; magenta, with shades of maroon. Its moo is a modulate wheezo, a massacred mess of a tune. Our subject singing.| Official song-dird of Missouri, it flourishes on through the South. Its ears wiggle _Wild as a hovri; it’s likewise facile with its mouth. Its muzzle is blonde as a blister, upholstered in asinine plush. The reason is that, like his sister, he nuzzles too deep in his mush. mule mus! Its tail’s always trimmed to a tassel and squared at the end like a broom; its heels can demolish a castle or fan all the .flies from a room. mule fanning flies. |} They're stubborn as steers in a stupor; they balk like a brick-lined balloon, mule Climbing the far side of 3 house. And, speaking of heels, it can dust out the ribs of a tock weighing tons LED bale of mule knuckles, varnished, tirefoile then smile when you swear like a trooper, and move on — the next day at noon. or, putting on steam, it can bust out & battleboat’s gizzard and guns. mule hurrying o! its own accord. Their natures are narrow and naughty; their eyes have a lurk in their lids; southern baptist min: ister returning after having been kic’ by mule Some folks polish mules with molasses (applied to their innards, like oats) week. Precautions o} one pohnsing, af- ter having been Socked by our subject. their ancestry don't make them haughty- and they're equally proud of their kids. door to 3 mule} bath room. and bathe them in large demi-tasses to give the right tint to their coats. close-up of herd of mule progeny. comicbooks.com