Life, 1928-02-09 · page 25 of 35
Life — February 9, 1928 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon (Cave-Man Dialogue):** This is a prehistoric joke about fatalism. One caveman tells another to kill an animal they've encountered, but the second caveman dismisses the effort—in two thousand years, that species won't exist anyway. The satire targets modern pessimism and defeatist attitudes: even in primitive times, someone is apathetic about the future, suggesting this attitude is timeless rather than modern. **"Tobogganing—the Sport of Kings":** A humorous narrative account of upper-class winter recreation gone chaotic. Children toboggan recklessly downhill, crash into trees, injure themselves, yet immediately suggest equally dangerous activities (thin ice skating). The satire mocks wealthy parents' cavalier attitudes toward children's safety and the casual acceptance of injury among the privileged class, who can afford expensive sleds ($165) yet treat them with indifference. **Bottom Items:** Minor humor pieces: one about mistaking a saxophone for lively piano tempo, another parodying sentimental baby songs with overlapping lyrics, and a joke about education (wearing out postmen—unclear reference, possibly mail carriers delivering educational materials).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
r = W®Wys First Cave-MAN: Step out and kill it, Hairy. Seconp Cave-MAN: Aw, what's the use, Strongarm? In two thousand years there won't be any such animal. Tobogganing—the Sport of Kings Who's for a higgledy-piggledy breakneck ride down the hill on my toboggan? Who'll sit in the front and steer? You, Jack? You're the oldest. Take hold of those ropes and hang on tight; remember, this is a Little Dixie Flyer, the fastest thing on runners! All right, girls and boys, pile on. You first, Sally; you're next, Tom. I'll sit in the back, on top of Rupert. The last one on is a lazy good-for-noth- ing! Hurrah! We're off! Now hold everything, girls and boys —ha, ha, ha. Here comes the bump. Wheeee! Thump-o! What did you say, Rupert? I thought I heard you say some- thing. say, Jack, look out for that big elm tree at the foot of the hill. That's where Hank Bur- pee got concussion of the brain last Christmas....Hey! I told you to look out! Steer to the left, quick! Jump, everybody! We're going straight for the tree! Spfibgrjop! I'm full of snow. It's down my neck and in my ears and everything. ...Where’s Sally? Oh, under that drift. Hey, Sally, get up or I'll tickle you! You little rascal! EEEK! Stop putting snow down my collar! Well, I guess my toboggan is pretty well smashed up—thanks to you, Jack, old man. Why don’t you ever look where you're steering? No, no, I won't let you pay for it. It's just an old thing. It only cost $165. Why, no, Jack, it wasn’t your fault. Let's all go over to Rupert's place and dry our clothes off. Where's “Isn't it a lively tempo he’s playing?” “Oh, is itP I thought it was a saxophone.” Rupert? Hey, Rupert! home. Are you sore? Aw, never mind the big baby. Let's get our skates and go on to the pond. The ice is pretty thin, but we're wet already, so what if we do fall in? Who's afraid? You are? There’s my hand, brother. Shake! Norman R. Jaffray. “Sing Mea Baby Song!” “...BYE baby bunting baby’s boat's a silver moon every- body loves a baby’s prayer at twilight angel child I’m just wild about you rock-a-bye my baby with a Dixie melody ten little fingers and ten little toes how I sigh how I cry for my babe-ee cry-baby blues yes sir that’s my baby I love my baby my baby loves me baby mine I wonder where my baby is to- night five foot two eyes of blue baby-face you got the cutest little baby-face blue baby when a baby cries it wants lullabies o+eeesMA-AMMY!” E. P. Fer-ri. Don’t go “H AVE you a thorough edu- cation?” “Have 1? Why, Ive worn out three postmen already.” comicbooks.com