Life, 1928-11-09 · page 26 of 52
Life — November 9, 1928 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features "Skippy's Letters," a humorous column by Percy L. Crosby depicting a boy's irreverent observations about Egypt and ancient kings. The top cartoon shows Skippy at a desk with pyramids visible through a window—his dismissive caption, "That's what I think of you, Egypt!" sets the tone. The letter mocks both historical grandeur and parental authority. Skippy questions the pyramids' practical purpose (poor shelter, impractical construction) and satirizes ancient Egyptian kings as petty tyrants obsessed with time-telling and executing anyone who questions them. His father, Pop, offers equally absurd explanations for the pyramids' design. The lower cartoon depicts a domestic marital dispute about golf and home entertainment—a common 1920s-era joke about wives' expectations versus husbands' recreation priorities. The final italicized note about college football coaches scouting rival formations appears unrelated filler. The satire targets both inflated historical reverence and contemporary domestic tensions through a child's irreverent logic.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“That's what I think of you, Egypt!” SKIPPY’S LETTERS Dear Sooky: Here I am, doin Percy L. home work an the Orphe- , ums sellin’ standin-room. Crosby An me without a breath of air since supper. All work an no play makes Jack a dull boy. I had to know somethin about pyra- mids so I went in and asked Pop. He had to stay in too cause he was out playin cards last night. I showed him the picture in the geography an asked about it. Pop sez, “Men in those days was all for makin very strong houses. Then they were al- ways afraid that people would complain about drafts so they built ‘em without windows.” Maybe the builders figured they'd never rent them anyway an they didn’t want them on their hands. As far as I could find out they must have just slapped them up cause camels was always trippin over loose stones. I come to find out they were over a hundred feet high. How did the man who put the top stone on get down? You could force me up the vestibule an ask me how he ever got the top stone up there in the first place, an I could come back an say, “After he got it up there, what good did it do?” It ain’t even a first-class roost for a sparrow. All a bird could do is balance himself on one foot an then he'd be showin off. An if he did balance around, all he could think of when he looked down was that one leg was longer than the other. For some time me an Pop slipped the chatter back an forth, What I don’t know about kings ya could gossip off your pinky nail. In those days the only thing a king had by to do was plank himself in a stone seat so he could look over the desert an won- der what all the sand was for. There he'd sit, squirtin grape skins. Once in a while he'd catch somebody prowlin around. When the guy was wheeled up in iron balls, the king would call for a sun dial an say: “Look at what time it is! It’s either morning or afternoon—in any case you're late. Come, come, an answer— what, do you defy me!" If the bimbo dared to open his mouth he got be- headed before a wise-crack could start. If it was a hot day an the king had to squirm around on the stone seat, waitin for an answer, he'd rumble up the desert: “Awayest, thou nit, an whittle up a quarry!” Don't talk to me about pyramids, no, sir, nor kings neither. Affectionately sincere, Skippy Wuen it is rumored that a rival eleven is perfecting a new formation, col- lege coaches promptly scout the idea. Sue: I s'pose if I marry you you'll be out playing golf most of the time. He: No, I won't, darling. Sie: Well, I hope you won't expect me to stay home and entertain you! comicbooks.com