Life — March 8, 1929 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two unrelated satirical cartoons: **Top cartoon:** A desert traveler complains "Nothing but delay, delay! Mirage of a river but no mirage of a ferry!" The joke targets the frustration of broken promises—the traveler sees illusory water (mirages) yet lacks actual transportation across a real river. This appears to satirize bureaucratic or political delays and unfulfilled expectations. **Bottom cartoon:** A child tells his father "Papa, I got the wormy apple at the other store." The humor is darkly ironic: the child deliberately chose an inferior product, suggesting either poor judgment or mischief. It likely comments on consumer behavior or family dynamics regarding value and quality. Both cartoons use exaggerated situations for humorous social commentary typical of early-to-mid 20th century Life magazine satire.