The Wasp — 1878 — page 219: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a twelve-panel narrative comic strip rather than political satire. It tells the humorous story of young Tommy discovering a crow in a tree, with the bird repeatedly outsmarting him. The plot follows Tommy's attempts to capture the crow: he climbs the tree, falls, gets pecked, and enlists his mother's help. Each panel includes rhyming verse describing the action. The crow consistently triumphs, stealing Tommy's cap and evading capture through a series of physical comedies—branch-breaking, tumbling, and general mischief. The humor relies on slapstick and the reversal of expectations: a child bested by a bird. This appears to be children's entertainment rather than commentary on contemporary politics or society.