Such initials, ringing with civic patriotism, hit Gadsby just right;
his Council put it in writing; and "Station KBH" was born! Though it
is not important to follow it from now on, I will say that our vast
country, by tuning in on KBH, found out a lot about this Utopia.
"You know that good old yarn," said Gadsby, "about making so good a
rat-trap that millions will tramp down your grass in making a path to
your front door."
VI
Now don't think that our famous Organization, having shown its worth on
so many occasions, sat down without thinking of doing anything again.
No, sir! Not _this_ bunch! If a boy or girl thought of any addition
to Branton Hills' popularity it was brought to Mayor Gadsby for
consultation. And so, as Lucy Donaldson on a trip through a patch of
woods, saw a big stag looking out from a clump of shrubs, nothing would
do but to rush to His Honor to pour what thoughts that charming sight
had brought up in this bright young mind. So, as Gadsby stood at City
Hall's front door, this palpitating, gushing young girl ran towards
him, panting and blowing from a long run:--
"I want a zoo!!"
"A WHAT?"
"A ZOO!! _You_ know! A park with stags and all kinds of wild animals;
and a duck pond, and--and--and----"
"Whoa! Slow down a bit! Do you want an actual zoo, or an outfit of toys
that wind up and growl?"
"I want a truly, out-and-out, big zoo. Why can't you build walls
around a part of City Park, and----"
Gadsby saw that this was an addition which nobody had thought of, until
now; so, grasping his young visitor's hand, joyfully, said:--
"It's a fact, Lucy!! And, as you thought of it, I'll call it,--now
wait;--what _shall_ I call it? Aha! That's it! I'll call it 'Lucy Zoo'.
How's that for quick thinking?"
"My! That's just grand; but what will Papa say?"
Now Gadsby had known Lucy's family from boyhood, so said:--
"You inform your dad that at any sign of balking by him, I'll put HIM
in Lucy Zoo, and pay a boy to prod him with a sharp stick, until his
approval is in my hands." This brought such a rollicking laugh that a
man mowing City Hall lawn had to laugh, too.
Now, (Ah! But I can't avoid saying it!) our Organization was out again;
but, now having grown a bit from such childish youths as had, at first
stood in its ranks, a boy, now approaching manhood, and a girl, now a
young woman, could solicit funds with an ability to talk knowingly in
favor of any factor that a hanging-back contributor could bring up in
running down such a proposition. You can always count on finding that
class in any city or town upon any occasion for public works; but I can
proudly say that many saw good in our Organization's plan; and Lucy
soon found that out, in Old Lady Flanagan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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