TALES OF THE SALT AND PEPPER TWINS
“Now I am most anxious to hear from the black and white pair of twins. Allow me to introduce Salt and Pepper, both of whom seem very necessary in this world of ours.”
“I am used very extensively as an April Fool”
Salt and Pepper now teetered forward. A cute little pair, indeed. Salt, all robed in frosty white, first began, and saucily cried out her big name of Sodium Chloride.
“I haven’t much to say except that I look so like sugar you can hardly tell which is which. For that reason I am used very extensively as an April Fool and am most popular on that day.
“I come principally from the United States, of which you all know without my showing you; from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Louisiana, West Virginia, California, Kansas, and Utah.
“Michigan and New York gave in 1888 about three quarters of all the salt produced in the United States.
“The salt of California is made by evaporation of sea water. That of Utah from water of Great Salt Lake.
“That found in Louisiana and Kansas comes by mining rock salt.
“I’ll give you a riddle. What is it that has to be in most everything we eat, or else it isn’t good? I’ll answer because you couldn’t possibly guess. It’s salt.
“You could hardly enjoy a meal without me. What would a table be without the salt box? And as for birthday parties, they just couldn’t have them if I vanished from the earth.”
“‘Tisn’t true,” cried Orange. “A party I was at once was almost ruined because of you. You worked into the ice cream, and what’s a party without ice cream? No one could eat it and the children cried!”
“That’s true,” said Salt. “I forgot to tell you that while a little of me is most necessary, too much of a good thing is worse than nothing.
“Now my twin brother will tell you of himself.”
Black Pepper, dressed in a black velvet suit and cap, politely bowed as he removed his hat.
“Kechoo! Kechoo!” sneezed the audience.
“Put your cap on quickly,” whispered Salt; “don’t you see you are making them sneeze?”
“Oh, pardon me!” apologised Pepper. “I didn’t think that politeness would cause such distress. My story is very short.
“I come from all damp tropical countries, and my tree is a joy to behold, when hanging full of scarlet berries against the background of green leaves. The spikes are gathered when the berries begin to turn red. The berries are rubbed off and dried and form then the ordinary black pepper.
“The white pepper consists of the seeds of the same fruit allowed to ripen and deprived of their pulp. The white pepper finds its largest market in China, which is right here.
“There is a plant of the genus Capsicum. From those pods come Cayenne or red pepper.
“That’s all,” he cried, with a funny quick bow.
“Your stories are short, but you are both about as necessary an article of food as I know of,” said Mr. Cinnamon Stick, “and now let us hear from this apple-cheeked maid, all about her lovely fruit, the Apple.”