THE PORKUPINE.
The porkupine iz a kind ov thorny woodchuck.
They are bigger than a rat, and smaller than a calf.
They liv in the ground, and are az prikly all over az a chesnutt burr, or a case ov the hives.
It iz sed that they hav the power ov throwing their prickers like a javelin, but this iz a smart falshood.
An old dog wont tutch a porkupine enny quicker than he 205 would a phire brand, but yung dogs pitch into them like urchins into a sugar hogshed.
The konsequentz ov this iz they git their mouths philled with prickers, which are bearded, and kant bak out.
A porkupine’s quill when it enters goes klean thru and cums out on the other side ov things. This iz a way they hav got.
The porkupine iz not bad vittles, their meat tastes like pork and beans with the beans left out.
They hav a cute way ov stealing apples known only to a phew.
I hav seen them run under an apple tree, and rolling over on the fruit which had fallen from the tree, carry oph on their prickers a dozen ov them.
I hav often told this story to people, but never got enny tew beleave it yet.
Porkupines hav got a destiny tew phill, it may be only a hole in the ground, but they kan phill that az phull az it will hold.