The Project Gutenberg EBook of Pepper & Salt, by Howard Pyle

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Title: Pepper & Salt
or, Seasoning for Young Folk

Author: Howard Pyle

Illustrator: Howard Pyle

Release Date: April 20, 2005 [EBook #15664]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: Illustration of "Pepper and Salt" written on a ribbon
en-wrapping branches and toys.]

[Illustration: This is the way that one in Cap and Motley stops for
awhile along the stony Path of Life to make you laugh.]

[Transcriber's Note: This is a full page picture of a country-side field
with children listening to a man in Cap and Motley play an instrument.
Other full page illustrations within the text also will have short
descriptions in addition to the words of the poem on the page.]

Pepper & Salt,

or

Seasoning for _Young Folk_

Prepared by

Howard Pyle

1885, reissued 1913.

THIS SPECIAL EDITION IS PUBLISHED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PUBLISHERS OF
THE REGULAR EDITION

HARPER & BROTHERS

BY

~E.M. HALE AND COMPANY~

EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN

[Illustration]

PREFACE

Here, my little man, you may hold my cap and bells,--and you, over
there, may hold the bauble! Now, then, I am ready to talk as a wise man
should and am a giddy-pated jester no longer!

This is what I have to say:

One must have a little pinch of seasoning in this dull, heavy life of
ours; one should never look to have all the troubles, the labors, and
the cares, with never a whit of innocent jollity and mirth. Yes, one
must smile now and then, if for nothing else than to lift the corners of
the lips in laughter that are only too often dragged down in sorrow.

It is for this that I sit here now, telling you all manner of odd quips
and jests until yon sober, wise man shakes his head and goes his way,
thinking that I am even more of a shallow-witted knave than I really am.
But, prut! Who cares for that? I am sure that I do not if you do not.

Yet listen! One must not look to have nothing but pepper and salt in
this life of ours