Statesman Journal from Salem, Oregon • Page 138

pmnniywlhi'i(i art vjunuciy, may id, io Squinty Roy Poor Squinty Roy gained pound after pound, 'til he wasn't as tall as he was big around. And while he was growing to a fat little boy, his name grew too, to Fat Squinty Roy. "The frown will leave when you lose the fat," the good wizard said, "I'm sure of that. But for fat there's no magic like there is for eyes. You'll have to eat less and exercise." Fat Roy With The Terrible Frown walked down, from Wizard Hill to the place in town.

There he met the other kids playing ball. "Just give me one chance," he said. "That's all." The kids all groaned, "What's the use in that?" But somebody finally gave him the bat. He crossed his fingers and he crossed his toes. He gritted his teeth and wiggled his nose.

He held that bat just as he should, and swung at that ball as hard as he could. The umpire shouted out, "Strike one!" Roy squeezed his eyes shut against the sun. As the ball swished toward him again, he stepped back. He swung that bat. Swoosh! Crrraack! That ball went flying away so far, the kids were sure it would reach a star.

As Roy kept playing, and running around, the weight fell off, pound after pound. Til he was all run down to average size, and lost his frown on the way besides. Now Average Town kids just call him Roy, an average name for an average boy. By BONNIE PAPKE In Average Town, on Average Street, the kids have names like Jane or Pete. Sometimes they have other names instead, like "Johnny Come Lately" or "Sleepy Head." And so it was, there was one small boy, that the meaner kids called "Squinty Roy." The squint he wore almost closed his eyes.

His eyebrows stood up in great surprise. And when he tried to play ball, he couldn't catch it. Not once! The kids yelled, "Squinty Roy Butterfin-gers!" and "Squinty Roy! What a dunce!" When Squinty Roy came up to bat, he gave a little tug at his hat. He crossed his fingers and he crossed his toes. He gritted his teeth and wiggled his nose.

He held the bat just as he should and swung at the ball as hard as he could. The ball came swishing across the plate, but each time he tried, he swung too late. The captain groaned, "You can't catch. You can't bat. You're off the team, Squinty Roy, and that's that!" With no games to play, he went home and ate.

He didn't stop with the food on his plate. Squinty Roy kept asking for more and more, and his mother made four trips a day to the store. Then he crinkled his brow, and his mouth turned down, and pretty soon he was known around town as Fat Squinty Roy With The Terrible Frown. His mother and father wore frowns of their own. The problem stuck in their worry bone.

"We'll take you up to Wizard Hill. We hear they can cure almost any ill. The wizards there have earned such fame, they must have a cure for a terrible name." "Well," said the wizard, a kind old man. "First let's hear how the name began. With Squinty, you say? That's the first name you had? Well, that could mean that your eyes were bad." He took out his eye chart and tested Roy's score.

Time after time he tested some more. Then he smiled and gave him some magic glass eyes. Roy put them on and gasped in surprise. "What a bright new world! Just look at that! My mother's wearing a fuzzy hat I always thought she had brought the cat!" The squint to his eyes had finally gone. Now he was "Fat Roy With The Terrible Frown." Exercise is kind of magic for your body, as? nt it?.