Clifton High School - Rotunda Yearbook (Clifton, NJ)

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THE PROFESSOR HE professor was a short, thick-set man; built not after the fashion of a modern skyscraper, but more like a medieval tower, for solidity and endurance. Lying in a hammock, after his luncheon, he relaxed his brain, weary after the semester’s exertion, and thereupon slept. Thence, he found himself traveling away o’er wooded highlands upon his first bear hunt. Having rested upon his shoulder a heavy, horn-barreled shotgun, and straddling a weak, worn out donkey, he ad- vanced. Miles and miles he sped on, passing deserts, marshes, rivers and mountains. Upon approaching a canyon, he spread the donkey’s legs, twisted his tail and cried, “Advance!” The donkey leaped swiftly into space, and treading air he advanced speedily to the other side. He landed safely and rode on. Finally he arrived at a great forest. Here our worthy colleague dismounted, and from his pocket took a can of molasses. He opened it and placed it upon a nearby rock. He remounted once more and waited, day-dreaming, for his bear to approach. Suddenly his day-dream ceased. In one horrible moment he was tossed into the air as if by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Upon alight- ing, he quickly clasped an oak tree in his grasp and looked about to see the cause of his misfortune. Upon the ground a short distance away, a bear, a great black bear, was smelling of his gun and placidly licking the trigger, while his donkey was speedily vamoosing into a nearby thicket. What should he do—where should he flee ? That was the problem. He meditated solemnly for five minutes, during which time the bear had digested the molasses, and finally a brilliant idea burst upon his fertile gray matter. The professor had seen rattlesnakes tamed by a flute; why should not a bear be tamed Page Nine

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the student body, as well as the faculty, of their new visitor. True, while he is very small and, for the most part, silent, it would be much more courteous to greet him kindly than to welcome him with a burst of laughter. The other day, during seventh period, he made himself known to me. Perhaps it was the pleasant tick of the typewriters that attracted his attention; or the feeling that one of his little enemies and prey was in hiding behind the bookcase, that made him favor Room 9. At any rate, he made his first visit, to be greeted with a burst of laughter. Puzzled, he stood still, calmly surveying us all with a wounded dignity very becoming to his type of gray beauty. His yellow eyes peered out from under their shelter of hair and looked vainly for a sympathetic, unlaughing face. Then he calmly walked around the room investigating his different ridiculers. Now and then he uttered a faint “ Meow,” and one or two lucky individuals were favored with a choice rub of his silver body. He has been with us now for several weeks. Let us show him that his charming personality is very welcome. We trust that those of the student body who formerly laid the cause of their mislaid books at the doors of the mice, will give pussy a hearty welcome, for their enemies will be greatly lessened. (We’re not mentioning names, though!) VIRGINIA RUHE, ’22. H U To the Editor of the “Reflector”: Sir:—May I present the following situation to the readers of the “Reflector”? “I have five minutes to get there, and if I don’t make it, I’m finished!” Just then the traffic cop blew his whistle, signalling “Stop.” The excited man drew out his watch. His stock would be sold in three minutes. He felt as he sometimes felt in his dreams. He wanted to run and—oh!—something just held him back. This man was, without a doubt, excited and hurrying to his business. Do we in the corridors look as if we had an important business deal to accomplish? Is it fair for us to drag along the corridors and make the traffic congested, thereby hindering some ambitious student from accomplishing his aims? We should, therefore, walk in line without misleading the traffic, and look as if we had to get there in two minutes or suffer! MARIE BENNETT, ’22. Page Eight

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by melody from human lips? After solving this problem in his mind by quickly considering all facts of the case, he decided to act at once. Accordingly he clambered down from the safety of the oak tree and faced the bear, who sat licking his chops nearby. Thus he began his solo. Such melody rang forth through the forest as had never rung be- fore or will ever ring again. It was a melody which might be discussed freely by the public if the public had strong will power enough to listen to it; in fact it might be discussed too freely in another language (used mostly by men). When the professor finished, and gasped for breath, he saw a strange spectacle before him. Upon the grass lay two rattlesnakes lulled to sleep by his musical charm; nearby a wolf snored, resting his head against a tree trunk. In the brook fishes floated unconscious upon the water, and bullfrogs were stretched lazily upon the sand. All were asleep but the bear, who sat respectfully upon his hind legs nearby. Once more, the professor began, this time selecting opera for his melody. As he sang, his whole soul burst forth, likewise his lungs. When he had finished his masterpiece he looked down to see the snakes sneaking stealthily into the nearby grasses, the wolf slinking into the neighboring woods, the fishes hiding themselves among the rocks and the bullfrogs diving into the muddy depths of the brook. The bear alone sat motionless. The professor advanced slowly and touched him. The bear toppled over, still motionless upon the grass—he was dead! The sight dimmed, blackness appeared and then he awoke to find himself bending over a porch chair, which he had pushed off the porch. His wife declared he must be a crazy man because he had risen in his slumber and tried to sing in a queer voice. Upon retrieving his scattered senses, he imported to his wife that never would he eat two pieces of apple pie for dinner again. D. COLLESTER. UAAAAA A TXT Page Ten