The Joke Didn't Work

A group of loungers were seated in 3 store when a coffee colored coon with sloping shoulders and ears at right angles to his head shuffled through the doorway. "Helío, Pomp," said one of the loungers. "YouTe looking just üke that lion I saw this morning." "Lion!" said Pomp, with his hair on end. "Where was he?' "In Jake Smith's livery stable." "Sho! What'd he look üke?' "Oh, he had legs and body and long ears." "Dat wasn't no lion, yo' poor white trash," returned the darky, disgusted. "Dat was a jackass." "Well, you look just like him," answered the lounger, with a grin. Pomp saw the joke, though he didn't like it to be on him. Just then a farmer entered the store, and the negro saw a chance to repeat the jest at another's expense. "Morning, Massa Johnson," said he, "yo' look jest like dat lion I sawyes'dy." "Where did yon see a lion, you fooi?" was the courteous response. "Down Massa Smith's lib'ry stable. Had legs an body an big long ears." "That wasn't a lion," said the planter. "Den what was it?" asked Pomp eagerly. "Why, a looking glass, yon black coon," answered the planter contemptuously, amid a general roar of laughter.-