MARCH 26,1918.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3
Who D'Jer Spose Got Eggs And Rabbits All Into Easter To Stay!
Grown-up Wise Folks Can't Find
Out Anything
About It
Only Eight-Year-Olds. Know
Steps
Bunnies Lay Colored Eggs and Nose Them Up Back Steps
But how did eggs and rabbits get into Easter? The oldest theologian died years ago with the problem unsolved and his failure was written into his column obituary. The encyclopedist and the lexicographer talked a lot and said nothing for fifty years. Then the newspapermen took a couple of days will they take to somebody. And they usually find something somehow.
The reporter went a long way and suffered much and finally brought this transcript of whatever truth there might be about Easter eggs and bunnies. He read about the abolition of them first—in the Annalist. Didn't see why the Annalist should be so generous to 'little children even if candy is a luxury in wartime. But how many Annalists are employed economy. That's what prompted the reporter's question to the statistician across the library table.
"Where do they come from?" said the reporter.
THAT IS THE QUESTION
"wnat?" said the statistician flickering through forty pages of vital compilations set in agate.
"I mean Easter eggs and rabbits," amended the reporter.
RENEWED HOPE
"Why-er-can't you buy them at Wiedie's—ought to be in by this time." And the statistician returned to the exports of 1494.
The reporter sought fresh air and met a university girl in a pince nez. She asked her. She paused emphaticly and bit her lip in sincere reflection.
"I used to know," she said. "I had it in a course that included everything from sagas and eddas and the Nebuunlenled to the communal ballad."
"Yes? Yes? Ah!" The reporter took heart.
"There's a legend about the rabbit and the egg, there certainly is a legend," she continued as he followed her. "It is from the Irish—or maybe from the Swiss. I think I can find you a book that tells a about it."
MADE IN GERMANY
The book was at the bottom of the steel stacks of Spooner. Spooner the knowledge storehouse of the University of Kansas. But it was useless. It deserved to gather dust. In the first place it said the idea of rabbits and eggs was made in Germany. The Anglo-Saxons, who used to celebrate something for Ostera, goddess of Spring, became Christian in England and changed Ostera's Day for Easter. Among the moosy traditions they brought to Easter from Ostera was the belief that rabbits which lived on lakeshores fetched in eggs for an annual omelette at Ostera's full moon.
All very scientific, scientific as a German trademark could make it. Simply would not do this year; wonder if it ever did at all. Easter eggs and bunnies are decidedly not scientific.
TOOTHLESS TRUTH
The reporter was sitting by the wayside lost in solemnly thought. It was getting to be no use at all. Nobody really knew what he wanted. He began to pity the poor old theologian. Then along came the boy, the grinning man whose grin showed three strangles left, two below and one unstairs.
"Say," the reporter dispensed with formal greetings, "say—can you tell me where Easter eggs and rabbbits come from?"
"Surest thing in the world," came back like an echo from heaven. "They come from all round here and they come every year just about this time. I know." Blue overalls and hickory shirt are an unfailing guarantee of simple truthfulness. The boy had them.
"Betcher life," replied sonny. "Saw a rabbit on this hill last week. I asked Dad if it wasn't a Easter rabbit and he said it must be."
"Ever see one?" the reporter was chewing his pencil and digging into the trash.
"I understand," said the reporter,
"but how about the eggs?"
"Thought hens did."
"Not the colored ones," refuted the ultimate witness. "Rabbits lays the colored ones. Then they just rolls 'em with the noses right up the back steps to the porch."
"Oh, we kids make nests for the eggs to be put in. The rabbits alus finds the nests."
EIGHT-YEAR-OLD LIMIT
"Then where?"
The reporter was not quite satisfied. "Tell me before you go to home to supper—tell me if the rabbits would bring me a nest?" If I put a nest out on my porch?
"Nope, not a chance," son looked sympathy if ever youth had any for age. "Because—because you're not little any more. They won't bring anything." I moved them. They stopped bringing 'eng' to sister after she was eight, you know."
"Too bad," said the reporter over his shoulder "Mildred and I will have to go."
Son shook his head in disgust. "Those aren't real eggs," he said. "It's just the rabbits that come on Easter and then brings the real ones—you know!"
Weather Is Too Good Study Is Hit Hard
Unless the weather ceases to be pleasant and becomes more typical of Kansas, the pursuit for knowledge at K. will practically cease. Every student makes an honest effort to get to the library these warm nights, but he usually turns from the path of duty.
The number of hours "killed," the number of cokes consumed, and the number of houses from which an outburst of barber-shop melody comes each night, has greatly increased this ast week.
Women in one hiking squad found some Easter lilies on the links near Potter's Lake yesterday, which discovery made the lead caller to the roll
"It too cute for words—"
YOUR special came asking me to find you an Easter hat while I was in the city. I looked for it but after a whole long weary day of disappointment I came home and found it right here in Lawrence.
says Betsy Drew
I know that you will love it for it's to cute for words. It has sweet little gift French bows of apricot and blue—nifty ones that seem to be painted right on the high shiny crown, and tiny little bunches of forgetmentons and roses. The straw, too, is French, in name at least—it is black lisher.
And of course it is a poke. It has a facing of the soft apricot shade of crepe de chine that will look so good on you.
Kansas City may be the place to get some things, but when it comes to clever little hats that just suit, leave old Siedler's—first door of south Wiedie's.
Write soon and tell me how much you like it.
Lovingly,
HOTEL KUPPER Kansas City, Mo.
at once and let the hikers spend the remainder of the hour picking flowers. It takes spring to soften the hardest hearts.
Sunshine affects people differently. One freshman woman said she worked more this week than any time this year, because it's the first time her room has been warm enough to be habitable. This is doubtless an unusual reaction. K. U. may eventually become acclimated and accustomed to spring, but right now the weather is disconcerting.
Cafe in connection paying special attention to banquets. WALTER S. MARS, Mgr.
"Ask the waiter what's good today."
"You're living in the past. Ask him what's allowed."—Louisville courier-Journal.
ARROW COLLAR
The New Fall
Convenient to the shopping and Theatre District especially handy for ladies on beetiful Patent Lane.
A Fresh Shipment of MARTHA WASHINGTON CANDIES University Book Store 803 Mass. St.
World alliance for 1918 here acquired
World almanacs for 1918 have arrived
A Wide Selection of Smart Spring Coats and Suits from Printzess
The spring showing of Printzess models offer you so much in style, fit, quality, and satisfaction at prices so very reasonable.
Coats, priced
Suits, priced ...$20 to $45
Silk Sweaters in the dainty Spring Shades—charming Easter blouses—correct attire in the way of small but important things, such as gloves, hosiery, neckwear, handkerchiefs, etc.—everything in our stock or merchandise breathes the freshness of Spring.
NEWMARK'S
Engraved on wood for A. B. Kitechbaum Co.
DEMAND ALL-WOOL NOTHING LESS
THERE is only one degree of all-wool—there are a hundred degrees of cotton adulteration ... Once cotton is admitted, you never know whether the adulteration stops at 5 per cent or goes to 50 per cent...To keep on sure ground, look for the Kirschbaum label—a label which stands for all-wool, always and without compromise ... Kirschbaum Clothes - $20 to $40
JOHNSON & CARL LAWRENCE, KANS.