Corn Cobs

By Laverne Sutton © 1986

Issue: May, 1986

It used to be you could tell a country person from a city person by what they knew.

Take the corn cob, for instance. Country folks could tell you a dozen ways to use a corn cob, while city folks thought it was great for holding corn together.

Country folks knew it was great for throwing at the hogs, making dolls, or animals. The colorful cobs were used for decoration. Many a bare foot has been hurt from stepping on it. It even had its place in the out house after the Sears Catalog gave out. But best of all, it started a great fire in the kitchen cook stove.

One weekend, a young friend from the city came to spend the night. As we played about the yard, my mother called from the kitchen door, "If you girls want supper, you'd better gather me up some corn cobs."

After picking up the corn cobs, we returned to play. Later that night, as we sat around the supper table, our young guest kept looking over the table instead of eating. Finally Mother asked, "Basseline! What's the matter?"

To which Basseline answered, "Aunt Annie! Where's the corn cobs?"