Jupiter Pluvius sat on a cloud cleaning out the spout of his watering-pot with the end of a rainbow.

"Gentleman to see you, sir," said his office boy, appearing suddenly.

"Did he give any name?" asked Jupiter Pluvius suspiciously. "Some pesky farmer, I expect; thinks I'm going to do him out of his September rain."

"He gave his card, sir," replied the office boy. "Mr. John Croswell, sir, of Adelaide."

"Um," said Jupiter. "Same old business, I suppose. Show him up."

A gentleman presently appeared over the edge of the cloud. Jupiter went on cleaning his watering-can.

"Well, John," he remarked, none too cordially. "Here again?"

"Yes, Mr. Pluvius," said the visitor, respectfully. "I just dropped in to see if you could do me a favour. Agricultural Show next week, and I thought that if you wouldn't mind holding off for a bit" -

"Now, see here, John," said Jupiter, severely, as he absent-mindedly tied knots in the rainbow. "Don't you think you are coming it a bit too strong?"

"Well, I don't know," answered the visitor nervously, standing awkwardly first on one foot, then on the other, without, however, experiencing much difficulty. "I don't know. You see, it's such an important occasion, and" -

"Important fiddlesticks," interrupted Jupiter. "One would think that it was your Show that made the old mudspot revolve. Now, you've been coming to me every March and Spetember with the same request for I don't know how many years, and I've been granting it."

"Very good of you, I'm sure," murmured John.

"Yes, that's all right," said Jupiter; "but the question is: Who's got charge of this old can, you or me?"

"You, of course," returned the visitor. "But, you see, the farmers" -

"The farmers want rain," said Jupiter, decisively.

"Of course, of course," stammered John; "but a day or two won't make any difference. Just hold off for the Show, and the farmers will be grateful. After that, you can turn it on as hard as you like. The harder the btter, in fact. Make it better for the March Show to have a good season this year."

"That's all very well," mused Mr. Pluvius; "but you've bene coming this game so often that people are beginning to think that you have a pull with me."

The visitor shuffled uneasily, and coughed once or twice.

"If," he began uneasily. "If - er - if 5 per cent. of the gate receipts would be" -

"No, see here, John," said Pluvius, severely. "Don't you try to bribe me, or I'll give you and your Show a ducking that will be remembered. What with your Shows and your cricket matches, you are very nearly landing the country in for a drought."

"But just this time," pleaded the visitor. "Big Show, you know - record - important to the country" -

Jupiter reflected for a minute.

"All right," he said, at length. "Have you way, John; but, remember, don't you come troubling me for a long time after this."

"Thanks; thanks very much," said John. "Obliged, I'm sure. . . . Fixed it for this year, anyhow," he muttered delightedly to himself as he hurried off the cloud.

"Hang it all," said Jupiter Pluvius. "I don't seem to be able to refuse that fellow anything. Way he's got, I suppose. Here, boy, hang the can up in the Milk Way; I shan't be wanting it for a few days."

"C.J.D."
The Gadfly, 18 September 1907, p1473