FATHER TURNS THE TABLES In the little valley of Morgan, in the late 1890's lived John Gibby and his wives, Ellen and Dorcas, with their large families of fine, healthy, fun-loving boys and girls. John had planted an apple orchard, and then watched with pride and delight as the young trees grew, spreading out their long arms in the sunshine, and giving promise of bounteous harvests in the years to come. John could see big things in his apples; the means of a livlihood for himself and family, money to educate his children, better home conditions, perhaps even a few luxuries. His apple orchard became the apple of his eye, and it did not disappoint him. Just a few years of patient toil and loving care, and the Gibby farm was sending bushels and bushels of bright red Astracan apples to all parts of the state. People travelled by team from far and near to buy the Gibby apples. In those days it was often preached from the stand that the days of calamity were near at hand; when fire and flood, and famine end pestilence would sweep over the land and the wicked would burn as stubble. The Gibby boys, George and Alma, listened and were impressed, but not seriously frightened by it. And as they went about their work the idea of a big joke began to take shape in their minds. They went into the house and found a calendar, a bottle of glue and a pair of scissors, and returned to the orchard. Here they cut out the letters and numbers F-A-M-I-N-E 1900. Then selecting a big green apple, growing in a sunny position, they carefully pasted on the letters and numbers, and quietly slipped away and left the apple to ripen. Some time later when the apples were ripe, the boys went out to the orchard , picked their doctored apple, and carefully washed off the paper. To their great delight, the apple had done just what they hoped it would. It had turned rosy red every where but under the paper, and there it had remained green. Full of high glee the boys took the apple and ran to the house to show it to their father. Father Gibby was deeply impressed and all excited. "It was a warning from heaven," he said, "It couldn't have got on an apple any other way." The news spread fast. It was talked about and marveled over from one end of the valley to the other. Some laughed and shook their heads, but most people agreed with Father Gibby. How else could it get on the apple? Brother Gibby took the apple to Priesthood meeting and it was thoroughly examined and discussed. The old Stake Patriarch , Richard R. Rawle, said," Boys tricks, boys tricks." But when asked to explain he couldn't. And Brother Gibby pointed out, as proof that it was a warning from heaven, that it had been placed in the finest orchard in the valley. Brother Gibby, and a good many others were talking of storing food for the Day of Judgement. By this time the boys were getting worried. They would like to have told their father all about it, but it had gone too far now. Father would be angry. They didn't dare to tell. Then one day, Father Gibby called his boys together and announced that as a result of the great warning that heaven had sent to them, by means of the mysterious apple, he considered it absolutely necessary to glean the fields carefully and thoroughly, starting immediately, for grain to be stored away and used when the days of famine were upon them. Poor George and Al! How completely the tables had been turned! They went into a huddle and held a long consultation, and finally decided they would rather brave their father's anger than glean the fields. And so the story came out. Father Gibby was angry for while, but as time went on he learned to laugh about it as heartily as the rest. Written by Bessie P. Brough Related by Clara Gibby Whittier