Cropped

A French correspondent cabled on Derby Day one of those small, revealing anecdotes of His Majesty George V which British newsgatherers have not the humor to appreciate.

His Majesty had strolled out to the paddock, and was regarding pensively a sleek little filly whose tail had been cropped short. A shadow of disapproval crossed the King's face as he inspected the very close-cropped tail.

"May I trust that Your Majesty is pleased?" quavered a groom, as the silence became oppressive.

"No," said the King slowly, "No. I do not like at all such trimming of a horse's tail. I think it is very ugly." A still longer pause ensued. "In fact," concluded His Majesty, at last, "such a cropped tail reminds me of a woman with bobbed hair."