Be the first to follow Ann Cook, and here is my reading.

A Surly Sergeant Socked an Insolent Sailor



Sam, a surly sergeant from Cisco, Texas, saw a sailor sit silently on a small seat reserved for youngesters. He stayed for several minutes, while tots swarmed around. Sam asked the sailor to cease and desist but he sneered in his face. Sam was so incensed that he considered it sufficient incentive to sock the sailor. The sailor stood there for a second, astonished, and then strolled away. Sam was perplexed, but satisfied, and the tots scampered like ants over to the see-saw.