Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-01
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PACK rum de quarters, den I'll know it's So
Dey's sumpin in me dat tells me right pine
bank ban dat eff folks can't talk wild de cree
turs it's der own fault; an Wit when YOU
come ter think bout it hard an strong it
don't look natchuaL"
Aunt Minervy Ann went her way for the
TIME being and Sweetest Susan, holding the
lying squirrel against her rosy face said:
Your name is Fit. Remember that
please Now, Fit. you must tell US some
thing about yourself and how you hap
pened TO let Aunt Minervy Ann catch you -
Vic is that talking?" chirped the flying
squirrel. I'm awfully sleepy This is my
time foi sleeping. What is F'lit?''
Fit is your name, I'd have you to
Know. replied Sweetest Susan. land
want you to tell us about yourself"
We'll give me some water said Fit
(his words sounded like the notes of the
song SPARROW. and don't keep me awake
100 long L didn't have any sleep yester-
day. ard haven't slept any today"
You should be good and sleep at night"
Sweetest Susan declared.
4 can't sleep when I'm hungry, and
when the shine-ban goes down | have to
wake and hunt for food. I'm awfully sleepy
now and hungry, too!''
"Whar dat box er scaly-barks you all
had?' inquired Druslla EFF you'll git
some I'll go crack UNI
What are scaly-barks?'' asked Fit
Small hickory nuts replied Sweetest
Susan
Instantly Fit was wide awake. making
chatterins noise such small bird might
make THAT is the very thing l want.
Make haste, make haste, he cried.
Drusilla was soon cracking the scaly-
barks. and in few moments Fit was sit
ting on his hind legs in Sweetest Susans
hand. eating the "gOody," the children
called it. as fast as Buster John could pick
il out with an old shoemakers awl. The
little creature was very dainty about it,
too If the meat of the scaly-bark hap
pened to be the least spoiled or wormeaten,
he promptly rejected it, and called for bet
tor And hot he nj nf
some Of his recent adventures.
Not SO very long ago said Fit, looking
CuriOUSly al piece of the meat of scaly
bark. and tur hing it over and over in his
nimble forepaws II went home before the
shine-6all came out. and there | found
big black snake curled up in my bed. He
raised his head and made his tongue culver,
and | was afraid to go in. l didn't know
what to do. / knew if the shine-ball came
out and found me away from home. that L
wouldn't be able to see what was going on,
for the Shine-ball is SO bright that it hurts
my eyes"
I wandered about among the trees, jump
ing from one to the other, until finally /
remembered where a Woodpecker had had
4 nest in q big pine not far off. / had seen
him hiding some acorns there. and at night
| used to go there and see how they tasted.
and l thought if l could get there by the
time the shine-bal came out 1 could get
a little rest. Well. l went to the pine and
crawled into the woodpecker's nest. But
it was very uncomfortable. and had a bad
smell. There was no soft bed in 1t, such as
l had at home. and everything about it was
rough. The door. Now. don't think you
ought to cat all the good ones yourself and
pick out the bad ones for me. Why, that
last piec" was black side.
This Vas addressed to Buster John, whose
appetite for sCaly-barks had asserted itself
when he began to pick out the goodies
for Fit.
"There-ncw, that's better" said Fit,
with a satisfied chirp. The door of the
wOO6DpPEFr'S rd he nj
where the shine-ball comes from. and
everything about it seemed to be wrong.
But it was the best l could do. l crept in
and curled up for such sleep as l could get
in such a place. / went to sleep, too, for
I was very tired. How long ! slept l don't
know. but when / woke | was hot. The
shtne-ball was looking right in the door,,
and | was nearly suffocated." n
At this point Fit pretended TO sneeze to
show how he suffered from the heat
There was only one thing to do. and
his l did. l crawled out and went half
way down the tree where the trunk was
large enough to hide the shine-ball. There
| stretched myself out on a limb and tried
to believe l felt better. Did I tell you the
tree was dead? Well, it was. Outside of
the woodpecker's home there wasn't hid
ing place in it. The pine was standing
alone. ard the only way to reach the thick
woods where ! lived to travel part
Of the way on zig-zag fence.
Now. ! didn't like to do this. To be out
in the light is bad enough. but to travel
On a fence with the Shine-ball and every
thing else looking at you. is worse still. So
l stretched out on The big limb not far from
tho ground. and tried to be content. didn't
know how long | lay there, but all of
sudden felt the wind rushing down on me.
and under the limb l went like fiash-and
nona too seen. for as l went under big
hawk came swishing by close that I
could almost feel her feathers brush me.
Well, ] was so frightened / began to pant.
had often heard of hawks, and had been
warned against them. but | never saw one
before Did you ever see one? They are
terrible
This hawk was not satisfied She swoop-
ed and circled as | do when / make a long
flying jump from tree to tree. She circled
upward and sailed around overhead /
couldn't see very well for the glare of the
shine-ball"
What de name er goodness is de shine
ball?' inquired Drus!lla.
why it's the sun. goosey," answered
Sweetest Susan.
Il couldn't see very we'll" said Fit, land
so | went on top of the limb again; but l