Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-30
A Fourth of July Adventure
BY Doris Webb

r-hara Is n huge bird who feeds upon moth
,,g hint slvrockets and has his nest way
IN the northernmost part OF North America.
inside Of a volcano One day every year he
cones out of his volcano and makes his
v-sv down to the United States and has a
most glorious time. Now. what day do you
srppose that Is? You couldn't possibly
ruess-ao. not II l gave you 1865 guesses
That day is the Fourth of Julyl And he
comes down on the Fourth of July just be-
cause he's so fond OF skyrockets, and
there's no other time when he can get SO
many. He likes to catch them just as they
are falling In a multitude OF stars, but
sometimes when he Is hungry he eats a
rocket lust before II bursts, and then. of
ccurse. ii doesn't burst st all. and all the
children are disappointed. He Is called a
binary Roc that SIubad the Sailor once
dlrary Rock that Siubad the Sailor once
met.
one Fourth OF July the Sky-Roo left his
volcano nest as usual, and tapped his way
down from the cold north. When he reach
ell the United States at nightfall the fire
works were just beginning. and splendid
collection they were, too. Now, Ii happen
ed that a little boy named Franklin Ben
jamiu was up on his roof with his father
were having a very good time, until they
found that three rockets in succession just
sissed up into the air without exploding
into the shower OF stars That was because
the hungry SlIy-Roc had gobbled them up,
hut. OF course, the little boys didn't know
that. Finally Franklin took a skyroeket
without telling the others and decided 10
set & Of himself. III started very we'll but
at the last moment was SO excited that he
Just seized hold OF the stick. In another
instant II shot up into the air, taking
Franklin with IL Whlzz. few the rocket:
then suddenly. bauEi Il burst open. and
down fell the showers OF stars Franklin
felt himself falling. too. but Just then as
he looked down he saw a large black thing
in the air below him. Selling the bright
stars as they dOated down. Then he fell
plume on top Of g.. and held on tight for al
though he didn't know what this strange
black thing was he felt IL was far better 10
stay on tOp OF Il than TO go falling down TO
tho ground. After a while he began to dis
cover shat he was riding on a tremendous
bird Tor he could hear the wings Tapping
and feel the srst feathers.
All that night he sailed on the Sky-Roc,
who darteC here and there In the air.
sna.ching At skyrockets as swallow at
flies I was most wonderful, and although
Franklin would much rather have been at
home he could not help enjoying the ride
in the air with skyroekets shooting ali
about him. At last he fell asleep. and slept
I'LL morning. When he awoke the SlSy-Roc
was Just Mapping gently down 10 the earth
And the minute he touched the ground you
may be sure Franklin scrambled of his
back IN a hurry, and ran and hid behind a
tree. The Sky-Roc stretched his wings and
then folded them comfortably. He was
tired, and he made up his mind TO rest be-
fore he flew back TO his volcano In the
north. He was certainly most wonderful
bird, for his wings were striped red and
whlte--drst a red feather. then q white one.
and his breast was blue and white stars.
When he had rested for half an hour he
spread his wings again and few into the
air. and that was the last Franklin saw of
him, except & few seconds later when one