The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-11-10
Little Stories for Bedtime ~
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS. -
Copyright, 1913, by J. G. Lioyd)
THE DAM OF PADDY THE BEAv-
ER GROWS.
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS.

Paddy the Beaver kept right on
working just as if he hadn't any visit
ors. You see it is a big undertaking
build a dam. And when that was
done there vas a house to build and
a supply Of food for the winter to CT
and store. oh. Paddy the Beaver had
no time for idle gossip you may be
sure! So he kept right on building
his dam. 1t didn't look much like a
dam at first and some of Paddy's Wis
itors turned up their noses when they
first saw il. You see they had heard
stories of what a wonderful dam
builder Paddy was, and they had en-
pected to see something like tho
smooth grass covered bank with
which Farmer Brown kept the E!s
River from running back on his slow
low lands. Instead all they saw was a
great pile of poles and sticks which
looked like anything but IL dam:
"Pooh!" exclaimed Eilly Mink. 81
guess we needn't worry about the
Laughing Brook and the Smiling Pool
if that is the best Paddy az do. Why:
the water Of the Laughing Brook will
work through that in no time"
OF course, Paddy heard him, but he
said nothing-iust kept right on
working.
Sticks" continued Billy Mink. Seems
as II any one would know enoush
to lay them them across or inst the the other ha4s waY.
I could build a better dam than that
paddy said nothing-just kept right
yes. sir" Billy boasted. II could
h,,i,d a better dam thar that. why
that pile Of sticks will neve stop the
water"
eve sight. Billy Mink" inquired Jerry
MuSkrat. Dr..
of course sv not. fe'0''eo n''S II
oh. nothing much. only you don't
seem to notice that already the
Laughing Brook is over its banks
above Paddy's dam replied jerry.
Who had been studying the dam with
a great deal of interest.
T;illy looked Il wee bit foolish 1oI
sure enough there was a little poo
| lust above the dam aud 1t was grow
ing bigger. Paddy still kept at WORK.
saying nothing. flc was "a
front of the lam TOW and the mus
and grass he dug up he stuffed IN pc
tween the ends of the sticks and rat-
ted down with. his hands. He did
ali along the front of the ar Il
IN ton Of it. too. and wherever he
thought it was needed. Of course tins
made it harder for the water TO work
through. and the little pond ABOVE
the dam began to grow faster ~
wasn't a great while before II vas
nearly to the top Of the dam. which
at first. of course. was very low. Then
Paddy brought more sticks. Il was
easier now. because he Il float
them down from the place where he
Was cutting. Tic would put them
in place on the top Of the dam. then
hurry for more. Wherever it was
needed he would put in mud. u"
even rolled Il few stones in tn help
hold the mass.
So the dam grew and grew. and SO
did The pond above the dam. OF
course. it took a good MANY days ia
build so big "A dam: and such a. lot
of hard work. Every morning the lit
tie people Of the Green Forest and
tho Green Meadows would visit il. alld
every morning they would find that it
had grown a great deal in the night
for that is when Paddy prefers IL
work. BY this time the Lauglins
and down in the Smiling Fool there
was hardly water enough for the min
nows to feel safe a minute. Billy
Mink had stopped making fun of the
dam, and all the little people who live
in the Laughing Brook and the Snlil-
ing Pool were terribly worried. To
be sure Paddy had warned them OF
what he was going to do. and had
promised that just as soon as his pond
was big enough the water would once
more run in the Laughing Brook
They tried to believe him. but -.tlley
couldn't. help having just 2 wee bit
Of tear that he might not he wholly
honest. You see they didn't know
him. for he was a stranger. Terry
Muskrat was the only who seem
cd absolutely sure that everything
would he all right Perhaps 1hat was
because Paddy is his cousin II Jerry
couldn't help hut feel proud of sucl,
q biz cousin II one who was so
smart.
So day by day tho dam grew and
tho pond grew. and then II morning
Grandfather Frog down i'll what had
once been the, Smiling Pool heard Il
sound that made his heart jump for
joy. 1t was IL murmur that kept
growing and growing until at last it
was the merry laugh OF the Laughing
Crook. Then he knew that Paddy
had kept his word.
Next story-Farmer Browns Boy