Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-02
LITTLE BEDTIME STORIES
SAMMY JAY FEELS SORRY.
BY Thornton w. Burgess.
Copyright, 1913, by :. q. Lloyd

Sammy Jay had just come up to the old
orchard from the Green Forest. Sammy
had something on his mind. Yes. sir.
Sammy Jay had something on his mind.
He was feeling sorry. 1t was a queer
feeling for Sammy Jay. He couldn't re-
member ever having had 1t before He
tried to think that he hadn't got it now.
but it was Of no use. He couldn't fool
himself For once In his life he really
was sorry for something he had done.
You see, Sammy had just come up past
the great hollow tree where Unc Billy
Postum had made his home. Unc' Billy
wasn't there. He hadn't been there for a
number of days. Old Mrs Postum looked
worried. She was sure that something
had happened to Unc' Billy. She told
Sammy Jay how Unc' Billy had gone up
to Farmer Browns to try to find out
what had become Of Johnny Chucks baby
Chuck, whom Farmer Browns boy had
| carried away. Now, as Sammy Jay sat
in one OF the old apple trees in the old
orchard he could see Johnny Chuck sit
| ting on his doorstep. and looking and
! looking in the direction Of Farmer
Browns house. toward which his baby
| Chuck had been carried. He just sat and
looked and looked and looked, and hardly
| noticed Polly Chuck or the two little
| Chucks who hadn't been caught.
| Try as he would Sammy Jay couldn't
keep Johnny Chuck and inc Billy POS
sum out of his mind. He knew that II 1t
| hadn't been for him Farmer Browns boy
might never have found the baby Chuck
and il he hadn't why Unc' Billy Postum
would never have gone to look TOT nlm'
and if-well, the more he thought the big
to think OF what might have been. The
thing to do was to think Of what was
and how he could try to undo the ms
chief he had done when he showed
Farmer Browns boy and Bowser the
Hound where Johnny Chuck's house was.
That was where all the trouble started.
| IL wish / hadn't" said Sammy to
| himself as he sat In the old apple tree.
It always was and will be So
| It cannot help but be- you know;
| An unkind deed. though big or small.
Once done is done beyond recall.
| Sammy Jay was beginning to realize
| this now. 1t didn't do the teeniest. wee
NEST bit OF good to wish that he hadn't
done II. He had. and all the wishing in
the world wouldn't make 1t any different.
The baby Chuck was gone. and Unc'
Billy Possum was gone, and no one in the
| Green Forest or on the Green Meadows
knew IL they were dead or alive. Sud
denly Sammy Jay shut his bill with q
snap.
'Ill go up there myself" said he.
Sammy didn't waste any time once he
had made up his mind. He wasn't much
afraid You see, he knew that at this
time Of year Farmer Browns boy was
not likely to have his dreadful gun with
him. Besides he could watch until Farmer
Brown and his boy had gone down to the
cornfield. This is just what he did do
AS soon as they were well on their wa.
Sammy flew over to tree that grew
right In Farmer Browns dOoryard. Sam
my looked this way and that way all Over
the dooryard, but he didn't see anything
that he hadn't seen before when he haG
been there
Then he just happened to look down
Sammy just stared with his eyes and hi!
mouth stretched its very widest: he wa!
SO surprised. What was it? Why Sammy
Jay was looking right down into wire
covered boxes. and In one the lost little
Chuck was contentedly eating his break
fast OF tender young clover, while in the
other, all curled up for q morning nap
lay Unc Billy Possum.
!, I'm SO glad. SO glad that they'r.
alive" screamed Sammy Jay.