Evening star., 1914-02-04
Queerest Kind of Partners.

Chatterer the Red Squirrel looked at
Tommy Tit the Chiekadee as if he sus-
pected that Tommy was making fun OF
him. Tommy had just asked Chatterer
if he knew Farmer Browns boy and he
we're mariners OF course, Chatterer
hadn't known anything of the kind He
made up his mind that Tommy Tit was
iokine. though he couldn't quite see what
,be ,oke was The idea of any of the
little forest and meadow people havlng
Farmer Browns boy for partner. ana
vet. somehow. Tommy looked as II ne
really meant It.
You're very clever. Tommy TIT
AS clever as can be.
But when YOU ask me this to D lieVe
You ask too much OF me-
Chatterer said this in the pert way he
hos and Tommy Tit laughed. You don't
believe it, but just the same IT is SO.
Farmer Browns boy knows It ana | Know
it, and We don't care a snap "hetnear
Won or ANYBODY else believes 1t or NOT, :
he replied Now ! must get busy ana
do my share. Dee. dee, dee, chlckadee.
With that Tommy Tit flew over 10 elie
next apple tree and began to search one
twig after another with ms snalp' ,".llh, mn
ling. black eyes. Every second or two
ne would spy a teeny, Weeny egg SO
small that you and would probably not
have seen one of them AS tast as ne
found them he snapped them up. II dlon !
seem as if they were big enough for
snv one to eat but you know Tommy INT
is a very little fellow himself. and ne
found those teeny. weeny eggs very sooo
indeed.
and ali the time he was studying and
studying over what Tommy had SAID.
POOH said he at last, mes dolns
nothing but eat and eat, and nke 70
know what that's got to do with Farmer
Browns boy.
Tommy Tit just happened to be flying
mast on his way to another tree just then
and he overheard Chatterer :,
Its got everything to do with him.
said he. stopping just long enough ~
open and gobble up little package OF
teenv. weeny eggs he had overlooked
when he was in that tree before. You
see. ali summer long Farmer brown
bov has to fight the worms that eat the
leaves and spoil the apples. Now, all
eggs hidden under the rough bark ana
fastened on the little twigs. and the more
I find and eat the fewer worms there Will
be to bother Farmer Browns boy NO"
do you see?' ,,.,,,
Partners usually do something for each
other and SO far as l can see you are
doing everything for Farmer Brown
boy and he is doing nothing for you
That's no kind of partner to have.
"Oh. YOU stupidr exclaimed Tommy
Tit impatiently. IF he didn't kill the
worms in the summer they would Kill his
trees by eating all the leaves. and II the
trees were killed what would I do? SO
| work for myself and for him in the
winter and he works for himself and for
me in the summer Besides. he pays me
for all I do
Pays you." Chatterer laughed. Pays
you. / wish you'd show me how he pays
you.
Tonmy's eyes twinkled more than ever.
s'Do YOU see that lump of white over on
that tree near the edge OF the olo
Orchard?'' he asked.
Chatterer admitted that he did and
that he had already planned to run over
and find out what it was.
That's a piece of suet." replied Tom
nv. land Farmer Browns boy put il
there for me- You know / am very fond
of it, and in bad weather. or when food
is scarce. all have to do is to fly over
there and get all want TO eat. Now do
you believe that Farmer Browns boy is
my partner
chatterer was forced to admit that he
did.