Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-26
HOW CHRISTMAS CAME TO THE
GREEN FOREST.

1t was Christmas morning. Happy
Jack Squirrel sat in his doorway look
ing out at white world. for the
Green Forest and the Green Meadows
were green no longer. You see. the
snow lay deep over them. and even
the great pine trees, which keep their
green leaves all through the winter
were white. 1t was all very beautiful.
very. beautiful. indeed. Everything
sparkled and glistened in the rays Of
jolly, round. bright Mr.. Sun.
Merry Christmas!" roared rough
Brother North Wind. as he swept past
Happy Jack shivered and buried
his hands in the fur of his waitscoat
to keep them warm. The fact Is, Hap.
py Jack didn't feel merry a bit. 1t is
hard work to feel merry when one
is hungry and there is nothing to eat
And Happy Jack was very hungry
that Christmas morning. You see.
he hadn't had good meal for several
days. The snow, which made every
thing 80 beautiful, had covered deep
the nuts he had hidden in the faii
and then the surface of the snow had
frozen so hard that he couldn't dig
through it. The nuts he had hidden
IN a hollow tree had been found and
stolen by some one. And SO Christ
mas H. orning found Happy Jack any,
thing but merry.
He knew that there were others no
heard Chatterer the Red Squirrel
scolding and complaining, for all he
could find to eat were few seeds
IN the pine cones, which still clung
to the trees. He knew that Peter
Rabbit was living on bark and hav-
ing hard work to get that because
the young tree trunks were coated
with ice. Mrs. Grouse was forced 20
go up to the old Orchard for apple
buds because there was nothing else
to eat. Tommy Tit and Drummer the
Woodpecker were almost starving be-
cause ice coated the trees so that they
could get at only very few eggs and
srubs OF insects, which, you know,
are their chief food.
Well. sitting here won't set me
anything to eat" muttered Happy
Jack, and started down the tree. Half
way down he saw something at the
foot OF the tree that made him stop
and rub his eyes. Could it be? Could
really be? Yes. it was little heap
OF nuts and bright yellow corn! In q
twinkling he was down and stuffing
himself as fast as ever he could. When
ne could eat no more he started out
to look for his cousin, Chatterer the
lied Squirrel, and when he found him
he found that Chatterer had had a
present Of nuts and corn.
BY and by along came Peter Rab-
bit. and Peter was feeling very fine
He. had a wonderful tale Of pile OF
cabbage leaves. a carrot and turnip
he had found on the edge of the dear
Old Brier Patch. Then who should
come along but Mrs. Grouse, and she
told of finding wheat and corn scat
tered all about one of her favorite
hiding places.
Dee, dee. dee, chickadee!" Tommy
Tits voice hadn't sounded SO merry
for days. They hurried to the edge
OF the Old Orchard. There were Tom
my Tit and Drummer stufing them
serves from great piece of fresh
suet tied to one of the old apple trees
A noise over toward Farmer Browns
house made them all look that way.
There on the doorstep stood Farmer
Browns boy, and he was smiling as
he looked toward the Old Orchard
and the Green Forest. merry
Christmas!" cried Farmer Browns
boy.
Then they knew where all the good
things had come from, and though
he didn't know 1t, each one wished
him the very merriest Christmas he
had ever known.
And this Is how Christmas came
to the Green Forest.
Next Story-Sammy Jay Finds
Farmer Browns boy busy.