Evening star., 1914-05-30
Buster Bear Goes Fishing.

Buster Bear yawned as he lay on his
comfortable bed of leaves and watched
the first early morning sunbeams creep
ing through the Green Forest to chase
out the black shadows. Once more he
yawned. then slowly got to his feet and
shook himself Then he walked slowly
over to a big pine tree. stood up on his
hind legs and stretched as high up on the
trunk of the tree as he could and
scratched the bark with his great claws.
After that he yawned until 1t seemed as
if his great jaws would crack and then
sat down to think what he wanted for
breakfast
All the time he sat there irving to make
up his mind what would taste best he
was at the same time listening to all the
sounds that told of the waking Of all the
little people who live in the Green For
est. He heard Sammy Jay way off in the
distance screaming: Thief, Thief and
grinned. Il wonder" thought he 'if
some one has stolen Sammy's breakfast
or if he has stolen the breakfast of some
one else Probably he is the thief HIM
SELF
He heard Chatterer the Red Squirrel
scolding as fast as he could make his
tongue go and working himself into a
terrible rage. Must be that Chatterer
got out of bed the wrong way this morn
He heard Blacky the Crow cawing at
the top of his lungs and he knew by the
sound that Blacky was getting into mis-
chief of some kind. He heard the sweet
voices of happy little singers and they
We're good to hear. But most of all he
listened 10 a merry. low, silvery laugh
that never stopped but went on and on
until he just felt as if he must laugh,
too 1t was the voice of the Laughing
Brook. And as he listened it suddenly
came to him just what he wanted for
breakfast
Pm going fishing" said he. in his
deep grumbly- -rumbly voice to no one in
particular Yes. sir. I'm going fishing.
| want some fat trout for my breakfast
He shuffied along over to the Laughing
Brook straight to a little pool of which
he knew and as he drew near he took
the greatest care not to make the teen
lest, Weenest bit of noise. Now il lust
happened that early as he was some one
was before Buster Bear When he came
in sight of the little pool who should he
mad already caught fine fat trout Who
was 1t? Why. Little Joe Otter to be
sure. He was just climbing up the bank
with the fat trout in his mouth. Buster
Bears own mouth watered as he saw 1t
Little Joe sat down on the bank and pre-
pared 10 enjoy his breakfast. He hadn I
seen Buster Bear and he didn't know
that he or any one else was anywhere
near.
Buster Bear tiptoed up very softly un-
I'll he was right behind Little Joe Otter.
'Whoof. whoof,' said he ir his deepest,
most srumhly -rumbly voice. That's a
very fine looking trout. l wouldn't mind
il ! had IL myself"
Little Joe Otter gave a frightened little
squeal and without even turning to see
who was speaking dropped his fish and
dived head first in to the Laughing Brook
Buster Bear sprang forward and with one
of his big paws caught the fat trout
just as il was slipping back into the
water.
Here's YOUR trout Mr. Otter" said
he. as Little Joe put his head out OF
water to see what had frightened him
SO. Come and get it,
But little Joeo wouldn't The fact is he
was afraid to. He snarled at Buster Beal
and called him thief and everything
bad he could think Of Buster didn't seen
to mind. He chucked as if he thought
it all "a great joke and repeated his invi.
tation to Little Joe to come and get his
fish. But Little Joe Just turned his
back and went off down the Laughing
Brook in a great rage.
It's too bad to waste such fine fish
said Buster thoughtfully. Il wonder
what ! best DO with it" And while hi
was wondering he ate il all up. Ther
he started down the Laughing Brook to
try to catch some for himself.