Evening star., 1914-07-27
Mr.. BIacksnake Goes Hunting.

Mr. Blacksnake lay summing himself on
a grassy bank. He was a. handsome fel-
low, was Mr.. Blacksnake and he was
quite well aware of it. In fact, Mr.
Blacksnake was quite proud OF himself.
He was proud not only of his good
looks. but also of the fact that few can
run faster than he, that he can climb
trees. and that there are more who are
afraid of him than that he is afraid of.
The fact that nobody likes him didn't
enter his head. but if it had it wouldn't
have troubled him. The truth is. Mr..
Blacksnake is a good deal of a bully.
He delights in soaring people. There is
nothing he likes better than to see them
afraid of him. He is the most impudent
of all the little people who live on the
Green Meadows or in the Green Forest.
He runs his tongue out at every one he
meets, even Farmer Browns boy. But
really he is a great coward.
Just now. as he took his sun bath, Mr..
BiacksIlake was trying to decide what he
wanted for dinner. This was the time Of
year when ne could pick and choose.
Later in the season he would have to
take whatever he could catch, but just
now 1t was an easy matter to catch
what he pleased
lie, me See said he. Il might run
over To the Smiling Pool and pick up a
few Of those foolish young Frogs who are
so conceited because they have got rid
coed. very good. indeed. But it is a
long way over there. Young Meadow
Nioe wouldn't be bad. ! could eat a
couple without any trouble. If I didn't
EEL 50 lazy | would go hunt for some.
The trouble is. Reddy and Granny Fox
~ .ba n t,..xx
Mouse hunting all the morning and prob
ably have frightened all the Mice So that
] would have to hunt Il long time. and
don't feel like it. l believe what l want
= i nice. tender. young bird: perhaps
Two or three. if they are not too big
The! are very good eating. and they are
so easy 10 get All ! have To do is to
find Il nest and then help iayself. 1 be-
Ieve III go UP TO the Old orchard and
see what / can find there
Mr.. Blacksnake yawned once or twice
and then iaZily uncoiled and started for
the Old Orchard. There was no need to
hurry, so he took his time When he
reached the old stone wall on the edge
of the Old Orchard he curied up on a
big, fat stone to rest u bit and at the
same time watch what was going on
lie did not try TO keep out of sight. In
Iact- he chose stone where he would
be in plain sight of any one who hap
pened that way He wanted to be seen
Yes, sir, he wanted to he seen He
knew that whoever saw him first would
make a great fuss. and then everybody
in the Old Orchard would hurry over to
scream at him and call him bad names.
Those who had helpless babies in their
homes would be the most anxious and
frightened. and SO he could tell without
the trouble of a lot of climbing which
nests had young in them and which had
not.
81 rtya :,
ed out just he had expected. He had
not been curled UP on the Hat stone of the
old wall five minutes before Chatterer the
Red Squirrel came running along If
Chatterer had been as needless as Peter
Rabbit often is Mr.. B!acksnake would
have had a squirrel dinner, bur Chat
terers bright eyes saw him i'll time and
he stopped gust out of reach. Then how
Chatterers tongue did go' 'Robber,
Thief he yelled. and added every bad
name he could think of. Right away all
the birds i'll the Old Orchard hurried over
to see what the trouble was. and as soon
as they saw Mr.. Blacksnake they too.
began TO scream Pretty soon there was
crowd around him. all screaming at the
top of their lungs Mr.. Blacksnake didi I
move He just lay there. watching thea
with eyes that never blinked. for you
know lie has no eyelids. and now and
then running out his tongue in the most
irnpudent way.
All the time he was laughing to him
self down inside He was laughing TO
think now easily he was finding out what
he wanted to know. Those who were sim
ply angry he knew had no babies to worry
about. They took great care not to come
very near. Those who were very reckless
and kept dashing about within reach OF
him he knew had helpless babies and
We're in great fear. Among these was
Drummer the Woodpecker. AS soon as he
saw this Mr.. Blacksnake made up his
mind. He would have young woodpeckers
for dinner.
With more than 4.C,'O persons looking on,
Charles f. Hill, tWenty-seven years old.
of Baltimore was drowned yesterday in
Winans cove. The body was recovered
ss l. ryriIp