Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-09-21
CHILDREN'S EVENING STORY

! pointed they were! They had beer
counting so much on gnawing it, one
on one end and one IN the other, and
now 1t was gone!
know you feel sorry for them, but
just you wait and see what happens
It will take place almost in the twink
ling of an eye. AS they r sitting
there, looking very sad, along came
Bully, the frog.
What were you digging for?" he
asked, with two short croaks and a
long one.
"A bone that Peetie buried there"
answered Jackie.
"Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho!" laughed Bully,
the frog.
why are you laughing :" inquired
Peetie, indignant like.
why the idea Of burying a bone
there!" exclaimed the frog. Don't
you know that is an old we'll? I used
to live in it, but it was closed up long
ago, and covered over with boards,
and dirt was put on top Of them. You
must have dug down to the boards and
your bone has fallen through a hole
in the well cover and now is deep
down in the water"
That's just it," declared Peetie,
after thinking a moment, and recol-
lecting how suddenly his treasure had
disappeared. "My nice bone is down
in the we'll! Oh, dear! Isn't it ter
rible!"
"Is the we'll deep?" asked Jackie.
Maybe I could 60 down in it,"
ooh, 1t is much too deep for you
to 60 down." replied Bully. 81 am
sorry I laughed at you, though. I
did not know you felt so badly about
it, and he croaked real dismal-like
to show how sorry he a
And, indeed, Peetie and Jackie felt
very miserable " their loss. They
tried every way they could think of
to get back their bone, and Bully sug-
gested all sorts of plans, and croaked
as hard as he could, thinking perhaps
that might help. The puppy dogs even
started to dig a hole, SO all the water
would run out Of the we'll, and leave
it dry for them to 60 in, but they
found they could never do that, SO
they had to stop.
Then, all of a sudden, along came
Jennie Chipmunk. on her way to the
acorn store, and when she saw the
puppy dogs and the frog she wanted
to know what the trouble was. They
told her and Jennie Chipmunk said
as quick as a flash: !
"Why don't you tie a string around
Bully, lower him into the well and let
him grab hold of the bone? Then
you can pull him up and the bone,
too. I'll help. Bully can 60 under
water, you know"
"Of course I can," remarked the
frog, proudly. And wasn't Jennie
Chipmunk smart to think Of that?
Well. I just guess she was!
"Will you go down for us, Bully?"
asked Peetie.
"Of course" answered Bully. croak.
ing away down in his throat.
So they got a long piece Of wild
grapevine, for a rope, and tied it
around the frogs waist. Then they
made a little bigger hole through the
wooden well cover, and lowered Bully
down. Oh, how slowly and carefully
they lowered him, so he wouldn't fall
and be hurt. Down and down he went,
a little at a time, and pretty soon he
got to the water.
Then he croaked to let his friends
know, and they loosened their hold
on the grapevine rope, keeping hold
of the end. Next Bully dived beneath
the water, and got the bone. Then he
ierked on the rope to show that he
had it, and Peetie. Jackie and Jennie
began to pull him up.
1t was hard work, but they manag-
ed to do it, and in a croak and a half,
there was Bully on TOP. with the
bone safe and sound. So Peetie and
Jackie had their Decoration day din
ner, after all. and maybe they weren't
thankful to Bully and Jennie! Now,
in case the comet doesn't lose any
more of It's tail, so 1t al wiggle it
and make the baby laugh, I'll tell you
tomorrow night about the Bow Vows
in a garden.