Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-09
Children s EDening St0rD

he and his sister were bad, his moth.
err, or father, would "shuff" their ears
that is rub them bit hard, SO the
bear cubs would be good next time.
mo, I'm not going to shuff Beckie's
ears said Mrs. Bobtail, but l am
going to send for DR.. Postum to cure
Beckie of biting her pawnails."
ooh. dear!" sobbed Beckie, but she
knew 1t was all for her good.
well, we'll! What's all this about?"
asked DR.. Postum, the animal physi-
clan, when he came to the bear cave,
after Mrs. Stubtail had telephoned for
him. "Beckie bites her nails, does
she?"
Indeed she does; very badly, too"
the bear lady said How can we
stop herr"
I'll show you said Dr. Postum, as
he opened his satchel. Il will put
some very bitter, sour medicine on
Beckie's pawnails. Then when she
forgets her promise not to bite them
and does nibble at them, she will taste
the bitter stuff, and it will stop her"
! Il only hope it Does" said Beckie,
for she herself wanted to stop the un-
pleasant and harmful habit. will It
hurt me much, DR.. Possum?' she
asked.
"The bitter stuff will not hurt your
nails" said the animal doctor, land II
you should forget, and suck your paws,
the bitter stuff will-well, I'll not tell
you what it will do. You must see for
yourself"
So DR.. Postum put some very bitter
sour stuff on Beckie's paws, and, for,
some time after that. the little bear
girl cub was very good She did not
once bite her pawnails, and they began
| to grow long, as they ought to grow.
But one day, when Beckie was sew
| ing on dolls dress, IN the cave all
alone, for her papa and mamma and
Neddie had gone out to get little
fresh air, something happened Beckie
heard a noise. and looking up, she saw
a great big. bad old savage tramp bear
looking at her.
"Ah, ha!" growled the bar bear.
You're the cub who once threw snow
balls at me-
"Oh, no, indeed, I'm not! No. in
deed" cried Beckie. 81 never threw
snowballs at you. Why, have hardly
been outside this cave all winter"
"Well, it was some one who looked
just like you, and I'm going to scratch
you!' growled the bad bear. Il have
to scratch some one"
"Oh, dear!' cried poor Beckie, and
she was so surprised that before she
knew it. she began biting her paw
nails. She forgot all about the bitter,
sour stuff on them. But as soon as
she tasted it on her tongue she knew
what it was.
"Oh. Whew! Pah! Shasko! Wa
coop! Whoo!' stammered Beckie, and
she made a crooked face and straight
one, and one on the side; then she
made funny one in the middle, and
she was so puckered up and soured in
side that she made face backward.
And when the bad bear saw that he
cried out:
"Wow! Zipp! Boom! Oh! what an
awful facet and he was SO frightened
that he ran out of the cave, leaving
Beckie alone.
ooh, MY" cried Beckie, as she took
her sour, bitter paw out Of her mouth.
well, I guess I don't want ever again
to bite my nails! But, anyhow, that
stuff on my paws did some good-it
made me twist up a funny face so l
could scare the bear
And soon after that Beckie stopped
biting her nails, and Dr. Possum didn't
have to put any more bitter stuff on
them, and Beckie was very happy, and
so was every one else.
And if the ham sandwich doesn't
hide in the cake basket where the
lemonade can't find it to take out
walking, I'll tell you next about Neddie
and the dolls.