Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-06
Children's Corner
Billy Raccoon's Midnight Feast

Billy Raccoon's Midnight Feast
ID LILY RACCooN stuck his head ~.
ID of the hole in the tree where n.
lived and looked around. Darkne,,
brooded over the forest, such blact
darkness that one would think BIuy
couldn't see a thing. Evidently h.
thought so. too, for he was not contsu,
with looking; he cooked his head to on.
side and listened carefully.
mot danger around" he whlsper,a
to himself after he had listened min.
ute: perfectly safe, perfectly safsI
Now ! can go out and search for food
And I need it-never in my life wa,
] so hungry" AS that was what h,
said every night when he started ON
from his tree. it isn't likely that h,
was as near starvation as he thought
But at any rate, he was hungry enough
to make himself risk the dangers snd
search for food.
Out from his hole he crept, down ths
tree he crawled slowly, carefully, bb
ears pricked all the while for any IN.
usual sound.
But none came. Thus reassured, h
left the tree behind and started 10,
the cornfeld.
He had often congratulated himself
on his good sense in living near the
cornfield. Why, he had but very III
tie way to go. till he could crawl under
the tall rail fence, and there he wasl
Right in the midst of as good n feast al
any raccoon could possibly wish for
And was there anything on earth 50
good as fresh, sweet, Juicy corn, such
as grew in that particular cornhelds
Billy was perfectly sure there was not
Down under the fence he ducked just
as a soft swish overhead reminded him
to lay low!
Now. what's that" he said to him.
self. IL better wait under the fenra
till / am sure it's some friend of mlne-s
So he snuggled down quiet and still and
awaited further developments
"Who-o? Who-o?" asked a mournful
voice in a tree just over the fence
That's a Joke on me-" laughed Billy
as he crept on out from under the
fence. Here that was old Mr. Owl
and / didn't recognize him till he began
to talk" Billy started on to the corn.
field, stopping only to call softly over
his shoulder. Good evening to you. Mr.
Owl: this is a fine night"
And who-o, who-o are your" asked
the owl sadly.
Just your friend Billy" replied Billy
Raccoon pleasantly. "and I'm on my
way to the cornfield."
Hearing that, Mr.. Owl dropped Bis
sad manner (Which is only affected, you
know and said. "Oh by the way. Billy
I've often meant to ask you why you
always eat corn. Why don't you fish fai
crabs. as some of your relations do?
Because l never knew they did" r.
piled Billy, turning back to talk, aad
anyway, / don't know as | think .
much of what my relations do. How @
they get them?"
Mr.. Owl seemed to know that Biz
meant get the crabs, not the relations
and he explained all about how raccoom
elsewhere sometimes fish for clans ana
crabs instead of eating corn. Billy Wa
interested. and thought fishing might
fun. So-would you believe itE-fhas
wise Mr.. Owl took Billy Raccoon doea
to the river and taught him how to PSI
And. stranger still. Billy found he likss
fishing; and every night thereaftef 2
went to the cornfield for corn and thsa
to the brook for crab dessert. WssaA
he funny old Billy?
COPYRIGHT. IsI5-Clara Ingram JadsoA