The Detroit times., 1916-07-19
LITTLE STORIES FOR BEDTIME
Neighbor Who Wasn't Wanted.
W..
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

into the. Green Forest a stranger
who had at once aroused great
zeal OF suspicion. not so much be-
cause OF what he did bur OH ac-
count OF his looks. Perhaps some
70 you will remember tho suspicion
With which OIL Mistah Buzzard was
regarded when first he came TO the
Green Forest 10 live All the little
people OF the Green Meadows and
the Green Forest. around the Smil-
ing Pool. and along the Laughing
Brook shivered with fear every
time they looked up In the blue,
blue sky. Why did they shiver
with fear? Because they u1istook
him for member OF the Hawk
family Yes ir. that is what they
did. All summer long they had TO
be everlastinsly on the watch for
Redtail the Hawk and his cousin,
Whitehall the Marshhavk. All win
Ter Danny Meadow Mouse and Peter
Rabbit and Bob White and other lit
tie people who remained on the
Green Meadows were obliged TO
watch out for fierce old RoughleG,
another OF the Hawk family. So
when or Mistah Buzzard first ap-
peared he was mistaken for a mem
Der OF the Hawk family because he
looked so much like one, and T. was
long time before his neighbors
learned that he wouldn't harm one
OF theIa toT the world.
The very sane thing happened
when another big stranger appeared
very carly In the spring He was a
big fellow, Just wee biz bigger
than Redtail the Hawk, and wore
handsome white waistcoat and his
head wac largely white. Altogether
he WINS fine looking fellow. But
he was n member OF the Hawk fam
fly. There could be no doubt about
It this time. One good look o. his
hooked bill and great claws was
enough TO settle that question in
the minds o. all who saw him. SO
there was no welcome for him
when ne first arrived az the Green
Forest He wasn't wanted there.
lust as II we honest people
haven't enough worries as II is."
grum bled Peter as he watched the
stranger flying toward the Big Riv-
or. Il suppose now we'll have to
keep our eyes open for him as well
as for Redtail and old Whitehall.
Danny Meadow Mouse quite
agreed with Peter. so did all the
birds. Reddy Fox and Old Man
Coyote felt much the same way to-
ward the stranger. only from a very
different reason. THAT fellow will
make our hunting all the harder"
grumbled Reddy 10 Granny as they
watched the stranger. The more
there are 10 hunt. the harder the
hunting. Somebody ought 10 send
him back where he came from
Granny was watching the strang.
er sharply. and pretty soon she
caught a CLEAN of white as he
turned in the air. Granny gave
little sigh OF satisfaction. Don't
worry" said she 10 Reddy. II guess
we can spare all that fellow can
take from US" Then she changed
the subject and left Reddy TO won
der why she seemed so little con
cerned about this newcomer. AS
for the stranger. he paid no atten.
ton TO any one. II he noticed that
he was given no welcome he ap-
parently didn't care. He just sim.
ply went about his business and
didn't NEEDLE In the affairs of any
one else. After a while his neigh
bors noticed that his business
seemed 10 always take him in the
direction OF the Big River. He
never visited the Old Orchard. He
never hunted in the Green Forest
He never circled about over the
Green Meadow, as did Whitehall the
Marshhawk In short, he never
bothered any one. There wasn't a
single thing that could be brought
against him save that he was
member OF the Hawk family. But
that was enough. II he was a mem.
Der Of the Hawk family ne was an
enemy TO be feared and hated in
the eyes OF Peter Rabbit and Danny
Meadow Mouse and all the other
little people who fear Redtail and
Whitehall II wasn't until Peter
saw a surprising thing happen at
the Smiling Pool that he learned
the truth about the stranger, which