The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1916-02-19
BEDTIME STORIES
FOR LITTLE
FOLKS
Bobby Duck Goes to Market.

! boDDy DUCK was a good little lei
low most of the time, but once in a
while he did like to have his own way
and did not want to mind his mother,
who, of course, being older, was wiser
as we'll
Madam Duck, Bobbys mother, said
one morning: Bobby, l think you
will have to go to market this morn
| ing, because | have a pain in, my foot
and cannot walk to town."
Now, Bobby Duck was not glad that
his mother had pain in her foot, not
at all; but he was very glad he could
| go to market, because he knew he
would have to go through the woods,
and Bobby Duck thought he might
have an adventure.
| Bobby had heard of Mr.. Fox and Old
Black Wolf, who lived in the woods,
and he knew he would be drawer than
those who told stories of meeting
| these fellows and how frightened they
| had been of Old Black VOLTS groan
and Mr. Fox's big mouth.
Il would not be frightened thought
Bobby Duck. Il carry a gun and
would make those fellows run from
me. l hope | meet one of them; Or
both would be more fun"
"Now, Bobby" said his mother, as
she gave him the market basket, "do
not loiter on the way and above all,
do not talk to anyone you meet, espe-
cially in the woods
you never saw Old Black Wolf or
Mr.. Fox, and they might talk to you
so nice and sweet that you would
think them the kindest creatures in
the world, and not knowing what
would happen to YOU
Bobby went to. market and got all
the nice things his mother told him to
buy, and was on his way home, and
still he had not met a single creature,
and his gun, which he had brought
with him under his jacket, was still
unused
Good morning. my fine fellow"
said someone. very sweetiy.
F.obby looked in the direction from
which the voice cane and saw big
black head and smiling face looking
at him from under 4 bush some dis
lance from the path.
Coed morning, said Bobby. and
then he stapreA fes~r tin al ABOUT
what his mother said about not loiter-
ing.
Mr. Fox, for it was he, came toward
Bobby and asked what he had in his
! basket.
Bobby told him he had been to mar
| ket for his mother and had currants
and raisins and sugar and spices and
bag of rice.
| Mr.. Fox was so pleased to hear this
that he almost forgot to be polite and
reached toward BObby's basket as if
10 take it.
Then he drew back and said q
really feel l should help you carry
such heavy basket You are such a
little fellow
"Oh, am strong" said Bobby Duck,
putting up as big as he could, land |
am brave, too. See my gum" and he
threw back his coat so Mr.. Fox could
see he mad one.
| Mr. Fox eyed the gun, and he did
not seem very pleased, either, so he
asked to look at the gun, telling Bobby
that it was very handsome and lie
| would like to see it.
But what do you think that sly Mr.
| Fox did as soon as he had the gun in
his hands? Why, he just pointed it
right at poor little Bobby Duck and
| told him to march ahead of him or he
would shoot him. Now, do not be
alarmed, my children, for you remem-
Der what | told you at the beginning
it turned out that Bobby Duck was
not harmed but he almost was.
Poor Bobby Duck forgot all about
being brave when wicked Mr.. Fox
spoke to him in such gruff voice and
he marched along as he was told. to
do.
Just as they reached Mr.. Fox's
home and Mr. Fox was thinking he
would have all the good things in the
basket, as well as poor little Bobby
Duck someone came Scampering