The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-07-21
LITTLE STORIES FOR BEDTIME
Plunger the Fish Hawk Catches a Prize.
'copyrsht ~ Z. W. Bursssal
on THORNTON w. eURosss.


Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter do
most OF their fishing In the Laugh
ing Brook or the Smiling Pool and
are content with rather small fish,
90 long az there are plenty OF them.
Buster Bear Is another fisherman
who does all his fishing In the
Laughing Brook. This Is because
Buster does not want to leave the
Green Forest. His cousin, Bobby
Coon. is also quite content with what
he can catch in the Laughing Brook.
Louglegs the Heron often fishes
along the edge OF the Big River. but
he, too. Is content with minnows
and pollywogs.
But II Ia not 30 with Plunger the
Fish Hawk. No. indeed. He wastes
no time on the little nsh of the
Laughing Brook or the Smiling Pool.
Once In while he fishes In the
Smiling Pool when his keen eyes
discover a fish there which Is worth
catching. but most of his fishing Ia
done In the Big River. Every day
he and Mrs. Plunger ny over TO the
Big River. One goes up the Big
River and one goes down. To their
broad wings miles are nothing. and
20 high In the air above the shining
water they swing back and forth
from shore TO shore for long dis
tanoes, their wonderful eyes fixed on
the water.
Now, II Is fact which perhaps
yoo do not know that from high In
the air. looking straight down into
the water. you can see much farther
below the surface than you can
when close 10 the water. So the
keen eyes Of Plunger can look right
down into the Big River and see the
fsh swimming there. When he sees
one near enough 10 the top he closes
his wings and drops like shot.
wi1h his great claws spread ready 10
sei3e the hsh. but he docs not al.
wayp succeed Oh, my, no, Did
you ever know fisherman who al.
Ways succeeds never did. Plum.
ger Ia Just like ali fishermen. miss.
iig his nsh quite az often. and per
hape oftener than he catches one.
And he is like all good fishermen in
another thing. the possession OF
patience.
o. this particular morning Plum
ger was having no luck AZ all Per
hAps II was because he wasn't as
pat11nt "a usual. The truth Ia he
vas rather impatient. He wanted n
hsh, 4 big Ash. not for himself but
for Mrs. Plunger Why didn't he
leave Il TO Mrs Plunger TO catch her
own breakfast, I'll tell you why.
II was because Mrs. Plunger was
very busy with household duties.
There were three eggs In that nest
over the Green Forest. and Mrs.
Pfunger was sitting on them 10 keep
them warm. go that by and by they
would hatch into three little Plum
gerA So Piunger wanted a particn-
larry nice nsh 70 take TO her 10 show
her how much he thought of her.
But II seemed as II all the par
ticularly nice fish were staying at
the bottom OF the Big River that
morning Several times he saw
splendid fat fsh almost near enough
70 the top. bu, not quite. Twice he
shot down. only TO spread his wings
Just before he reached the water
and then flap back up In the air.
Both times he had seen Just in time
that the fsb were too deep In the
water and he would simply scare
them and get bath for nothing.
Once he had discovered fish TAX.
ing q sun bath close 10 the surface.
but even as he had steadied himself