The Detroit times., 1916-07-18
LITTLE STORIES FOR BEDTIME
A Neighbor Who Wasn't Wanted.
copyright. 1915. oy r. W. Burgess)
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

Early this spring there had come
into the Green Forest stranger
who had at once aroused a great
deal OF suspicion. not 80 much be-
cause OF what he did but Oh ac-
count OF his looks. Perhaps some
Of you will remember the suspicion
with which OIL Mistah Buzzard was
regarded when first he came 10 the
Green Forest to 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 mistook
him for a member OF tho Hawk
family. Yes, sir. that Is what they
did. All summer long they had TO
be everlastingly on the watch for
Redtail the Hawk and his cousin,
Whitehall the Marshhawk. 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 OF Mistah Buzsard first ap-
peared he was mistaken for a mem
Der of the Hawk family because he
looked SO much like one, and 1t was
q long time before his neighbors
learned that he wouldn't harm one
OF them for the world.
The very same thing happened
when another big stranger appeared
very early in the spring. He was a
big fellow. Just a wee bit bigger
than Redtail the Hawk, and wore a
handsome white waistcoat and his
head was largely white. Altogether
he was a fine looking fellow. But
he was a member OF the Hawk fam
lily. There could be no doubt about
II this time. One good look OF his
hooked bill and great claws was
enough TO settle that question In
the minds Of all who saw him. Sc
there was no welcome for him
when he first arrived at the Green
Forest. He wasn't wanted there.
Just as II we honest people
haven't enough worries as II is
grumbled Peter as he watched the
stranger flying toward the Big Riv
er. Il suppose now we'll have to
keep our eyes open for him as wei
as for Redtail and old Whitehall
Danny Meadow Mouse quite
agreed with Peter. SO did all the
birds. Reddy Fox and Old Mar
Coyote felt much the same way to
ward the stranger, only from a very
different reason. THAT fellow viii
| make our hunting all the harder,
grumbled Reddy TO Granny as they
watched the stranger The more
there are to hunt. the harder the
hunting. Somebody ought to senC
him back where he came from"
Granny was watching the strang
er sharply, and pretty soon she
caught a CLEAN OF white as M
turned in the air. Granny gave =
little sigh OF satisfaction. Don
| worry" said she 70 Reddy. II guess
we can spare all that fellow car
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 10 any one. If he noticed thai
he was given no welcome he ap
parently didn't care. He just sim
ply went about his business ant
didn't NEEDLE in the affairs OF any
one else. After a while his neigh
bors noticed that his bushes:
seemed to always take him in tn,
direction OF the Big River. IL
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 nevCi
bothered any one. There wasn't q
single thing that could be brought
against him save that he was q
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 surprising thing happen al
the Smiling Pool that he learned
the truth about the stranger, which