The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-10-17
LITTLE STORIES FOR BEDTIME
Old Mr.. Toad Is An Engineer.
Copyright 1915. ~ T. W RurscssD
BV 3HORA TOY % ~ EGt>N.

BV 7HORA TOY IS ~ EGt>N
Ol course. YOU know Thar there
are different kinds ~ engineers
The man Who drives th, engine
thar draws a train OF car nm ao.
gineer OF course Every aoGg
knows that But the man who plans
railroad and decides jas. Nhsre
the rails shall go and how 'l,y cam
get around or over hills and noun
tains and across Eiyers Is also palE
ed an engineer. In fact there arr.
MANY kings NJ engineer beside
those who run engines and th,
business Of most Of them Dis 90 plan
how 20 do diHcur things and thca
TO do them They are mon who
overcome dif'iculties which 10 other
people seem impossible 10 over
come. They ar" men who when
one way fails, md some other way
that will not fail. and they succeed
because OF knowledge special
knowledge
Now. whoever would think of old
Mr. Toad as an engineer Buf hr
Is. OF course. he isn't the kind who
makes an engine 20 oh my. no
or course not Bu' the very fact
that he was sitting i'm that little
hole half way mp the side OF the
deep pit in Farmer Browns garden
proves that he is ar engineer
There we're straight walls OF sand
that even Happy Jack Squirrel
couldn't have climbed Zoo save his
lie, because fh" sand would haf,
given Wa under hi. claws. and get
Old Mr. Toad was half Vav 10 ho
top. and from what ha said 90 Peter
Rabbit II was very clear that be- OK
pected 10 get ou' of that pIf and
10 do it himself He asked no help
from any one
Surprising YOU were 20 find your
self II. the bottom OF great pit
with perfectly straight walls 80
times as high as your height what
would Won do ! am sure that
would just give up In despair You
see, | am not an engineer Even
II had things 20 work with
wouldn't know how 10 60 about r.
am afraid I would simply give up
in despair
But Old Mr. Toad whom no found
himself in the bottom Of that ri. ,U
Farmer Browns garden, didn't give
up In despair so. indeed When
Peter Rabbit left 30 30 look for help
Old Mr. Toad began 10 invest Eatr.
To investigat7 g. 10 look an 3hout
and examine everything Il djdnt
take Old Mr. Toad long 10 find out
%
heaD ~ trouble no had tumblcd into
lie hopned ali tho way around that
pit and everywhere the walls went
tiraight up. mooth as board
There wasn't a chance 10 climb even
littlc way
Old Mr. Toad sat down right in
the middle and gazcd ~ tho little
stars twinklinE down at him so far
far above There was something
comior'inc in those wrinkles. They
made Mr. Toad feel better
Here am and what am | goinE
TO do about Il 90 said old Mr. Toad
Peter Rabbit may he able 80 get
help for me. but | doubt II Farmer
Browns boy may come along here
tomorrow and find mo aud then all
will be we'll But he may not y
sides, II will be very hot down here
tomorrow and simply cannot stand
the sun will have to bury myself
In the sand OF the bottom here. and
then II Farmer Browns Roy should
come he wouldn't sec me and
wouldn't see him II | had wings ]
might ny out, hut haven't got
wings. so the only thing 10 do is to
make the best OF what ! have got
Thanks 10 old Mother Nature. !
can dig. The question Is. how am /
going TO dig my way out 90
For a long time he sat and stud.
led and studied An engineer al
ways studies and studies before he
goes 10 work. He was trying 10
plan some way of digging his way
cut. n he had been fast digger.
like Johnny Chuck or Digger thu
Badger. he probably would have
planned long slanting tunnel up
r. the surface somewhere beyond
the edge of the pit. But that