Evening star., 1917-05-04
LI1TILESoR!Es It'll
%rBEDTInE
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.
Copyright. 1917. BY T. W. Burgess.)
Sammy Jay Argues With Him
self.

You know what 1t means to argue
OF course. Everybody knows that. I,
Is to try to make others think as you
do while they try to make you think
as they do. 1t is to try to prove that
you are right and some one else is
wrong. When you argue with any one
you are said to be having an argument.
Now. arguments sometimes are very
good things and sometimes very bad
things. People who can argue without
losing their tempers often do a great
deal of good. because in this way they
bring out all the truth about a matter.
But very. very often people who argue
lose their tempers and the argument
becomes quarrel. and the quarrel be-
comes fight, and it Is all very dread
ful and great pity.
Sammy Jay likes to argue. but Sammy
is one OF those who is apt to lose his
temper unless he finds that he is get
ting the best Of his argument The
only safe thing for people like Sammy
Is Tor them to argue with themselves
and no one else. Sammy does that once
II moro people argued with themselves
they would avoid great deal of
trouble in this world. They wouldn't
do a great many Of the mean things
they do do.
When Sammy Jay left the Old Pas
ture where he had found the new house
OF Reddy Fox and Mrs. Reddy and had
guessed the secret which it contained
he few back to the Green Forest in a
that Reddy Fox not only had a new
house over in the Old Pasture, but also
some babies. He hadn't seen those ba-
bies, but he was just as sure that they
were there in that new house as IL he
had seen them. He knew that Reddy
and Mrs. Reddy were doing their very
best to keep 1t secret. and he chuckled
long and he chuckled mischievously as
he thought how he would tell every
body he met and so upset Reddy and
Mrs. Reddy and perhaps worry them
and make trouble for them.
Now. it was quite a distance to the
Green Forest, and because he met no
one on the way Sammy had time for
considerable thinking. He got to
thinking of how he would feel il some
one should find his nest and tell
everybody just where it was and so
perhaps bring danger to the helpless
babies there. The more he thought of
this the more uncomfortable he felt
He stopped chuckling and few to his
favorite thinking tree. 1t is a tree in
the Green Forest where Sammy is very
fond of sitting alone by himself 4
great deal of mischief has Sammy
planned in that tree. And there, too.
he has planned some of the good deeds
which he has done. the deeds which
prove that Sammy isn't really bad at
heart at ALL
'Of course. I'll tell everybody Reddy's
secret" said Sammy to himself when
he was comfortably seated ia his tree
II ought to. Peter Rabbit ought to
know it. Danny Meadow Mouse ought
to know it. Bob White and Mrs Grouse
ought to know it. They ought to know
il because Reddy Fox, not to mention
Mrs. Rcddy. will hunt a great deal
harder than ever before to get enough
to feed those youngsters of theirs
Peter and Bob and Mrs. Grouse and a
lot of others ought to be put on their
guard"
But you don't have to tell where
Reddy's home is" said Sammy's other
self. you know perfectly well that II
you tell this to others they will tell
still others, and sooner or later it will
something may happen to those ba-
bies"
"That isn't any business of mine"
declared Sammy.
"Yes, ii is" replied his other self. "If
anything happened to one of Reddys
babies because you had told the secret
Of where they are il would be wholly
your fault. You would be the one to
blame"
There are too many Foxes anyway"
Yes. you would care" insisted the
other self. You have found out Red
dy's secret by spying, and you know
what people think of spies"
So for long time Sammy Jay argued
with himself. and got quite provoked
with himself and tried to decide what
tou think oof"