Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-23
CHAPTER III
Peggy DroDS the Stone

/ DEGGY wondered wha. the repeated
| warning agalna; the Imagination stone
could meau SO far she could See only fun
IN its workings
She didn't have time TO worry over IL. 70"
just then Tom, her cat. whiazcd by like II
streak. After him, going full tilt. was Frish-
'r, tho Ardale from next door. chasing Tom
was Frsi'era favorite sport. Now h. was
rushing along with eyes cleaning ana jaws
opened in a hungry grin. lie was happy ho-
cause he was sure he could catch Tom before
the cat could scoot up the big oak tree for
whcl he was making
Paagy thrilled with fear for lie safety Of
her pet
"Oh. | wish Tom were dog big enough
to fight Frislior." she exclaimed
In an instant Tom vanished. In his place
stood bristlng. snarling Mrdalo, who
seemed just aching for n good, lively fight
Frlslier stopped so short that he sid along
on his brac"d hind legs. He was the most
astonishcd dog in The world. Gleefully chas-
ing eat. and having that cat abruptly
change into a healthy. aggrt ssvo- looking dog
was enough to take anybody's breath away.
But Fr'slier was 70 coward. II was fun to
chase a cat. but It was just as much fun FOR
an Arda.e to flght another Airdale. So
E'rislicr swallowed his surprise and Sc, him
self to do battle. Growling savagcy he
hur,d himself at TOMS throat.
Quick as he was to act Peggy was quicker.
She wasn't going TO le; Tom be torn to
picccs In dog fight, While Fr'sker was in
niGalr. her NINA T1Sned the wish tnat he
would turn into cat.
No sooner wished than done, rrisker.
Gaming into the facn Of this ferce,y suarling
stranger. found himself turned from n big,
powerful dog into soft. curry cat, Frisker
was more astonlshed than before Likewise
he was scared. Herwas no match now for
those hungry laws .,ened to rec i've him
Frsker couldn't SOP. hut he dd the next
best thing to save himself. lie gave Toms
nose a swift scratch with a sharp claw. aud
4l.. h.,
darted for the oak tree
Tom, angered by the o,Iicl, pain OF the
scratch. laaped after him. Frsk"r flashed M
the tIee just in time 10 esc"pe the dog's
Swapping Jaws HIS rush threw the two
SQUIRRELS Perky and Jerky, into a psnic.
They ran far ont on a limb and leaped to the
roof OF the porch. from which point Of safety
they chattered their Indignation
To Billy Beleu um the changing Of Tor' into
:, dog and Fr,,ke into a cot was the biggest
kind Of Joke. He laughed and laughed.
stopping only when two mean-fac"d old men.
who were uassing by, halted 10 scowl at him.
"There are those cruel money -lenders. the
Sharp brothers" he whispered 10 Peggy.
"Dor't they look Ike rats"
'ThA same thought shruck Peggy who had
heard much OF the hard ways of the old men.
II guess they are rats al heart she
wh,spered back, ard as soon as she said Il,
there were two big, ferCcious, gray rats on
the sidewalk
Quick as a wink the rats daried toward
Bniy and Peggy Aud just quickly B'llv
ard Peggy darted pp the stens and into the
porch swing. Peggy. drawing herself as far
away from the rats as she could. thougAt Of
way 20 ret out OF this awkward situation.
She would change the rats into rabbits
Quickly she made the wish. But so"ething
had gone wrong with the charm. The rats
STAYED rats.
Then Peggy discovered that In her Rlarm
she had drouped the Imagination stone
There is was beyond reach at the bottom OF
the stems Unless she had il In her hand
her wishes would be in vain.
Before she could tell Billy Belgium what
had happened, there came fash mp the
stems. and the rats fed IN Wild fear II was
Tom. aud like any Airdale. he was even more
keen for rats than for cats
Tn one post OF the porch went the rats
chased by Tom. and down another came the
SQUIRRELS. Perky and Jerky.
Peggy leaped from the swing 10 secure
the Imagination stone. Before she could
reach IT, Perky grabbed II in his mouth
q As he did so. Perky changed into a boy as
much Ike Billy as twin And Jerky turned
into a girl as much like Peggy as a twin.
Al the same time Billy and Peggy found
themselves shrinking. Looking at each other
they discovered they bad become squirrels.
fromorrou ~iu be told noe Pegoy aud
Buiv tnd fhsir, fun orori''s serio,sJ