Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-03
SANDMAN STORY.
BY Mrs. r. A. Walker.
Copyright. 1918. by Mcclure NeuU Dapas
Syndicate New York City.

Mr.. FOX ALMOST browns.
Mr.. Fox had been thinking for a
long time that il he had boat he e Gould
90 duck hunting great deal better
tnan he could without one.
So one morning when his wife got
up To get breakfast she heard pound
ing outside the door.
WHAT in the world are YOU doingY
she asked There isn't mouthful
OF food in the house but little meal
and there YOU are out there wasting
your tincn
"lou will change your mind. my
dear. about that when ] tell you my
scheme. But first make some m,lsh
for breakfast out Of the meal and by
dinncrtime perhaps shall be finished
and we will have plenty said Mr.
Fox .
Mrs Fox had been married long
enough 10 know that the hest way 10
get the whole story from her husband
was to feed him. So she went 10 work
To make lust the finest tasting mush
she could and then called him tn cat
It.
Mrs Fox poured cup Of cream on
tho mush she put IN front Of Mr., Fox
and asked: What is this scheme you
have and what arc YOU building
II am building boat my dear,
said Mr. Fox, "and | expect to he able
10 lring home n fine lot OF birds, be
cause the very hest could do the old
way WAS to bring home two binds at
time and now ! can catch them and
put them in the boat Don't you see,
my dear. how easy II will be-"
Hum" said Mrs. Fox. II hear YOU,
but for long time ! have not secn
very many birds. /ven one Mt time.
You will have 20 chow me before ! can
believe in your new scheme, but | will
tell YOU ono thing. that you get dan
delions for dinner and no meat IT YOU
do not get those birds
''tll have them. never fear. my dear,
said Mr. Fox but when dinner TIME
came he had not finished the boat ard
had To cat the dandclions
"You will not get any more OF these.
either. said Mrs Fox, with a irown,
'if Won do not pick them yourself
am not going 10 work IN the hot sun
picking dandelions while YOU build
Boat to carry out some foolish scheme
Of yours
The next morning the boat was ready
and MIR Fox was pretty hungry, Tor
his wife kept her word and he had no
supper and no breakfast either
Mr.. Fox had an old coat and hat
he had taken from the scarccrov up
az MIR Mans and he felt he was all
ready to hunt. hut his wife had no faith
in his scheme and she called from the
doorway as Mr. Fox went toward the
lake. No dinner II you do not bring
IL Remember
Mir Fox put his boat IN the water
and got in He could see the ducks thick
around the bend and nc had visions
If AZ least five fat birds for his dinner
But Mr. Fox was not used 10 n boat
and he forgot 10 make any oars, 50
when he was in he had no WAY 10 steer II
4 brisk wind came up however, and
sent him ont in tho middle Of the lake
and this scared the ducks and away
they went
Poor Mr.. Fox He could not get back
and he could not catch a duck The
boat wohhle,i about as tho wind made
tho water choppy and he began To be
sick
oh. dear know shall de he
thought rs he lay down IN tho boat
oh, dear, am afraid | wont die, :
he thought after awhile, for he was
~ SICK he did not want 20 live
Just then he heard Quacking near
him and he opened his ewes There
right beside his boat were three fat
ducks Mr. Fox closed his eyes and
groancd II made him III 10 think Of
eating duck. and down he went again
on the bottom Of the boat
All day long he foatcd about on
the lake, not caring bit whether he
was drowned or NOT
II was almost dark when Mr.. Fox
realized that tho boat had stopped
and he sat up 10 sec where he was.
The boat had caught IN the over
hanging boughs Of a tree by the shore
and Mr. Fox craw1cd out more dead
than alive He lay right down on the
ground. glad 70 hc anywhere but in
that boat
Mir Fox crep; under the bushes ont
Of sight and went tn sleep. but II hap
| pened that the wind blew his boat so
II tipped over and Jack Rabbit who
was passing by SAW II, and having
met Mr. Fox that very morning before
he started he was sure MIR Fox must
| have been drowned
OF ran Jack Rabbit to toll Mrs.
Fox that he had found Mr.. Fox,s boat
! upside down on the bank and ne was
sure Mr.. Fox had been drowned Then
off through the woods TO spread the
news he ran.
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