Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-06

iVU tHTOUUn trtCE. ShG deTeS the
witch, tcho orders her thro,cn among
the Nan Edters.)
"7UM-ZUM-zUM-ZUM buzzed the
Il Man-Eaters hungrily. Were hungry.
We smell food. We like tender young girl.
Wen drink her veins dry. Yum-yum-yum!"
be? Peggy was losing her fear Of the Witch.
because she felt she was crafty old fraud,
but the strange hum from within the cage
was an entirely different matter.
Il like music with my meals" squawked
the Witch. "Ill have you devoured while 1
eat my supper. Your shrieks will be sweet
strains to my ears"
Peggy Strengthened up. Shed not utter a
single cry no matter how terrible the Man.
Eaters might be. She would defy the Witch
until the last Then she remembered how an
noyed the Witch had been when she used the
word "looney." So on the spur of the moment
she made up a silly little verse.
There was looney loon
Who used to slyly spoon
BY the light Of the moon
With an old fiirty coon,
And she said Well wed soon
IL yOu'll--'"
Peggy got no farther. Her verse had a
most unexpected effect. 1t seemed to drive
the Witch mad She whrled around and
around on her seat. while from her throat
came again and again the wild, weird cry.
The Night Herons few up in a panic of
fear. each bearing in his bill a fish which he
dropped before the Witch as il to appease
her. The Ravens left their work at the cage
and covered before the Witchs rage.
Peggy was amazed for a moment and then
the Witchs mad furry struck her as being
very funny.
''Ha ha ha :" she laughed
"Ha, ha. ha - laughed the Night Herons
and Ravens. their fear abruptly changing to
mirth.
The Witch went wilder than ever at this
Roll thunders! !" she shrieked And the
thunder followed quickly the Birds stop
ped laughing at once
Throw this wretch Of Princess to the
Man-Eaters," the Witch commanded The
Night Herons and Ravens held back shaking
their heads
"Obey." shrieked the Witch furiously
"Obey or I'll bring winds, that will blow
down all the trees. I'll bring waters that will
cover the earth"
The Birds still held back. though they
trembled.
BLOW Winds" shrieked the Witch. A
mighty blast swept through the trees
"Obey!" cried the Witch.
Night Heron stalked up TO Peggy. and
seized her by her pajamas. The Ravens
a
within. Instantly the hum mounted to a
high pitch. Great winged creatures few
around her head.
Then Peggy saw what the Man.Eaters
were. They were monster mosquitoes each
to her tiny eyes seeming as large as a bird
Their sharp bills, as sharp as swords,
threatened to pierce her through and through
Half dozen of them could eat her up and
here were scores and scores of them.
Peggy ran to the side of the cage to try
to break out She found the cage was a
tough, unbreakable spider web. Huge spiders
were already patching up the gap made by
the Ravens. Outside. the Witch was begin
ming to gobble up her fish dinner evidently
expecting Peggy's screams to furnish the
music for her meal.
Buzzing loudly, the Man. Eaters started for
Peggy. She fought with all her might ward
ing Off their menacing bills But she knew
1t would be a matter of only a moment when
she would be overwhelmed.
Then came unexpected help The cage ex.
tended partly over the scummy water Out
of this scummy water came popping a bunch
of Frogs. They leaped at the Man.Eaters
swapping them up. Bullfrog whispered to
Peggy:
Run run" Peggy ran to the edge of the
| scummy water and out over it, To her
| astonishment the water seemed to hold her
up She found small hole in the cage.
| through which she crept. Then she fed on,
| on over the scummy water, wondering why
| she didn't sink, until, looking down, she saw
that she was running over living bridge
made by the backs of hundreds of hundreds
of Frogs. Behind her she heard the sbrjeL
of the Witch Her escape had been discover
| ed.
(Tomorro,o tUiH be told hoto the Witch
pursues Pegoy, and ho,o she Is foiled In
| surprising 1dyJ