Evening star., 1918-02-09
LI1TILE&oREs L1I
&bEDTTrfE
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.
Copyright. 1918, by T. ". Bursesal
Robber Drives Himself Back to
the Barn. !.

. Robber the Rat had no intention OF go
ing back to Farmer Browns barn to lfvea
1t was more comfortable, more interesting
and there were better things to eat in
Farmer Browns house, and there Robber
proposed to stay. He told Mrs. Robber so.si
My DEAR" said he. Il don't know whye'
we didn't find out before how nice II is
over here Nothing would tempt mo to-
go back to that barn. No. marm. nothing
would tempt me to do that. Here we are,
and here we are going to stay and not
all the traps that Farmer Browns boy
can set will make any difference. He
can't scare me- He isn't afraid OF US and
Farmer Brown isn't afraid of us. 50 we@
must keep out Of their way. But Mrs; :.
Brown is scared to death of meg wisa1I'
you had seen her yesterday when she.
Jumped up on that chair. So we've noth--
ing to fear from her" !!
So Rebber the Rat grew bolder with,
every passing day when only Mrs Brown
WAS about. She was 50 afraid OF him that
she actually didn't dare to SO out in the
woodshed. When she was at work In the
kitchen she kept natiron over the h1s
in the kitchen door. But Robber didne
mind BY this time he had gnawed n hole
that let him in between the walls Of the
house. Then he had gnawed his way out .
into some OF the closets and he had
found his way up to the attic. At all
hours of day and night he and Mrs Rob-
ber might be heard racing about or
Farmer Browns house and helped Them
selves to all sorts OF things to which
they happened to take fancy. Every
through their holes was taken to their
home among the old boxes in the dusty {
corner of the woodshed. or course. every
thing was tested with their teeth.
Now, it happened that in a closet
Robber found a small box. 1t was just
handy size to carry in his mouth and
he promptly hurried home with it. :
There he left it and went back to see
sport to collect all sorts of stun and !
then later play with it and try to hnd
out what it was made of and what it,
was for.
1t happened that Robber stole that
little box one night. but it was not
until the next day that he undertook
to find out what was in it OF course,
he gnawed it. Suddenly his teefF
scraped something inside. there was ass
flash of fire and all in a second Rob-
ber's home was all ablaze. Yes sir. it
was all ablaze, for 1t was made of pa
per and shavings and rags. Hobbers
whiskers and fur were singed tnd the
same thing happened to Mrs. Robber.
They were nearly choked by the smoke.
And they were the worst frightened
rats that ever ran for their lives.
Luckily for them. the back door was
Just a5ar. Out plunged Robber, with
Mrs. Robber at his heels, both squealing .
with terror. You remember that when
they were driven out Of the barn by q
Shadow the Weasel they had left in a =
great hurry. Now they went back to-
the barn in even more of hurry.
Shadow the Weasel didn't once enter
their heads. They had no thought but
for the Red Terror. which had % nsarIyS
caught them.
''Tll never. never, so near that house
again" painted Robber as they dodgsdsr
out of sight under the barn floor.
How did II happeny" asked Mrs:
painting for breath.
II don't know" painted Robber. fsal.
ing Of his sinGsd whisksra Il havsu't
But II Robber didn't know you have
guessed, am sure. He had Gtolsn a.
box of MATCHES ana his teeth had Get
them EoinG. 1t is . lucky thing that
1t was in the daytime instead Of IN the
night and That Farmer Brown'a Boy
was not far sway at the time. He pot
the fire out with an extinguisher before
much damage had been done. Then hss,
cleaned out that dusty cbrnsr and he-
covered witk tin every hole he could
dnd. You 80 he didn't know that Rob
b1r ana his via haa gene Tor GDel.
And - at vn0 thn1 2o6bSf aGtS111I :,