Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-23
SANDMAN STORY.
By Mro. r. A. Walker.
opyriehA 1919, by the Mcclure Ncws-
pApeg Syndicate. New York City.

MR.. ROOSTER ADVISES HIS FAMILY.
Il wsa raining very fast and al tho hons
and chickens wore sitting under tho bushes
at ono corner Of the yard waiting for tho
rain to be over, for each knew the worms
would then be easier TO find
Old Mr.. Rooster Was Watching with
the rest Of the family; he had lived ut the
farm longer than the others and ~ was
considered very wise and was very much
respected.
Tho hens taught their chicks to look
upon old Mr.. Rooster IN their protector
and N one to be listened to in all things.
When the rain was over young Mrs.
Hen jumped up to stratch for worms be-
fore the others carno from under tho
bushes.
She was lucky enough to get very
large one the first scratch, but before she
had it dragged from the ground out raD
all the others and began 10 tug and pull
until in the end no ono got tho worm
'Now, whit a silly family ] have,
thought old Mr.. Rooster, who had not
run with the others. ''All so greedy that
not ono Of them had bite. ] must talk
to them and tell thcrn how silly they arc. !"
In spite OF the worms. when Mr.. Rooster
called his family they AL came running
tn SEQ what he wanted.
II want To give you somc advice he
said. 'the worm will bc very thick after
tho rain and easy tn find, but " zen ono
Of you gets very large one | have noticed
that all the others run and try to get il
and in the end no one has anything to
show for the struggle.
Nov my advice is that each one Of YOU
scratch for yourself and let your neighbor
alone. even If he or she has larger worm
than YOU have, for il YOU drop the ono you
have found someone will come along and
cat it and in the end you will hc the loser .
Mr.. Rooster str,itted away feeling that
he had done his family great service and
looking very important and wise.
All the fowl looked after him and no
ono moved until old Mrs Hen said
II wonder If old Mr.. Rooster really meant
what he said: ! mover saw any OF or
family that would not grnb big worm
when Il had chance" and of she ran,
followed by all the Others, for they well
knew that. old Mrs. Hen knew just where
to look fdr the finest worms.
Now, it happened the old Mr.. Rooster
saw them all running and he saw Mrs.
Hen ahead, so he, too, ran to see what was
going on.
When they reached Mrs Hen she was
lEDut tnt Ntt ftflN a very fHf
large worm and every hen and chicken
dashed to her side, but before anyone got
piece old MIR Rooster flew over their
heads with outspread and Tapping wings
Hell anded right in the midst of the
struggling fowl and before old Mrs. Hen
could collect her wits Mr.. Rooster hsy1 the
big worm in his beak and was running
away.
OF course, no one saw him eat il and
later all be said was that every time he
saw a struggle he should take the worm,
but he did not say what he should do with
it.
HE ate IL, my dears." said old Mrs
Hen. 'J am sure Of il, and he viii take
every one VIC find if he sees it SO we better
be careful"
There WAS no more guarrellng among
Mr.. Roosser's family after that and as
he walked around the yard he said 20 him
self, "You have to use force when they will
not listsn to reason. but that certainly was
, fine. plump worm"