Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-19
tI1II[E goRIEs
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NJ THORNTON w. BURGESS.
BIacky Is Convinced.

Suspicious are tho hardest things n all
the tporld to kill;
II there's the least lite left IN them
spring up they UiHL
They are hateful things. suspicious.
4 They make the one who has them un-
comfortable, and they make those whom
he suspects uncomfortable. And often
they lead to great deal of harm and
injustice.
| Blacky the Grow is a very suspicious
Il person. He is just full of suspicious.
He suspects everybody. He is never
ready to believe good Of anybody. Per-
q haps this is because he is a great mis-
chief maker. He is forever in mischief
Of some kind. People. who are always
in mischief. are always ready to suspect
other people.
When Blacky the Crow saw Farmer
Browns boy set Jimmy Skunk free from
that cruel trap he had hard work to
believe his own eyes. You see he had
suspected Farmer Browns boy of set
ting the trap. He had expected him to
kill Jimmy Skunk So when he saw
Farmer Browns boy set Jimmy free
and then watched Jimmy limp away
across the Green Meadows he was quite
upset, was Blacky. 1t certainly looked
as If he had been mistaken about Far
mer Browns boy and that the latter
was a. true friend Of the little people
of the Green Meadows and the Green
Forest &fter all.
But BLacky the Crow hates to admit
a mistake. He wasn't quite ready to
| now. People are like that sometimes.
| Those suspicious were not yet quite
dead That looks all right" muttered
Blacky, but perhaps he didn't want
| Jimmy Skunk for anything Perhaps
he set that trap for some one else"
Farmer Browns boy watched Jimmy
| Skunk out of sight. Then he stopped
! and took UP that dreadful trap. With
| it swinging from one hand he started
across the Green Meadows toward the
Smiling Pool. and as he walked he
whistled. 1t was merry whistle and
| good to hear.
But Blacky the Crow paid no heed
| to that merry whistle He watched
! Farmer Browns boy and in that black
| head Of his suspicious, dark ugly sus-
picions, began to come to life again.
Hes taking that trap over to the
| Smiling Pool" he muttered Probably
Jimmy Skunk was of no use to him.
80 he set him free. He wanted that
! trap. He wanted that trap to set for
Jerry Muskrat or Billy Mink. That ex-
! plains it ALL He didn't set Jimmy free
| just out of friendship ! know him. I
know all of those men creatures. You
! can't trust one of them
Blacky waited until Farmer Browns
bow was nearly to the Smiling Pool. then
! followed He saw Farmer Browns boy
| walk up to the very edge of the Smil-
| ing Pool. He saw him swing that cruel
| trap above his head and then throw it.
Out to the very middle of the Smiling
Pool 1t new, and then foil. With a great
splash that startled half out of his wits.
| Grandfather Frog. mapping on his big
green lily pad. it sank.
| There" exclaimed Farmer Browns
boy, that trap will never catch any
body else"
Blacky the Crow gave funny little
gasp. With the splash of that trap in
the Smiling Pool. all Blacky's sus-
picions Of Farmer Browns boy died.
He was convinced at last. To be con-
WINGED means to be made sure. you
know. Blacky was convinced that
Farmer Browns boy was just what he
| seemed to be-a true friend of all the
little people Of the Green Meadows and
| the Green Forest
Blacky turned toward his home in the
Green Forest. and soft look was in
his sharp eyes. III all those mon
creatures were like Farmer Browns
boy, what a happy place for the rest Of
US this Great World would be-" he
sighed.
| Copyright. 1920. by T. W. Burgess.) II