Evening star., 1921-06-13
lJ1II[E|:StioRlEs
%rbEDTInE
The Most Awful Thing in the
World.
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.
A tiny spark once 1t IL free
An awful thing may grow to be.
Old Mother Nature.


tiny spark once It is free
Old Mother Nature.
.-rhe Red Terror?' said Boxer in a
questioning tone.
1.-The Red Terror?' repeated Wool
Woof in Just the same tone.
Eyes, the Red Terror" growled
Mother Bear in her deepest, most
grumbly. rumbly voice.
do you mean that this that fills
the air and makes my eyes smart and
makes me cough Is the Red Terror
asked Boxer.
'aThat is the breath of the Red Ter
ror," replied Mother Bear. The Red
Terror itself may be some distance
away. I hope it is. The breath of it
goes a long way before it." Mother
Bear con ntinued to walk up and down
along the shore of the pond of Paddy
the Beaver. She was too uneasy to
keep still.
sisted Boxer. Have I ever seen it?
would I know it IL I should see it?
If SHOULD meet it what should do?"
| Mother Bear stopped in front of the
little Bear and looked down at him.
For just a second the worried look
on her face gave way to one of amuse-
ment. You are regular Peter Rab-
the worried look returned. THE Red
Terror is the most awful thing in all
the Great World" she explained. 1T
lis a monster that eats everything in
it's path. That is. it eats every living
thing"
Would it dare try to eat a great
big Bear like you?" asked woof- Woof.
as If she couldn't possibly believe
such a thing.
Mother Bear shivered. ut would
l-N-
Mouse" said she.
Its very, breath can choke you to
death" growled Buster Bear. who was
Listening.
1.-The only things it cannot eat are
sand and rocks and water" continued
Mother Bear.
DO you mean it could eat a great
Itree? asked Boxer in round-eyed
wonder.
frees are what it likes best. I,
would like nothing better than to eat
all the Green Forest" declared Bus
ter Bear.
And wouldn't there be any Green
Forest then?" asked woof-woof
NO" replied Mother Bear. There
would be no Green Forest and no
living creatures"
"As for knowing the Red Terror II
you should meet it," Buster Bear
broke in. your nose would tell you
/ ~ Rn'o" Aio hdI SAe
smell Of tits. Whenever you get that
smell. watch out. Run from it THAT
is the only thing to do. Run for
water. Water will stop it. That is
why all the Green Forest people are
ihere at this pond OF Paddys today.
1t is the only place in all the Green
Forest where the Red Terror cannot
get US should it come this way. Even
| then We would have to go into the
water to keep from being eaten alive
The twins thought this all over.
! Then WoofWoof ventured another
question. IF you please, Mother
Bear. where does the Red Terror
| come FROM" she asked timidly.
Sometimes it comes from the sky
in great Storm" replied Mother
Bear. but usually it is set free by a
two-legged creature called Man.
growled Mother Bear.
But isn't the two-legged creature
called Man afraid of it?' demanded
| Boxer.
when it gets away from him he
il" replied Mother Bear. Then he
tries to kill it. He is the only living
creature who dares to fight it But
! often It is too much for him, and he
has to run like the rest Of u.s. I wish
knew just where the Red Terror is
now" She stood up and shifted
| auxiously