Arizona republican., 1921-12-06
Little Stories For Bedtime
cHATTERER FRIGHTENS SAM
 MY JAY
eY THORNTON w. BURGESS

Chatterer the Red Squirrel was nightly tickled with himself. Yes sir. he was nightly tickled with himself. You see, he had found a way of getting into Farmer Browns corncrib, where was stored so much beautiful yellow corn that it seemed 10 him that there was enough for all he Squirrels in the world. All he had 10 co was to go up to Farmer Browns doorway very early in the morning before Farmer Browns boy was up, climb the tree with the branch hanging low over. the corn crib. drop down on the roof, and slip through the hole he had found close under one edge of the roof. Then he could eat his fill, stuff his cheeks full and scamper back to his new home in the old Orchard the' same way he had confe.
 Now, the more some people have the F-sore they want. It is the very worst kind of selfishness and is called greediness. Chatterer had found a way to get all the corn he wanted without working for it, and there was enough to feed him as long as he lived. though he should live to be a 100 years old. To be sure, it wasn't his It was Farmer Browns. But Chatterer looked on Farmer n his enemies. and he could see nothing wrong in taking. things from his ene- mics. Perhaps he didn't want to see anything wrong. All his life he had stolen from his neighbors. That is one reason they dislike him so. Any way. if ever a little voice down inside tried to tell him that he was wrong. Chatterrer didn't listen 10 it. Perhaps after a while the little voice grew nl dSdraff fr~xr ant
 After Chatterer had made a few successful trips to the corncrib he began to look upon it as his own. He would sometimes hide in the old stone wall, where he could watch Farmer Browns boy open the door of the corncrib and fill basket with yellow ears to feed to the hens and the pigs and the horses. At such times Chatterer would work himself into great rage as if Farmer Browns s Boy were stealing from him. But there was nothing he could do about 1t, so he would go back to the Old Orchard and scold for an hour. But what made him still angrier was to see Sammy Jay help himself to few grains of corn from between the cracks in the walls of the corncrfb He forgot how Sammy had first told him about the corIlcrib and how
 
 dow the Weasel. That is the trouble with greed-it forgets everything but the desire to have and to keep others from having. Chatterer didn't. say anything to Sammy Jay, because he knew 1t would be of no use. Besides, if he did, sammy might find him over in the corncrib some day and make such a fuss that Farmer Browns Boy would find him.
 Finally Chatterer thought of a plan and chucklsd wickedly. The next morning he was over in the corncr1p bright and early. This time he stayed there until it was time for sammy Jay to arrive. Peeping out of the hole by which he came and went, he saw Sammy. come flying from the Old Orchard. Sammy made no noise. for, you see, Sammy meant to steal too. Presently Sammy found a crack against which an ear of corn lay very close. He began to peck at it and pick out the grains. Chatterer stole over to it, taking the greatest |. care not to make sound. Presently Samny's black bill came poking through the crack. .Chatterer seized it and held on.
 Poor sammy Jayi He was terribly friEhsened- He thought it was some kind of a trap. He beat his wings and tried to scream, but couldn't be- cause he couldn't open his mouth. Then Chatterer. left go so suddenly that Sammy almost fell to the ground before he could catch his balance He didn't wait to see what had caught him. He started for the Green