Arizona republican., 1921-04-22
Alttle Stories For Bedtime
 BY THORNTON w. BURGESS
THE VANITY OF SAMMY JAy
BY THORNTON w. BURG

nen sammy Jay isn't planning esSniei, or sticking his bill into the
 ers or other folks with which he
 no concern, or trying to frighten come one bigger than himself, or
 sre some one smaller than himself. Ae spends a great deal of his time ad-
 ning his fine clothes and thinking nat . handsome fellow he is. And ne Is handsome fellow. Even Chat sterer the Red Squirrel. who is always Suarreling with him, admits that o1mmy Jay is handsome fellow. He carries himself proudly when he !ninks any one is looking. His shape IS very trim and neat and he is a very smart looking fellow indeed. And his coat! Was there ever such a coat -pefore? It seems as if old Mother Nature must have cut off a little piece of the sky when 1t was bluest on a summer day to make Sammy Jays coat and that she must have taken a tiny str4 from the whitest cloud to trim 1t with. And then she gave him . smart cap and a black collar and a Watstcoat of just the softest grayish white, that shows off his blue coat best. Old Mother Nature certainly vas feeling very good indeed when she planned Sammy Jays clothes.
 Now. Sammy Jay knows just how handsome he is. If you should ask him and he would condescend to talk to you at all. which be probably wouldn't do. he would tell you that he Is the handsomest fellow in the world Of course this isn't true. but Sammy Jay thinks 1t is. And So Sammy Jay is very fond of showing off his fine clothes and making fun of other peo- pie who are not so finely dressed. He spends . great deal of time in the care of his beautiful coat and admir- ing. himself whenver he can see his reflection in a little pool of water.
 Now, Peter Rabbit isn't the least bit like Sammy Jay. He doesn't think about his clothes at all. Indeed. Peter thinks 50 little about his clothes that it doean't trouble him a bit to wear a white patch on the seat of his trou- sers. And Peter dearly loves to make fun of Sammy Jay.
 So it tickled Peter immensely one day to find Sammy Jay admiring himself Peter had come up through the Green Forest without making a sound. for with the snow covering the ground there were no dead leaves to rustic. As usual his long ears were cooked up to catch every sound. Sud- denly Peter stopped. He had heard Sammy Jays voice. and by the sound knew that Sammy was taking to him8elf. very, very softly Peter stole forward and hid where he could see Jammy Jay in a big pine tree.
 I've got the handsomest coat in ell the Green Forest!" said Sammy Jay. stretching one of his wings out and cooking his head on one side to admire it.. And where else is such q beautiful tail to be found?' He spread his tail so that a ray of sum- shine would fall on it. It certainly was very beautiful, as blue as the sky with a little band of white across the tip and little bars of black across the outer sides. Even Peter Rabbit with his nose turned up in scorn, had ito admit to himself that it certainly was a handsome tail.
 I'm so glad it's mine!" sighed Sammy Jay. 'It must be dreadful no to be handsome"
 Peter Rabbit could keep still nc longer. Its a good thing you ad- mire yourself, Sammy Jay, because no one else does!" he shouted.
 Handsome is at it may do!
 Don't forget that Sammy Jay
 Underneath that coat of blue
 Is a black heart, Sammy Jay.
 Everybody near and far