Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-05
CHAPTER I
H., .,,e Teaser Is Tempteti

Tom the le"se' 30
ooCK ROBIN snt on fence posi-
.,;r. rs hard as he could laugh;
Laughing u. chcc, Chez. .chce. chce!
Ce "Chce e'tit funniest thing I could wish
Va sec. .ns, sot Merry Robin.
m wv ros laughing as hard as her
matt, ,tc, .cbec. chcp. Chee.chee.chce
coee.,,inc paid for teasing me-
~ " ssd ond Janpt. who had been rest.
jazz 4. grassy bank. sat up and stared
at me-, mr , ia thc funniest thing you
,,,,a wish to see"' asked JACK Oh
Co"kEy o"xEho 10 getting paid back for tens
n, von?" asked Janet OF Merry a NH1.n. SI.,.
~ tt.chec -chcc-chee. lnuahsd tne oisus h..1
l .ovcther. "Do you remember 'ns v.u
.o "aSlin giant who changed our Drett,y,
.."Ss .o Of blue into ugly eggs or white!,,
'"Ob, you mean Tom the ieases. !,
Ia III lack, "But Tom isn't bad
s.Si,n giant" declared Janet. re
tO', 4. Giant Cross. Patch spank all the
Madness ont of him. and now ne IL I"
foc..Hy f..yss Uo' he promised Giant Cross. Patch
..,or again TO tease the birds or beasts
~ kirkland" added Jack. :.
."Chee .chee .chee! That promise is
..,berinp him now." laughed the
o eohIns Jolly Joker Is Whispering In.
~ his ear ideas for all sorts OF smart
,ss.ing tricks. trying to coax him to
h,csk his promises.
"Wbo is Jolly Joker!' demanded
i.ct who thought he must be a mean
I ~ Of chap to bother poor Tom the
ie"syt "Cbse .chee .chce! Peek over the hill
,,d you will see." chirped the robins,
Sttinr away to their nest. -, -,
jsck and Janet peeked over the hill
,,," The valley beyond. and there they
,. ..~ Tom the Teaser sprawled on his
hs"t beneath a spreading maple tree.
Wssr him sat a grinning elf--the chap
,hs robins had called Jolly Joker.
"Wouldn't IT be fun to catch a frog
,,a nour air rife shot down his
,hto.t?' whispered jolly Joker to Tom
,hs Tcaser. when the frog would
trv t 10 lump the shot would hold him
down. That would be comical. Ho!
"Yes." agreed Tom the Teaser
I'VE could nut him in n race with the
other frogs and he wouldn't know why
no rouldn't iump as far as they
Then a cloud came over Toms face
.But. can't do it," he sighed. 81
nror,iscd Giant Cross Patch not tc
tease birds or beasts
Jelly Joker was disappointed at that
but he didn't onit tempting Tom. Hi!
hlsy eyes saw Blue Heron standing or
one leg in tho shadows Of the rifel
waiting for a fish to come near enougf
10 be spcared. =,
"wonldn't it be fun to fasten a FISH
10 4 line and let it float down to BLU
Heron as though 1t were free| th'
III whispered. blue Heron would
swallow the fish. line and all: and w
would have him prisoner. Wouldn'
that astonish him? bet 1t woult
make US laugh. Ilo Ho! Ho!"a :.
Toms eyes lighted up. THAT wolilt
h dandy trick" he cried. Ther
Nh face cloudcd over. But ] am no
so'-, to break my promises to Clan
C''ss.Patch. Please 90 away ant
leave me alone" .
y Tom the Teascr turned his back OF
ael- Joker and closed his eyes.
gBut as Tom the Tcascr closed hi
iyls, something dropped from the mapl'
hve---something aimed at the tip o
1en's nose Ping. it hit the mari
hid bounded away.
Tom jumped up.
"Hcy," he cried at Jolly Joker
What do you mean by hitting ME OF
The nose
Jolly Joker gigged in glee as h
answered: II didn't hit you on tn
nose. A hickory nut did it,"
well, don't 10 it again" blustere'
Tom. glarhg sayagely at Jolly Joker
Once more Tom lay back and close,
NJ eyes. No sooner had he done Fl
than a second nut dropped out of tn
lree-down, down. ping! on the tip o
Toms nose.
WHO Is teasing Tom the Teaser. b.
aiopplng nuts on his nose? Tomorrow
chapter will tell