The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-03
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORIES
Such . Mess.
ny THORNTON w. BURGEss

Such a Mess;
 Mischief. always thoughtless. ends
 By doing more than it intends. -Oid Mother Nature.
 Farmer Browns Boy was standing just outside the little sugar house
 gazing in the direction in which
 Bcxer and woof Woof had disap-
 psaTed when Farmer Brown arrived
 Such sight as he was! It is no
 wonder that Farmer eBrown threw up both hands when he looked at him.
 Gracious sake, son" said he, what | ever have you done to yourself?"
 Farmer Browns Boy grinned.
 Nothing" said he. T didn't do it to myself; it was done to me-" Then, seeing the puzzled look on his
 fathers face, he explained that he
 had tried to go into the sugar house
 at the same time that two half grown Bears had tried to come out,
 and that as the doorway was narrow
 none had been successful for a few
 moments.
 Are there any more Bears in
 thereY asked Farmer Brown. "I don't know" replied Farmer
 Browns Boy I'm perfectly willing
 10 wait out here while you go in and see"
 Very cautiously Farmer Brown
 leeped inside the sugar house. or
 course he found no one there Then he went in and Farmer Browns Boy
 followed. Farmer Brown gave a long whistle of dismay as he looked ur a~I. L. side that sugar house. My, my, my, such a mess! Everything in there excepting the eyaporator was upset.
 The sap pails, battered and dented
 were everywhere. Farmer Browns Boys blankets were in the eyap-
 orator, which had been half full of
 syrup. Syrup and sugar were smeared over everything. Flour and soot were scattered everywhere. It was impossible to move anywhere with out stepping into mixture of syrup And flour and soot.
 How many Bears did you say were
 in here?" asked Farmer Brown. Two" replied his boy. Two half grown ones'
 Well" said Farmer Brown, If l were to judge by the mess In this sugar house l should say that there 4du pttH two uOZen bcdfb ID nefe. IL is lucky thing that we had taken
 most of the sugar and syrup home before those scamps got in here. It'll take us a week to clean this mess up. am afraid. son, that you were careless and left the door open" Farmer Brown's Boy shook his head. "I almost know I didnt,p said he, "I closed that door when I left, and I am certain it was latched. I didn't lock it, because we never do when we are leaving it just for lit- tie while. The only thing can think of is thst somehow one of those Hears accidentally lifted the latch and the door swung open. The funny part is that when I got here the door was closed. The wind must have closed 1t and so trapped those TWO
 rascais. If you had only arrived a rew minutes sooner you would have
 seen a funny mix-up. When those Bears finally got away and I got a fair look at them I thought the whole business must be bad dream. In-
 stead of being all black, those Bears were halt white. This flour explains that now. but at the time I thought my eyes must be playing me tricks" Then Farmer Browns Boy Went outside and sat on a stump and laughed and laughed and laughed till he was too tired to laugh any more. | Farmer Brown himself laughed, too. | Ii was funny. If you don't think so, 1 just ask Sammy Jay. Even to this | day Sammy Jay laughs whenever he | thinks of it.
 Farmer Browns Boy went down to the Laughing Brook and washed his face and hands. Then he and his 1 father spent the rest Of that day try ing to clean things up. It was a dreadful job, and it took all of that day and all of the next day to set that little sugar house to rights. l Copyright, 1922, by T. w Burgess.) ----------s.--------