The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-03
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORY
WHITEFooT FINDS OUT WHAT
 THE MATTER WAS Pity the lonely for deep in the heart Is an ache thnt no doctor can heal by his art.
 ---WhltefOot the Wood Mouse,

Of all the little people of the Green Forest. whitefoot the Wood Mouse seemed to be the only one who was unhappy. The worst of 1t was he didn't know why he was unhappy. and so day by day he became more unhappy. for during the brightness of the day he slept most of the time.
 There Is something wrong, some thing wrong" he would say over and over to himself. Tt must be with me. because everybody else is happy and this is the happiest time of all the year. I wish someone would tell me what ails me. want to be happy and somehow I just can't be-"
 One evening whitefoot wandered a little farther from home than usual, He wasn't going anywhere in par ticular. He had nothing in particular to do. He was just wandering about because somehow he couldn't remain at home. Not far away Melody the Wood Thrush was pouring out his beautiful evening song. Whitefoot stopped to listen. Somehow 1t made
 
 Melody stopped singing for a few moments. It was just then that Whitefoot heard faint sound. It was & gentle drumming. Whitefoot pricked up his ears and listened. There it was again! He knew in- stantly how that sound was made. It was made by dainty little feet beating very fast on an old log. Whitefoot had drummed that way himself many times. It was soft, but clear. and 1t lasted only a mo- ment.
 Right then something very strange | happened to Whitefoot. Yes. sir. something very strange happened to Whitefoot All in flash he felt better. At first ehe didn't know why. | He just did. that was all, Without | thinking what he was doing he began to drum himself. Then he listened. At first he heard nothing. Then soft and low came that drumming sound again. Whitefoot replied to it. All | the time he kept feeling better. He ran little nearer to the place from which that drumming sound had come and then once more drummed. At first he got no reply. Then in a few minutes he heard it again only this time 1t came from a different place. Whitefoot became quite ex- cited He knew that that drumming ewas done by another Wood Mouse and all in a flash it came over him what had been the matter with him. I've been lonely!" exclaimed whitefoot. That is all that has been the trouble with me. I have been lonely and didn't know it. wonder if that other Wood Mouse has felt the same way"
 Again he drummed and again came that soft reply. Once more Whitefoot hurried in the direction of it. and Qpee more he was disap- pointed when the next reply came from different place. By now he was getting excited. He was bound to find that other Wood Mouse. Every time he heard that drumming funny little thrills ran all over him. He didn't know why. They just did, that was all. He simply must find that other Wood Mouse. He forgot everything else. He didn't even nos tice where he was going. He would drum, then wait for a reply. As soon as he heard 1t he would scam per in the direction of it. and then pause to drum again. Sometimes the reply would be very near, then again it would be so far away that a great