The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-10
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORIES
TIMMY PROVES TO BE 4 TRUE |
 NEIGHROH
He proves himself a neiShbor true Who seeks a kindly decd to do.
 -Old Mother Nature
By THORNTON ". BURGESS

He proves himself n neighbor true Who seeks a kindly decd to do.
 -Oid Mother Nature.
 Occasionally Timmy the Flying Squirrel came over to visit White foot the Wood Mouse. If whitefoot was in his house he always knew when Timmy arrived. He would hear soft thump down near the bottom of the tall stump in which he made his home. He would know instantly that that thump was made by Timmy striking the foot of the stump after a long jump from the top of a tree Whitefoot would poke his head out of his doorway and there. sure enough. would be Timmy scrambling up to- ward him.
 Whitefoot had grown to admire Timmy with all his might. It seemed to him that Timmy was the most wonderful of all tho people he knew. ou see, there was no one of tho others who could jump as Timmy could Timmy on his part enjoyed having Whitefoot for neighbor. Few of the little people of the Green Forest are more timid than Timmy the Flying Squirrel, but here was one beside whom Timmy actually felt bold It was such new feeling that Timmy enjoyed it.
 Sc 1t was that in the dusk of early evening just after the Black Shadows had come creeping out from the Purple Hills across the Green Meadows and through the Green For | est these two little neighbors would start out to hunt for food. White- fcot never went far from the tall, dead stump in which he was now living. He didn't dare to. He wanted to be where at the first sign of dan ger he could scamper back there to safety Timmy would go some dis tance, but he was seldom gone long. He liked to be where he could watch and talk with Whitefoot You see, Timmy is very much like other peo- pie; he likes to gossip a little.
 One evening Whitefoot had found it had work to get enough to fill his stomach. He had kept going a little further and little further from that old stump. Finally he was fur ther from 1t than he had ever been before. Timmy had filled his stomach and from near the top of tree was watching Whitefoot Suddenly whst seemed like a great Black Shadow floated right over the tree in which
 
 the top of tall, dead tree. It was Hooty the Owl, and it was simply good fortune that Timmy happened to see him. Timmy kept perfectly still. He knew that he was safe as long as he kept perfectly still. He knew that Hooty didn't know that he was there. Unless he moved, those great eyes of Hooty's, wonderful as they were, would not see him.
 T last seen Whitefoot. There he was picking out seeds from pine cone on the ground. The trunk of a tree was between him and Hooty the Owl. But Timmy knew that Whitefoot hadn't seen Hooty, and that any minute he might run out from be hind that tree. IT he did Hooty would see him, and silently as a shadow would swoop down and catch him. What was to be done?
 It's no business of mine" said Timmy to himself "Whitefoot must look out for himself. It is no busi- ness of mine at all. Perhaps Hooty will fly away before Whitefoot moves l don't want anything to happen to Whitefoot. but if something does it will be his own fault; he should keep better watch"
 For few minutes nothing hap pened. Then Whltefoot finished the last seed in that cone and started to look for more. Timmy knew that in moment Hooty would see Whitefoot What do you think Timmy did? He jumped Yes, isr; he jumped. Down, down, down. straight past the tree on which sat Hooty the Owl Timmy sailed Hooty saw him. Of course. He couldn't help but see him. He spres q his great wings and was after Timmy in an instant Timmy struck near the foot of a tree and without wasting a second darted around to the other side. He was just in time. Hooty was already reaching for him. Up the tree ran Timmy and jumped again. Again Hooty was too late. And so Timmy led Hooty the Owl away from White foot the Wood Mouse.
 Copyright, 1922, by T. W. Burgess)