New Britain herald., 1922-11-22

of his tail. And if you wanted to see Mir Fox fly into a passion. all you had to do was to step on his tail.
 After stepping on the pride of his fathers heart. Tommy Fox always ran off and hid somewhere until MT. Fox's anger had somewhat cooled.
 However, there was less danger in slyly dropping bur into MT. Fox's brush---as he often called his tail. When he noticed the bur, Mir. Fox would think -he had picked it up somewhere in the woods or the fields.
 "A burt" he would exclsim in dis gust. I'm getting into them every time I stir out never used to bring so many home.
 On days when he felt somewhat out of sorts, Mir. Fox used to grumble good deal about burs. Even his best coming bit of a bore, with his ire duent talk of burs. They didn't mind sitting down for chat with him about Farmer Greens hens. But to be buttonholed by Mir. Fox and have to listen to his story of having just picked six burs out of his tail-that was downright dull.
 Well, one evening MT. Fox had dooryard caller. And having been greatly annoyed by burs that very morning, MT. Fox wanted to tell his neighbor all about his trouble, MT. Fox sat very close 10 him and talked right into his friends face, after the fashion of bores everywhere.
 friAod Lopf od doipo Lc opened his mouth dozen times to tell Mir. Fox that he really must go, because he had important business elsewhere. But Mir. Fox only talked the faster. He didn't give his caller a chance to say a word.
 Tommy Fox was playing about the dooryard. And noticing that his fathers tail and that of the caller lay side by side upon the ground, he crept up behind them and dropped burs all over them.
 Mir Fox was so interested in his own story, and his friend was so in- terested in getting away, that neither of them. paid any heed to Tommy Fox and his actions. The guest squirmed and fidgeted. MT. Fox seemed wound Qp lO ldiN dll HE ILL
 At last Mir. Fox's friend broke in upon his steady stream of words. "You'll have to excuse me, l have an engagement he said; and he. had to bark loudly to make MT. Fox hear him. I'm going, Good evening""
 He jumped up and tried to leave.
 Then there was trouble. His tail and Mir. Fox's were stuck fact to- eether. The callers first jump upset Mir. Fox. His second jump dragged MT. Fox along the ground. He made no third jump, because Mir. Fox sprang to his feet and tried to pull away. The caller growled, because he thought Mir. Fox was trying to keep him there in order to tell him something more about burs. MT. Fox growled because he thought his friend had played trick on him, putting burs in his brush when the fellow knew how MT. Fox hated them.
 Tommy Fox was hoping to see a fight right in his dooryard. And there is no doubt that he would have, had not his mother heard sounds of trouble and come running out of the house.
 She soon saw what was the mat ter
 Be patient. gentlemen!" she cried. "1'll set you free. Come and help mo. Tor1my!'
 Tommy Fox was bnsily picking burs out or his fathers tail, when Mir. Fox gave him 8 sharp look.
 T notice good many burs on you" he remarked. Have you been handling burs?''
 I'm handling them now" Tommy answered gliby.
 Those burs on you---they didn't come off my brush" Mir. Fox de- clared. But they're the same kind. This look very. very queer"
 Tt does'' the caller agreed. "J hope you'll make somebody smart for it."
 "I will" MT. Fox promised.
 But Mrs. Fox wouldn't let him. She said she thought 1t was q good joke. And she laughed so much that Mir. Fox went away and stayed three days.
 When he came home. though he had dozen burs in his tail. he never mentioned burs at all
 (Copyright 1922 by Metropolitan
 Newspaper Service.l