Arizona republican., 1922-05-16
Little Stories For Bedtime
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS
WHAT FARMER BROWNS BOY
nIn

OF course when Farmer Browns
boy lifted off the upper half of the
pile of old corn stalks in the middle
of which Danny and Nanny Meadow
Mouse had built their home he had
no idea that any one was living
there. 1t is a question il Danny and
Nanny were any more surprised than
he was. OF course they ran-ran as
fast as ever they could. They did ii
to save their lives. At least that is
what they thought You see it was
all so sudden that they were just ter
riblv frightened and when people are
terribly frightened they run away
from the thing that has frightened
them. At least that is what most
people do. and it is what Danny and
Nanny did now.
With frightened squeakS they ran
along the secret little galleries Dam
ny had made for just such a need.
And then quite suddenly Nanny
stopped. She had thought of the four
babies left in that dear little house.
She had remembered Teeny, Weeny,
Midget, and Mite left to the mercy of
Farmer Browns boy. She couldn't
run another step.
Hurry" squeaked Danny. scam
pering on ahead. But Nanny didn't.
Instead she began to go back. Danny
looked back over his shoulder and
saw her. f'What are" he began.
and then he. too, remembered the
helpless babies and a feeling of great
shame swept over him at the thought
of how he was running away and
leaving those babies with no one to
even try TO protect them. He turned
back and hurried to catch up with
Nanny. Together they peeped out TO
see what Farmer Browns boy was
doing
He was STOPPING over looking at
the little house they had been so
proud of when they had built 1t.
Hal said he. I'm afraid you will
have to build a new house somewhere
else, Danny Meadow Mouse, for /
have got to clean up around here,
and take away all the old corn stalks.
| wonder what the inside of your
house is like"
With that he picked up the house
in his great hands and began to tear
is open to see what it was like inside.
Poor Danny and Nanny Meadow
MouSei 1t was more than they could
stand. Danny shut his eyes so as not
to see what was going to happen, but
Nanny. because her mothers love
was so great, actually ran out in
plain sight She didn't dare go quite
10 her babies, but she went just as
near as she did dare to-.
When Farmer Browns boy had
torn open the roof of the little house
so that he could see inside he gave a
long whistle of surprise. Then very
gently he lifted out Teeny and
Weeny and Midget and Mite and held
them in the hollow OF one hand while
he looked at them closely. OF course
they We're too little to be much afraid
but they didn't like the bright light
for you know that ever since they
were born they had been in the dark
and now the light hurt their eyes So
they snuggled together and tried to
get their heads under each other.
Just then Farmer Browns boy
happened to look down straight into
the terribly anxious eyes of Nanny.
Slowly a smile lighted up his freckled
face. Don't you worry, Mrs. Meadow
Mouse said he. Il wouldn't hurt
your babies for the world. I guess
I've spoiled your house and I'm sorry.
| wouldn't have done it if | thought
there might be babies there"
Very gently he put the four babies
back in their bed of grass and as well
as he could. which. of course was not
very Well, he pulled the broken roof
together over them. Then he put the
house back where he had found it
and stepped back a few steps. Nanny
looked at him very hard. Then sud-
denly she darted forward and into
her house.
You brave little mother" said
Farmer Browns boy softly and began
to put back the corn stalks he had
taken from the pile. When at last