Arizona republican., 1922-04-27
Little Stories For Bedtime
DANNY MEADOW MOUSE HAS A
SECRET
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS

It's fun to have a secret,
So be that it is good,
And have your friends all try to
guess
And yainly wish they could.
Bad secrets are like the little worm
inside the rosebud-they gnaw and
gnaw until they ruin the heart But
good secrets are little springs of hap
piness that make every day a little
brighter and more joyful because the
heart is treasuring something good
and pleasant Ask Danny Meadow
Mouse. He knows. He has had a
good many nice secrets. In fact,
Danny has to keep a great many
things secret. You see, he is such a
very little fellow, and all about him
are so many who are bigger and
stronger than he is, some who, like
Old Man Coyote and Reddy and
Granny Fox and Whitehall the Hawk
and Hooty the Owl, would like moth
ing better than to catch him and
gobble him up(. and others who, like
some of his own relatives. would
steal all his supplies IL they found
them. that almost everything he does
has to be secret.
But Danny doesn't mind. oh. my,
no! Danny doesn't mind at all. It is
rather exciting to have secrets of
that kind all your very own and see
other people trying and trying to
find them out and not being
able to. So Danny cut secret
little paths through the meadow
grass. SO that when danger is
near he can quickly slip to safety.
And he finds secret hiding places
for the seeds he stores away for hard
times. And he has secret Fairgrounds
where he feels almost perfectly safe.
In fact. almost everything he does
Danny keeps secret. He even keeps
his troubles secret, which is very
good plan. But one thing ne doesn't
keep secret and that is his happi-
ness. When Danny is happy he
doesn't care who knows it. And that,
of course. is the way to do. for happi-
ness is catching.
Just now Danny Meadow Mouse
was particularly happy The merry
Little Breezes of Old Mother West
Wind, who play with Danny every
dav through the spring and summer,
were the first to find it out. They
found him one morning trying to
sing. How they did laugh at him and
ASdSC iIl1lf. DuI bdtlitY OtQI1 IllIlu,
He laughed. too, and tried harder
than ever to sing. Now, the voice Of
Danny Meadow Mouse was never
meant for singing 1t is just a funny
little squeak But this didn't pre-
vent Danny from trying. And some
how there was something in that
funny little squeak very good and
very pleasant to hear. The Merry
Little Breezes knew what it vast
was just pure happiness.
What is it. Danny? What makes
you feel so happy. Do tell u.s." they
cried, crowding around him and pull
ing his whiskers and runlping up his
fur.
Danny just smiled and tried harder
than ever to sing. This made them
laugh all the moro. and finally Dan
ny stopped trying to sing and
laughed. too.
Its a secret said he.
do tell US what ii isi We love
secrets" teased the Merry Little
Breezes.
Danny shook his head If should
YOU would laugh at me all the more"
said he
please tell usi Please do. Danny"
begged the Merry Little Breezes.
But Danny shook his head harder
than ever. while his eyes twinkled.
If / should it wouldn't be a secret
any more. and it's the best secret
ever had said he, and began once
more to try to sing.
And though they teased and teased.