The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-18
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORIES
FARMER BROWNS HOY sURURIsE
 THE THIEF
By THORNTON W. BURGESS
Against a mystery just pit
 A little common sense and wit.

FARMER BROWNS BOY SURPRISES
 THE THIEF
 Against a mystery just pit
 A little common sense and wit.
 FARMER BROWNS BOY.
 Farmer Browns Boy is not one to give up easily. He made up his mind he was going to find out who the thief was who had stolen the spoons and knives and forks and mitten and buckle from his belt. All day. as he tramped about among the sugar ma ples collecting the sap. he kept thlnk- ing and thinking and thinking about the mysterious disappearance of those things. And as he thought 1t occur red to him that everything that had been taken, excepting his mitten, had been bright and shiny It gave him an idea.
 q know what I'll do tonight" said Farmer Browns Boy to himself. l know what I'll do tonight. I'll tie a string to one of those spoons Dad brought over yesterday and I'll leave it lying on the table. The other end of that string I'll tie to my wrist. Then if anybody tries to take that spoon in the night they'll pull the string and that will waken me. l guess then I'll find out who the thief is."
 So that night when he prepared for bed he put the knives and forks and all the spoons but one in a pail, just as he had done the night before. To that one spoon he tied string ana the other end of the string he tied to one wrist. Then he put the spoon on a shelf and vert. to bed. Close by his head he had a little flashlight. 1t didn't seem to him that he had been asleep very long when he was awak- ened by a gentle tugging of the string attached to his wrist. Tug, tug, tug. Very, very slowly and carefully Farm CT Browns Boy reached for the flash light near his head. Then he pointed it toward the shelf where he had left the spoon and pressed the button. There oh the shelf was little stran ger. He wore a brown coat and white waistcoat. He had a hairy tail and his hands and feet were white. His big black eyes shone in the light with surprise and fear. In his mouth was the spoon. Farmer Browns Boy knew then that he had found the thief.
 At the first move Farmer Browns s Boy made that spoon was dropped. There was swift batter of little feet and the thief had disappeared. Farm VI DioWh ooy EOt up anu ilSnttu d lantern, but thought he looked every where he could see nothing of his recent visitor. He had been a stran- ger to Farmer Browns Boy, but one look at him had been enough to make sure that he belonged to the Rat fam fly and Farmer Browns Boy guessed who he was.
 That must have been Trader the Wood Rat!" exclaimed Farmer Browns Boy. i've never seen him before, but I've read about him. This explains the mystery of the disap- pearance of my things and of the chips and pebblesithat found. Trader isn't real thief. He likes to trade. For everything he takes away he brings something. l suppose he thinks that I had just $ soon have those pebbles and chips and hemlocIS cones as the things he has taken. I wonder where his home is? I guess If I find that I will get back all the things I've lost. My. but he was sur prised when flashed that light in his face. He has made me lot of worry. but it is worth it and more to get