New Britain herald., 1922-08-11

household. Sometimes Cufy was very l thoughtful.
 He was walking idly along the top ] of the stone wall with an eye and ear and a nose ready for a sight or ] sound or smell of any mouse that l might be out for an evenings stroll l Just as he was passing beneath the ] branches of wide-s spreading maple tree, Cufy stopped short. All at once
 he had noticed very pleasant fra ] grance in the air, which made him think of dinner.
 It can't be mouse" Cuffy said | under his breath, but it's certainly J tr1ething good-something deli
 cious'
 Gingerly he stretched his neck first
 over one side of the wall and then l over the other to scan the ground. and listen for a faint rustic or che | quick batter of tiny feet. He neither saw nor heard anything Yet that strange odor still tickled his nose. Then some sense told him to look up-not down He raised his head, And right above him he beheld shadowy shape roosting on limb. It
 was big bird. sound asleep. My goodness" Cuffy thought. T shant need to make trip to the henrouse tonight Here's a hen that's come to meet me"
 Very softly he erept along the wall 3 little way. He knew that some tines when you jump off wall a stone will rock under your feet with
 clanking sound; and he didn't want to disturb the sleeper in the tree. Som etimes-as you will remember he was very thoughtful.
 He managed to reach the ground
 silently, then stole quickly to the tree and began to climb it. Little by little
 he drew himself up the trunk talk ing care to make the least possible sound of scratching as he grasped the rough bark voth his claws.
 At last he reached the limb where the sleeper dropped and dreamed It vas quite dark now, But so far IS Cuffy could tell the big bird had not stirred
 Its too big for a hen" Cufy murmured T believe it is-yes! it| must be--a goose"
 He didn't know that geese never roasted off the ground. He didn't know that they couldn't wrap their webhed feet around a limb and go to sleep.
 "Nother will he pleased when I bring her goose feathers for bed" Cury said to himself with a smile. Then he thought of his father; and his smile faded He knew that noth- | ing less than good big share of the goose itself would please Mir. Bear. "1'll take him the feet; They're cer- tainlv big" Cuffy decided.
 Then he edged along the limb. II trer1bled beneath his weight. With | all his care he couldn't help that. The | farther he went the more the limb | shook. And when he reached out a paw to grab his prize the .inlh swayed so much that the sleeper | awoke Suddenly terrible cry rang in Cuffy Bears ears: "Gobbie gob- ble. eohble, gohble!" Coming as 1t did out of the silence of the night it startled Cuffy-startled and frighten- cd him He missed his footing and fell out of the tree. landing amid a clump of ferns beside the stone wall !
 He heard the beat of great wings above him, saw a dim shape go sail ing off across the pasture, and soon he heard a ghostly gobble. gohhle, gobble gobble far down the hillside.
 If that was a bird, it was queer one" Cuffv muttered. Tt wasn't goose If it was as strong as it voice I'm glad lost 1t. for it would sure ly have carried me off to It's nest"
 Somehow he no longer cared to visit the henhouse that night. And when he said to his mother, later, T 9 most brought you sor,e goose feath- CTS; but it wasn't goose that found; and it got away Mir. Bear promptly pricked up his ears. He asked Cuffy a few auestione. And when Cuffy told him about the ter