The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-24
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORY
THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF MRS.
 REDDY
By THORNTON W. nURGEss
'Tis when you're surest of c thing You most feel disappointment sting.
 Mrs Reddv

Iris when you're surest of 6 thing You most feel disappointment sting.
 Mrs. Rcddy.
 The only thing in this world that is sure Is that nothing Is sure. You ask Mrs. Reddy Fox. You ask Reddy. You ask Peter Rabbit All of them will tell you that that Is true. They have found it out In the greatest of all schools. the school of experience
 Reddy and Mrs. Reddy were sure that Johnny and Polly Chuck, who lived on the edge Of the dear old Briar- patch. and Peter Rabbit and Mrs. Peter who lived in the dear old Briar-patch, couldn't possibly suspec, them of having any unusual interes, In the dear old Briar-patch. Not since Reddy's sharp little black nose had found the scent of little Rabbits and little Chucks in the patch of sweet clover a little way outside the dear Old Briar-patch had he been near there. Of course, he had told Mrs Reddy what he had found out. They don't know that l know anything about their babies" said Reddy "Oi course, they think that I don't know What We want to do Is to keep them thinking that"
 Quite right. Reddy, quite right" replied Mrs Reddy. We'll keep away from there for few days. We'll not let them get so much as a glimpse of us. and perhaps, in way. they will forget All about us.''
 Now, clever as they arc, Reddy and Mrs. Reddy do make mistakes. They made one this time. By staying away so as to make Peter and Johnny Chuck unsuspicious they really made Peter suspicious. Had they come prowling around the dear Old Briar- patch just as often as usual, Peter wouldn't have thought about them so much. It was because they stayed away So long that Peter began to suspect a trick.
 So 1t was that when late one after noon Reddy appeared in the distance and without once looking toward the dear Old Briar-patch trotted off to- ward the Green Forest. Peter was more suspicious than ever You see, Reddy was overriding matters. So Peter had slipped back through the dear Old Briar-patch to the other side. for 1t had popped Into his head that 1t was on that side that danger might be.
 Now 1t had seemed to Reddy and Mrs. Reddy that their plan was a very good plan, all the better because 1t was a very simple plan. Reddy was to show himself SO that Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit and Polly Chuck and Mrs. Peter would see him. He was to trot over to the Green Forest. While he was doing this Mrs. Reddy was to steal around aon the other side of the Old Briar-patch and creep around the end. Then if the Chuck family and the Rabbit fam fly were over in the patch of sweet clover she would have q chance to bet between them and the Briar- patch while they were watching Reddy.
 Everything worked just as Reddy and Mrs. Reddy had planned until just as Mrs. Reddy peeped around the end of the dear Old Briar-patch. She could see Johnny Chuck sitting up very straight on his doorstep watch ing Reddy. who had almost reached the Green Forest. She could see Polly Chuck and Mrs. Peter sitting up in the patch of sweet clover, also watch ing Reddy. Best of all, she could see four little Chucks and five little Rabbits nibbiing sweet clover as fast as they could make their little jaws go.
 Tt was . great plan. thdbght Mrs. Reddy. as she prepared to steal around the end of the Old Briar-patch and down to . point from which she could rush between the Briar-patch and the patch of sweet clover. 'Tn just a few minutes I'll have some of those Chucks and Rabbits"
 Thump! Trump! Trump! At the very first thump little Mrs. Peter gave signal to those five little Rab- bits and started them for the dear Old Briar-patch as fast as their It, tie legs could go. The instant she started Polly Chuck did the same thing. hurrying the little Chucks ahead of her. Mrs. Reddy leaped for ward. but she was just too late. Never in all her life had she had a greater disappointment. And 1t was Peter who had disappointed her. It was he who had given the danger signal. Copyright. 1922. by T. W. Burgess.)
 The next story: "Reddy Fox Works for Nothing"