Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-19
BURGESS
BEDTIME
STORIES
Pity one who can but wait
In helplessness approaching fate.
Cl,1,o1y

Pity one who can but wait
In helplessness approaching fate.
johnny Chuck.
Johnny Chuck's first feeling when
he was safely up in that tree and
looked down at Bowser the hound
was one of relief mingled with tri'
umph. Bowser couldn't get him, and
he knew it, He could afford to
grin down at Bowser. He tingled all
over with the joy of having actually
climbed a tree. More than once he
had thought he could climb If he
really tried. but until now he had
never known positively that he
could. But after a while the per
sistent barking of Bowser got or
Johnny's nerves. Then when Sammy
Jay and Blacky the Crow discovered
him and added their voices to the
racket that Bowser was making
Johnny began to grow anxious. He
understood perfectly that, though
he was safe from Bowser, he was
at the same time a prisoner. So
long as Bowser was at the foot of
that tree he must remain prison
er. He couldn't leave, no matter how
muCn ne Wdnteu 10.
Now, Johnny Chuck is rather a
retiring person. He doesn't like toe
much attention. He wants to be
where he can get out of sight when
he feels like it. Perched up in, a
tree as he was, he was altogether
too plainly in sight. So his feeling
of triumph and relief gave way tc
feeling of worry, and this feeling
grew with every passing minute
Now and then he, looked anxiously
this way and that way, to see i
all that noise was attracting the
attention of others. So it was that
he discovered Farmer Browns boy
coming down the long lane before
Bowser knew anything about it.
Johnny Chuck's heart sank anC
sank and sank and sank. 1t seemed
to sink a little bit lower with every
step Farmer Browns boy took. Fol-
a long time Johnny had looked or
Farmer Browns boy as a friend
But that was when he, Johnny, was
where he could dive down into his
home at the least sign of unfriend
illness. Now he must stay right
where he was, and he knew that he
would be at the mercy Of Farmer
! Browns boy. Farmer Browns boy
could climb. Johnny Chuck had seer
him do it more than once.
Nearer and nearer drew Farmer
Browns boy, and Johnny shook
more and more with fright. The
worst of it was there wasn't g
thing he could do about it. He mus
stay right where he was. Perhaps
you can guess how he hoped thai
Farmer Browns, boy wouldn't lool
up in that tree.
II guess this is the end" thought
, Johnny mournfully as Farmer
Browns boy stopped at the foot Of
| the tree and looked up. If he hadn't
been SO badly frightened he would
have had to grin at the look of sur
prise on Farmer Browns boys fact
when he discovered who it was thar
was up in that tree. But Johnny
was too frightened to grin. Yes, sir
| he was too frightened to do any
| thing like that. Never had he fell
so helpless. He couldn't run: he
couldn't fight; he couldn't do E
thing.
Then Farmer Browns boy spoke
and somehow the very tones of thai
voice made Johnny Chuck feel {
wee bit better. A tiny bit of hope
| sprang up in the heart of Johnny
Chuck. 1t grew as Farmer Browns
boy made no attempt to do anything
to him. Then as Farmer Browns
boy turned and started away, TAX
ing Bowser with him, Johnny
Chuck's heart almost burst with
gladfless and thankfulness.
Copyright, 1928, by r. w. Burgess