Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-07
BURGESS
BEDTIME
STORIES
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS
Johnny Chuck Hears Good News
The only news at all worth hear
ing
Is Of nature that is cheering.
Johnny Chuck.

Johnny Chuck sat on his doorstep
as out of sorts as a Chuck could be.
He had come out for the first time
| since going to sleep the fall before.
He hadn't wanted to come out. He
hadn't wanted to be awakened and
so he wouldn't, he just Wouldn t, let
any of the JOY of the spring INTO
his heart He complained that he
| had been awakened too soon.
| Now the truth of the matter IS
that Johnny had slept longer than
usual. Perhaps it was because his
bedroom had been deeper In the
ground than usual. Anyway, Johnny
| Chuck was late in making his ap-
pearance. He didn't know it, Per
haps he wouldn't have grumbled and
srowled so much and been so
grouchy had he known it. One
| trouble with Johnny was that he
was sure he would be unable to
find anything to eat. This had al
ways been true other springs when
! he had awakened. Always he had
come out before there were any
green thing, so, of coarse, he
thought it was the same this time.
After Winsome Bluebird had flown
away and Jimmy SIX had ambled
along about his business, Johnny
Chuck. sat by himself on his door
step and grumbled for some time
Then Carol the Meadow Lark drop
ped down on the fence pos; where
Winsome Bluebird had been.
welcome, Johnny Chuck cried
Carol. 1T certainly does T Y eyes
good to see you. You slept late this
spring. How did you know that the
grass had begun to turn greene"
Johnny Chuck turned to face
Carol, and in his eyes hope and
doubt struggled. What did you say
about green, grass?" he demanded
IT asked how you knew that the
grass had begun to turn green re
piled Carol
Johnny Chuck looked hard and
long and suspiciously at Carol the
Meadow Lark. He suspected that
Carol was trying to tease him. Yes,
sir, he did so. But Carol didn't look
as if he were joking.
"Where is there any green grass2"
Johnny Chuck demanded at last.
| "In several places not far from
here" replied Carol. MY, but it
does a fellows neart good to see it!
| II WO1l L UCs 1OIlS4 INV DOAOAC IAAN
meadows will be green all over"
Once more Johnny Chuck looked
hard and long at Carol the Meadow
Lark. Then he made up his mind
that Carol had : ant just what he
said. Johnny's eyes began to in
kle. He began to lose his crouch.
For the first time he began to be
really interested in his surroundings.
He sat up and looked eagerly this
way and that.
IT didn't know that there was
any green grass yet" he confessed.
''It is good news you have brought
me, Carol. Yes, sir, it is good news.
It is the best news you could have
brought me. Is any Of that green
grass big enough to eat yet?"
! Carol the Meadow Lark chuckled
, aloud. Thinking Of your stomach
as usual, aren't YOU, Johnny Chuck?
| never did see such a fellow. The
last thing you did before you went
| to sleep last fall was to. stuff your
self until you couldn't eat another
mouthful. And now the first thing
you think of this spring is your
stomach"
Johnny. Chuck actually & grinned.
"Tell me where the nearest patch
of green grass isl he begged.
| (Copyright, 1928 bv T. w. BURGESS !