Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-10
BURGESS
BEDTIME
STORIES
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS
What Little Green Grass Did
Happiness is catching, so
Spread it everywhere you go.
Carol the Meadow Lark.

happiness is catchlnS, so
| Spread it everywhere you go.
Carol the Meadow Lark.
! Carol the Meadow Lark sat on
fence post near the home of john
ny Chuck and sang as only Carol
can in the joy of spring. His yellow
waistcoat was beautiful to see. 1t
seemed all the brighter for the
broad, black crescent on his breast.
His clear, piercing notes could be
heard clear across the Green Mead
ows, and no one who heard them
could doubt that Carol was nearly
bursting with happiness.
Now happiness is catching. Yes,
sir, happiness is catching. L don't
know Of anything that is more
catching. 1t was quite impossible for
Johnny Chuck to sit there looking
at Carol and listening to him and
remain grouchy. Besides, Carol had
told him of green grass, and that
news of itself was enough to put
an end to his bad temper. When he
begged Carol to tell him where the
nearest patch of green grass was
his voice had become almost pleas
ant.
Now Carol the Meadow Lark re-
! joices in , his own happiness, and
dearly loves to make others happy.
Watch me- Johnny Chuck" said
he. Il will fly straight over to the
nearest patch of green grass"
So Johnny Chuck sat up very
straight and watched. Carol spread
his stout wings and flew out over
the Green Meadows. He didn't go
far before he dropped to the ground
Johnny Chuck waited only long
enough to make sure just where
Carol had disappeared. He forgot
that he had been complaining OF
feeling stiff. His black heels fairly
twinkled as he left his doorstep and
started straight for that place.
When he got there he found Carol
look to you?" cried Carol as Johnny
came up.
Johnny drew a long breath. cit is
the best thing I've seen for a long,
long time" declared Johnny as he
looked hungrily at a little patch of
green where the young grass had
just begun to grow. When you stop
to think of it, that wasn't a surpris'
ing statement. considering the fact
that until that morning Johnny
Chuck hadn't seen anything for
many long weeks.
That grass was young and tender,
and, of course, it was very short, for
it had only just begun to grow.
Johnny began to nibble it eagerly.
There wasn't enough of it to be very
filling, but there was enough to take
the edge from his appetite. Besides,
he wasn't so very hungry. You see
he still had the fat he had stored
under his skin before going to sleep
in the fall. And he didn't really
need food just yet.
Il was the fact that there, was
food, and the knowledge that every
day there would be more, which
made such a difference to Johnny
Chuck. AS he 11ibbled and nibbled
and nibbled the whole world chang
ed for Johnny Chuck. Yes, sir, it
did so. BY the time he returned to
his doorstep you wouldn't have
known him for the same Chuck who
had been so grouchy to Peter Rab-
bit and Winsome Bluebird end Jimmy
Skunk. He was glad he WIS awake.
He fairly tingledw all over with the
joy Of spring. Yes, sir, he did just
that. He actually wanted to sing,
but of course he couldn't. He. for
got that he had ever grumbled and
grcwled and complained. And that
is what little green grass did for
Johnny Chuck.