New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-08-18
Chatterer Is Sent FLYING
BY Thornton W. Burgess


How often confidence is shocked
And self-complacency is Knocked.
old Mother Nature
Chatterer. the Red Squirrel was in
the top OF small, slender birch
tree near the edge of the pond of
Paddy the Beaver. deep in the
| Green Forest. Standing upright be-
low and glazing up at him was
Cubby Bear. Cubby couldn't pos
| IDLY climb out on those slender
.1ncheS where Chatterer was. and
the moment Chatterer felt quite
lie. He made face at Cubby. Yes.
cir. he made a face at Cubby! He
just couldn't resist the temptation.
Cubby was hopping mad, as the
saying is. He was fairly dancing up
and down with anger. He knew it
was useless to try to climb that lit
tie tree. He could get part way up
it, but he couldn't possibly get up
there where Chatterer was.
You think you're smart. don't
you?" sputtered Cubby Bear But
you're not nearly SO smart as you
think you are. 1t is true that | can't
get up where you are now, but it is
also true that you can't get away
from this tree. There isn't another
tree that you can jump to. If You
jump down to the ground. l will be
waiting for you right where you
land. There is nothing for you to
eat up this tree. I'm going 10 say
right here until you come down, or
jump down."
Chatterer didn't know what to say
to this. SO he said nothing. He made
another face. a disagreeable face, at
Cubby. You know, Chatterer is very
saucy. He is one Of the sauciest and
most impudent of all the little peo-.
pie in the Green Forest or on the
Green Meadows OF course. that
didn't improve Cubby's temper any.
He even started to climb the tree.
but thought better of it and backed
down. Then he sat down to keep
watch of Chatterer.
Chatterer was worried. He was
more worried than he would admit
even to himself He was a prisoner
up in that tree. Sooner or later he
would have to come down. If Cubbv |
should be patient enough, he woGd |
be in trouble. But perhaps Cubby
wouldn't be patient. Chatterer knew
"a little bit about Bears. He knew
that Bears We're not like members
of the Cat family in the matter of |
patience. He knew that they sell
dom stuck to any one thing very |
long. So he had hope-a great deal
iof hopa-that Cubby would grow
tired and leave. He wasn't really
as much worried about Cubby as he
was about being discovered by Red
tail the Hawk or some other mem
Der Of the Hawk family. So he made
himself comfortable in the top of
the tree and amused himself by
making faces at Cubby. which of |
course was not at all nice thing
to do.
Now 1t began to look as if mat
tiers were going to turn out just as
Chatterer hoped they would. Cubby
became uneasy He began walking
about. He walked round and round
that little tree. Occasionally he J.
would sit down, but it would be
only for d few moments. Chatterer
chuckled to himself Yes, sir, he
did So
1t was right in the midst of one
of those chuckles that something
happened. 1t happened SO unexpect-
eddy that it quite took Chatterer's
breath away. Cubby suddenly
walking around that tree.
He stood up on his hind feet and
took hold of that little tree with
his forefeet and began shaking it.
The very first shake almost sent
,hatterer flying. but he managed
A.. hold on. Back and forth, back