New Britain herald., 1928-10-02
JeFry Musllrat Is Worried By Thornton W. Burgess

Worry never helps you win:
 It will. however, make you thin.
 Old Mother Nature
 Jerry Muskrat's new house was about half completed when the great rain fell. It began raining early in the morning. Jerry didn't mind it. He likes rain. It didn't interfere with his work at all. He could work juet as well in the rain as if jolly. round, bright MT. Sun was shining II raincd and ,t rained and it rain cd. It raincd all that day. The Wa ter in the Laughing Brook began to rise ana. of course, it rose in he Smiling Pool. At first Jerry didn't mind this. Of course, there is al- ways more water in the Laughing Brook when it rains. Jerry didn't pay any attentioS to it.
 Jerry worked hard that day and he was tired. He went to bed in his new house: and, because he was tired. he soon went to sleep. He was awakened by water. Yes. sir. he found that he was sleeping in water. There was water all over the floor of his new house. Instantly Jerry was very wide awake. He dived down through the little tunnel that led out from his house. and the minute Ne was outside he knew that something was wrong. There was . strong current in the Smiling Pool. There should have been hard ly any current at all. When Jerry poked hLs head above water he found that 1t was still raining. and raining hard. The Laughing Brook was no longer laughing. The noise 1t made was a roar. rather than laugh. Jerry climbed up on top of his house. Only half of his roof WAS above water now. Only m the spring had he ever seen the Smil- ing Pool as big as it now was.
 This is bad" said Jerry. 'I hope tho water will not rise any more. l guess 1t won't do any harm to y new house. but if it should get much higher I wouldn't like it."
 But Jerry wasn't very much wor- ried. This wasn't the time Of year for floods. If it should stop raining the water would soon go down. Jerry knew this. So he sat on top of his house and watched. Little by little. little by little. slowly but steadily. the water crept farther up the roof. By the time daylight came and Jerry could see around. only the top of his roof like little island. was above water. Now Jerry did begin 10 worry in earnest
 "I can't stay here much longer" said Jerry. If the water keeps on coming up it will soon be over this house and don't know what will happen. It looks bad. II looks very bad"
 II did look bad Both the Smiling Pool and the Laughing Brook wtre ever their banks. Tn" Green Mead oNs were being flooded. inst as SO often happens early in the spring. And still it rlined. Now that the water was flowing over the Green Meadows it didn rise el ite so fast.
 
 INrry chung to the top Of his house, There was now only few inches around him mt the water had net cr.cr"d. Jerry began to wonder rhat h' should do. Little by little li'tle by little, the water cr.pt up His feet were wet now. He was sit ting in water. His splo ndid new house was entirely covered by water There was no use in sitting there any longer. Jerry pushed off and began 10 swim. He headed toward the nearest land he could see.
 'Oh dear" thought Jerry T hope my new house won't be swept away. Yes. sir, I hope my new houf 2 won't be swept away This is dread ful."
 Copyright. 1928. hy T. ". Hurgess)
 The next story. Mrs. Musk al Joins Jerry"