New Britain herald., 1928-12-24


 of the feeding shelves and then
 dHcd them with Christmas bGuaty.
 Inside Farmer Browns house was good cheer. In one room was big
 fireplace and there the red tongues 1 of fire leaped up the black throat of
 the chimney and threw out welcome
 heat and added to the joy of Christi 1 mas morning. From the shed. Farm
 CT Browns Boy brought in great
 armfuls of wood-hig logs that i, would burn long. He whistled as he l worked. for his heart was filled
 with Christmas joy. Mother Brown 1 sang as she went about her house. l work, for there was joy in her heart 1 also. Far Brown neither whistled nor sang, but the happiness of the day was reflected in his face. Mother Brown ended a song with little shriek. Farmer Browns Boy ! rushed to See what was the mattel. Mother Brown had retreated to the far corner of the room. Farmer Browns Boy saw instantly what had frightened her. Sweeping and dart ing about was what at first he took 10 be bird. But almost instantly he saw it wasn't a bird. It was q lit- tie brown person with wonderful |,leathcry wings.
 "Flitter the Bat." cried Farmer Browns Boy. Where under the sun did he come from? He must know 1t is Christmas and has come out to be our Christmas guest. But where can he have been hiding all this time:"
 II don't know," declared Mother Brown. but the sooner he goes back where ke came from. the better I'll like it." She had thrown an apron over her head.
 Farmer Browns Boy grinned; "What is that for?" he asked mis. chievously.
 So that that bat won't get in my hair" replied Mother Brown.
 Farmer Browns Boy laughed right out. "Flitter doesn't want t0 get in your hair." said he. 'I'll vens ture to say that you couldn't mako him get in your hair. Just notice low he never touches anything as he flies about. See him go under that chair without touching it. If there is any one more harmless than little Filter. l don't know who it is. I think it is wonderful to have him here on Christmas Day. It is like having bit of summer inside, while outside everything is winter. I wish I knew where he has been keeping himself all this time. It is funny that we haven't seen him before"
 Mother Brown soon found that what her boy had said was true and that really there was nothing to fear from the little brown-coated flyer. Presently she began to enjoy his presence there. For little while he flew about. Then he hung by his heels. head down, from a window shade. A little later he flew about again and then disappeared as mys- teriously as he had appeared. Such fun as they had hunting for him! The outside door had not been open. ed. so they knew he had not gone out. He must be somewhere in the house. Farmer Brown joined in the hunt. They looked under everything: they looked behind everything. No- where was Filter to be found. Their little Christmas guest apparently had gone as suddenly as he had come.
 All day they talked about it and wondered about it. Late in the after. room. Farmer Browns Boy picked up one of the logs hc had brought in for the fire. He noticed just be- fore he put it on the fire that it was partly hollow and that there was a big knothole opening into the hoi. low. Out of mere curiosity he peep ed into that hollow. It seemed to him that there was something in there. He put his finger in ano touched something soft. There was funny little squeak.
 Here he is'" shouted Farmer Browns Boy. He must have gone into this hollow log to spend the winter, and I brought him into the house and the heat wakened him. ;tm going to take this log right back in the woodsbed, where 1t will be cool enough for him to sleep in com- fort for the rest of the winter"
 And so it was that Farmer Browns Boys Christmas guest be. came his guest for all winter long Copyright. 1928. by T. w. Burgess)
 The next story: Peter Rabbits