Evening star., 1934-02-15
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON W. BURGESS.
Mother Brown Is Startled.

Mother Brown Is Startled.
~ EDDY FOX and Mrs. Reddy
- are not ones to give up easily.
Through long and sometimes
Il Y bitter experience they have
learned that often Perse-
verance is the price OF success ana
that what you lose today you may
gain tomorrow. Farmer Browns Boy
had upset all their plans for stealing
the breakfast of Bowser the Hound. He
had stood close by Bowser until the
latter had licked the pan clean. He
wasn't in the habit Of doing that.
1t just happened that he did 1t the
very morning that Reddy and Mrs.
Reddy had chosen for trying out their
clever plan.
So the next morning they were back
in the same place peeping around the
corner Of the barn where they could
watch Farmer Browns dooryard. AS
before, they Smelled the breakfast
cooking in the kitchen, and as before
their mouths watered. After time
the door opened, but this time no
breakfast was brought out for BoWser.
Instead Farmer Brown and Farmer
Browns Boy came out with Bowser at
their heels. They came directly to-
ward the barn. Reddy and Mrs. Reddy
hastily ran back and under the barn.
They heard the car backed out, and
Reddy ventured to go back where he
could see. He was just in time to see
the car with Farmer Brown and his
Boy in it turn out of the yard toward
the village. Bowser stood looking
down the road after them.
Reddy was uncertain what to do.
Could it be that Bowser had had his
breakfast in the house? AS if in an
sWer, the kitchen door opened and
Mother Brown stepped out. She was
| holding a pan heaped with food She
called BoWSer, who at once forgot his
disappointment in being left behind
by his master and came trotting to-
ward his mistress, his tail wagging.
His mistress put the pan down and
stepped back. Then, just as Bowser
| took the first mouthful there was a
short, sharp bark and a flash of red
! almost in front of her, followed in
Stantly by a roar from Bowser as, his
| breakfast forgotten, he dashed after
| Reddy Fox.
! BY this time Reddy had disappeared
/ through the Old Orchard, with Bowser
| in full cry behind him. For a few
minutes she listened to Bowser's deep.
| ringing voice, then turned and went
into the house.
Now. that short, sharp bark OF
Reddys had been for two purposes
II had been to attract the attention
of Bowser and to warn Mrs. Reddy
that she should be ready to do her
part. Reddy had not waited for
| Mother Brown to go into the house
No one knew better than he that she
was not to be feared and that there
was no one else at home. So he had
barked and boldly dashed right past
BoTser before he had had time for a
second mouthful Of food.
or course Mrs. Reddy heard the
bark. By the time she could peep
around the corner of the barn Reddy
and Bowser were already over in the
Old Orchard. She looked eagerly for
that pan Of food and then her heart
sank, for she saw Mother Brown stand
ing there. Would she stay there and
| keep guard over that pan of food or
would she take it back into the house i?
OF course she did neither. as you al
| ready know. Hardly had the door
closed behind her when Mrs. Reddy
darted across to that pan and began
hastily gulping down the contents.
(Copyright. Ig34)