Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-19
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS.
Responsible we all should feel
Mrs, Quack.

20 ONE can live for himself
N alone. No, sir. no one can
live for himself alone. He
/ may think he can, but he
can't. He is dependent on others.
whether he desires to be or not, and
others are dependent on him. The
little people Of the Green Forest and
the Green Meadows discovered this
truth long, long ago. They learned
that to q certain extent they must
depend on each other. and so they
do.
II Johnny Chuck discovers Dog
or a Fox he whistles an alarm for the
benefit of his neighbors. If Sammy
Jay discovers q Hawk. on Owl or q
Cat he screams an alarm for the ben
eft of his neighbors. It is just the
same way with many others.
Over on the pond of Paddy the
Beaver, deep In the Green Forest,
Mrs. Quack the Mallard Duck had q
brood of four and her cousin, Mrs.
Wood Duck, had a brood Of IL. The
two families were together more or
less, for the two mothers could thus
keep watch better. Mr.. Quack and
Mr.. Wood Duck were both at the
pond, but had no responsibility so
far as the families were. concerned.
However, both would give an alarm
II they should discover danger.
Now, of course. no one could have
such a big family as Mrs. Wood Duck
had without the news getting out
and about There began to be Wis
itors to the pond of Paddy the Bea-
yer, visitors who were not at all well
come.
The first Of these was Blacky the
Crow. You see, Blacky had known
about that nest In which the little
Wood Ducks were Matched. So he had
watched for the appearance Of the
Ducklings on the water. for he hoped
to be able to swoop down and pick up
one or two Reddy Fox had discovered
the two families, and he was a nightly
visitor to the pond, and sometimes he
visited it by day.
Sharpshin the Hawk has wonderful
eyes, as have all members of the
Hawk family. He has eyes that en-
able him to see long distances. Sharp
shin knew all about the pond of
Paddy the Beaver. He knew that. as
a rule, there was little to interest him
there. You see, in some years there
had been none but Paddy and his
family living there. However. Sharp
shin is too smart to neglect any.
thing which may offer a possibility
of a good meal. So once in while
he would swing around where from
up in the Blue Blue Sky he could look
over Paddy's two ponds. 1t was on
one of these occasions that he saw
Mr.. Quack and Mr.. Wood Duck. It
was in the middle of the nesting sea-
son. Instantly Sharpshin was in
terested.
"Now, what are those fellows doing
here?" thought Sharpshin. They
ought to be up in the North BY now.
I wonder If it is possible that Mrs.
Quack and Mrs. Wood Duck are nest
ing here this year, I must keep an
eye on this place. Yes. sir. I must
keep an eve on it, There is nothing
love more than tender young Duck.
Ducks here, ! want my share Of
them"
So every day or two Sharpshin
would shape his course so as to come
within sight Of the two ponds in the
| Green Forest, yet himself be so far
away as not to awaken suspicion.
Once he caught a glimpse Of Mrs.
Quack That settled the matter for
/ Sharpshin. He no longer had any
question In his mind He knew those
Ducks were nesting there. He took
greater care than ever not to go near
the pond. He would wait patiently
until there should be one Duck.
At last his patience was rewarded.
Swimming out from behind the house
Of Paddy the Beaver, which was. as
you know, out in the water, came Mrs.
Quack and four young Quacks. Not
a very big family" thought Sharpshin,
but I can only get one at time,
anyway" He changed his course and!
flying high. headed toward the pond.
He wasn't much more than speck
in the sky. but Mrs. Quack saw him.
Instantly she gave a signal to her
four Ducklings. and the little Ducks
disappeared as if by magic. Then
Mrs. Quack thought Of Mrs. Wood
Duck and her IL babies. She gave
the danger signal Mrs. Wood Duck
heard it Just in time, for she was just
about to lead her IL children out into
the open water.