Evening star., 1937-06-30
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

\ LMOST always this is true. When
you are anticipating danger or
trouble you are in measure pre-
pared for it and. although it may
be very great. 1t never seems as great
as when it comes suddenly and wholly
unexpectedly
Mrs. Lightfoot the Deer lay in a
certain secluded thicket in the Green
Forest. 1t was not that part of the
Green Forest on Farmer Browns
land No. it was considerably beyond
Farmer Browns land Why she had
gone so far from that familiar and
safe part Of the Green Forest she
couldn't have told you if you had
asked her. Perhaps it was because,
without really thinking about the
matter, she felt that too many knew
that for long time she had lived in
Farmer Browns Green Forest, were
familiar with the thickets there which
were her favorite retreat. Perhaps 1t
was that wandering farther back,
she happened upon some thickets
that were just to her liking and
fingered there without having intended
to.
Now she had to stay for little
while at least. You see, In the very
next thicket to the one in which she
was now lying. right where she could
watch over them. were two babies,
her babies How she loved them
And how anxious she was for their
safety! That was why she was not
with them. She felt that they were
safer without her than with her so
long as she was close by. Now, II
an enemy Unexpectedly appeared she
could show herself. and. lead that
enemy away before the fawns were
discovered.
The fawns were only day old
and their mother was as proud Of
them and as anxious for them as If
she never had had babies before
She couldn't help being anxious. No
mother can help being anxious for
the safety of her children Those
babies, with their fawn- colored coats
beautifully spotted with white, were
cleverly hidden in the heart of that
thicket. II any one should find them
it would be almost wholly a matter
of chance Buster Bear or Yowler the
Bobcat might just might. happen
along and look into that thicket. Even |
then they would have to enter and |
explore that thicket to find those |
precious darlings. obediently lying |
perfectly still there. If Reddy Fox |
or even Old Man Coyote should come
along, she could. she knew, drive
either away. So Mrs. Lightfoot, while
anxious, was not especially |
worried She did not expect to be
discovered. 1t would surprise her very
prised her no less than it frightened
her when two Dogs entered that
thicket where she was.
They were two Fox Hounds. and
good ones, trained to hunt Foxes
only and pay no attention to the
scent of others. They had no busi-
ness to be hunting now. 1t wasn't
the lawful hunting season. AS
natter OF fact, they were not supposed
20 go hunting. Their master had
aiken them out for walk, that they
night get some needed exercise. He
1ad chosen this part Of the Green
Forest because it was near his home
md because he was sure that there
we're no Foxes living there. He didn't
want his Dogs to chase anybody this
warm weather. He didn't think that
here was a chance that they would
md anybody, or the scent OF any
oody, to hunt
The two Dogs had come up wind
o the thicket where Mrs. Lightfoot
vas lying. That is why she had not
,melled them as they approached.
Nor had she heard them until one
II them shifted just as they entered
he thicket. In panic Mrs. Lightfoot
eaped to her feet and dashed away,
md instantly the Dogs were after
Ter Had they simply found her
cent they probably would have paid
10 attention to it. But when she
umped up from almost under their
'ery noses and dashed away in full
light they forgot all their training.
rhe excitement Of . full view of
Mrs. Lightfoot was too much for
hem. Giving tongue excitedly, they
we're after her, forgetting everything
nut the chase
In vain their master called and
If they heard they did
lot heed. 1t is doubtful II they heard.
hey were too excited. Baying the
lunting cry, they raced after Mrs.
,ightfoot As she bounded over the
rush in terror. It wasn't terror
I what might happen to herself, but
I what might happen to those precious
abies unless these Dogs could be led
o far away that the babies would not
e found.