Evening star., 1937-06-10

AA "AoeheA
TADDY, the plump, not to say fat,
young Toad, in Farmer Browns
garden, had learned something. He
had learned something important. He
had learned it from Old Mr.. Toad.
He had learned how to dig in and
why 1t was good thing to know how
to do. He had watched Old Mr.. Toad
slowly sink into the earth until the
top Of his head was below the level Of
the ground. He had seen the loose
earth fall in and cover him completely.
He remembered then hat under the
wide board in the shady corner, which
was the place he called home, he had
noticed that Old Mr.. Toad sat at the
entrance to = hole in the soft earth
and often backed down into it. AS
that hole, with Old Mr. Toad sitting in
it. had been there the first time Taddy
had crept under that board, it hadn't
occurred to him that Old Mr.. Toad
might have dug that hole. Now he had
seen Mr.. Toad dig.
He did 1t with his hind feet" NUT
tered Taddy, and held up a hind foot
Of his own to look at 1t. He realized
for the first time how different from
his hands 1t was. It was stouter and
harder than his hands. and on it was
, queer little spur. There was one
like it on the other foot He wondered
If these helped in the digging. They
did. He found q place where the earth
was loose and soft. He began moving
his. feet as he had seen Old Mr.. Toad
move his. He was little awkward
at first. Even 50. he realized that he
was slowly but surely sinking into the
ground. It was new sensation.
Hitherto the only use he had had for
these stout feet was for hopping.
When the earth began to cave in
on him he closed his eyes and presently
stopped digging. OF course, it was
dark and the earth was cool and
damp. He settled himself for a nap.
He was very comfortable. When he
awoke he dug his way out. The air
was hot and the surface of the ground
had become dry. Taddy backed down
into his hole. He understood now why
Old Mr.. Toad had dug in, instead Of
trying to 60 home, when jolly, round,
bright Mr. Sun had suddenly burst out
from behind the clouds
It was just after daybreak that
Taddy found an ant hill near the edge
OF the garden. The ants had begun
the days work. They were going and
coming In an endless stream. Here
was feast. All he needed to do was
to sit quietly little back from that
line Of march and with that long
tongue Of his pick of the ants as they
tried to pass
Taddy had no more than started
when bird slighted not more than
couple Of feet from him. He was
big bird. He was big to Taddy,
anyway. He wore speckled waist
coat, with black band above it. The
under sides of his wings were bright
yellow and there was a patch of bright
red on the back of his head. It was,
of course, Yellow Wing the Flicker.
He paid no attention to Taddy. It is
doubtful II he even saw the little
Toad. He had eyes only for the break
fast running back and forth before
him. He was hungry and there Is no
food he likes better than ants.
Yellow Wing has quite q long bill,
but he didn't pick up those ants with
that bill. No, sir, he didn't. He
picked them up much as Taddy was
picking them up, by darting out very
long tongue. 1t would flash out two
or three inches beyond the tip Of his
bill, touch an ant and that ant
promptly disappeared. So interested
in watching him was Taddy that he
almost forgot to catch ants.
Presently he realized that if he
wanted his share Of ants he would
have to attend strictly to business
Then he settled down to work in
earnest. Flash went Taddy's pink
tongue and an ant vanished. Flash
went the white tongue of Yellow Wing
and an ant disappeared. After 4 while
Taddy realized that only now and
then was there an ant. He looked
over at Yellow Wing the Flicker. He
was still busy. That long tongue was
still at work, flashing out and in.
You see, Yellow Wing was nearest
the ant nest. He WAS catching the
ants that were on the way from the
nest, while all those that had been
out had been caught on their way back
to the nest. So now the little Toad's
tongue was idle, while Yellow Wing i