Evening star., 1937-07-14
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. R,,RGEss

BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.
Check up on what YOU do and say
You'll know Just where you stand that way
Old Mother Nature.
(ALLY SLY THE COWBIRD has no
- morals. This Is a hard thing to
say Of any one, but 1t Is true Of Sally
Sly She doesn't care what any one
thinks of her. No, sir. she actually
doesn't care what her neighbors think
OF her They may think what they
please without its disturbing her in the
least. She is utterly and wholly self
ish. She thinks of no one but herself
and having good time. Probably you
know folks like that
Sally Sly doesn't care enough for her
own children even to pretend to take
care of them. She leaves them wholly
to the care Of other people. As a rule,
about the only trouble she does take is
once In while to check up to see If
the eggs have hatched and her chill
dren are being properly cared for
Her first egg this year she had left
in nest she was sure was being used
by Mr.. and Mrs. Phoebe She didn't
worry at all about that egg. True. the
nest was empty when she left the egg
there, but ever since she had seen the
Phoebes coming from and going to that
porch where the nest was she had no
doubt that they had laid their eggs
there beside her own and were sitting
on all the eggs.
OF the egg she had left in the nest
Of Welcome and Mrs Robin she was
not 80 sure She knew the Robins for
independent folk who do not like to
be imposed upon and she was not at
all certain as to what they might have
done about that egg of hers. She
hadn't been there when they dscov-
cred that egg She had sneaked
away before their return and had
kept well hidden. She had over
heard the fuss they had made when
they discovered the egg, but that was
all So she worried little bit over
that egg. She didn't worry much, for
she isn't given to worrying much over
anything: but just enough to make her
want to have a peep into that nest, to
see if the egg was all right.
It seemed to her that she never
would get chance. She kept out
of sight, but even so, Welcome and
Mrs. Robin never left the nest un-
guarded When one was away the
other was always there In two or
three days there was great excitement
at the nest and there was great going
and coming.
Their eggs have hatched," thought
Sally Sly Il wonder what has hap
pened to mine fear was too late IN
leaving it there
While both Robins were away, hunt
ing for food. Sally Sly slipped over to
the nest. There we're no eggs in it,
but she counted four babies. There
had been four Robin eggs. What had
become of that egg she had left there?
She looked down below. There on the
ground she saw bit Of shell. She
knew then that her egg had been
thrown out.
TOO bad" she sighed as she took
wing, for she heard Welcome Robin
returning. TOO bad That eggs
wasted, and all the trouble of trying
to find place for it is wasted. Won
der how that egg I left with the Phoe-
bes is coming along. 1t must 5e
Matched by this time, for have seen
the Phcebes carrying food, sure sign
that they have family. 1 believe I
will take look at that nest"
So Sally Sly kept out Of sight until
she saw the Phoe5es leave together
Then she slipped over TO the porch and
straight to that nest where she had left
her first egg The egg was still there
and it was all that there was in the
nest. There were no other eggs and
no baby birds. There were no signs
that the nest had been in use re-
Gently She hastily looked about in
the porch, and Of course she saw the
other nest. She guessed at once the
mistake she had made.
This must be their old nest. and
50 here's another egg wasted" she
thought as she hurriedly left. Il don't
seem to have had good luck 30 far"
tcopyrirht. lo37J