Evening star., 1937-12-18

NO beAkI Oh IOTeSt Will OF can
Approach the heartlessness Of man.
--oid Mother Nature.
|CRIPPY, the courageous mother
Coo, who had lost Q foreleg In a
steel trap yet successfully faced the
problems and dangers of life, was
back In the lap of the hostess of
the Woodhouse Night Club and her
five children had returned also While
her hostess stroked her and talked to
her she daintily fed herself with her
one hand. Presently, having enough,
she climbed down and with amazing
celerity considering her handicap de-
parted by way of the cathode which
is the clubs private entrance for pa
irons. The youngsters soon followed,
and for a time there were no guests.
"I think Crippy is wonderful" de-
clared Sue. II hope you haven't any
other such crippled visitors, Aunt
Sally"
mot this summer, but I have had"
replied Aunt Sally. II once had q
three-legged Coon and a three-legged
Skunk eating together from the same
dish. 1t was a pitiful sight There
are more such dreadful cases among
the little people who wear fur than
most folks except trappers realize.
Trappers know, for they find the legs
IN their traps, but they won't admit it.
1t takes pluck and lot Of it to face
the world handicapped as Crippy is,
but even she is not as badly off as
was dear Coony"
"And who was Coonyp" inquired
Sammy.
Tommy remembers her right here
In this very woodhouse," replied Aunt
Sally. "She was the first Coon ever
to visit me. In fact, she was the
flrst wild Coon that I ever saw. Let
me see, it was seven years ago. Up
to that time only Skunks visited the
woodhouse. Then one night at I sat
right where I am sitting now I saw a
masked face at the entrance. I know
1t must be the face of a Raccoon. al
though I had never heard of any
Coons In the neighborhood and I had
lived right here all my life. It was
long before she ventured to come in
side and then she was so nervous 1
did not venture to move so much as a
finger. She didn't stay long but the
next night she was back After that
she came regularly and at last she
would allow me to touch her.
Then one night Coony failed to
QnnQQr Whon ,tr1, T..
passed and no Coony I became really
worried. I feared she had been shot.
Two or three weeks passed. Then one
night a Coon came in slowly, hesi-
tantly. The light was dim and could
not see her clearly. She ate from a
dish on the floor. She was painfully
thin and her coat was rough and un-
kempt. 1t couldn't be Coony for the
latter was plump and sleek. When
she went out she walked strangely
and slowly. It seemed to me that
there was something wrong on the
side away from me.
The next evening changed my
position so that the light would fall
on her other side. 1t was late be-
fore she came. had brighter light
this time so that could see her bet
ter. 1t was Coony There could be
no mistake. 1t was Coony, but it
made me heartsick to look at her.
She had but three legs. hind leg
was missing. 1t was dreadful. 1t
was with dificulty that she could
keep her balance. Crippy can move
fast as you have seen. Coony could
walk only. slowly and with difficulty.
And, oh, how thin she was! When
she went out I went to a window to
watch her. In the moonlight I saw
her slowly and painfully climb tree.
1t was a pitiful sight. I suppose she
felt safer IL a tree.
well, my dears, terribly crippled
as that Coon was she somehow man
aged to look out for herself and later
to bring up several families of chill
dren. She always brought them here
to the woodhouse when they were big
enough. For five years she came back
to me. Sometimes she would be gone
for weeks and I worried. It is two
years now since last saw her and
miss her. I wish I knew what be-
came of her, yet perhaps it Is just as
well that don't. I hate traps!" Aunt
Sally's eyes snapped.