Evening star., 1937-06-11
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

b1 lHOkNlON w. BURGESS.
TADDY was a fat young Toad in
Farmer Browns garden He was
fat from good living. He was grow
ing fast, not alone in size, but also
in. experience and valuable knowl-
edge born of experience You see,
he was smart enough to profit by
what he learned. He didn't forget.
Now, in shady corner of that gar
den was a wide board, resting on
stones at each end so that it was
raised just little above the ground.
Farmer Browns Boy had provided
this especially as home for Old
Mr.. Toad, who had lived in that
garden for several years, and for any
other Toads that might find it.
Taddy and several other young Toads
had found it, and now they had lived
there long enough for it to be
home to them. All day long on
sunny days they dozed in cool COM
fort there, going forth in the late
afternoon or early evening to hunt
for food, and returning early in the
morning. In long periods OF dry
weather Farmer Browns Boy would
lift the board occasionally and sprin-
kle the Toads. They felt very safe
there. 1t never entered the heads of
the little Toads that any harm could
possibly come to them They saw
Old Mr.. Toad back into a hole he
had dug in the soft earth under the
board, back in until the earth caved
in and buried him, but this had no
special meaning for them
Taddy was late in getting home
one morning. He had done a lot of
hopping about during the night. AS
a result he was tired and sleepy. He
was glad to get home. Already the
air was warm. Pretty soon it would
be hot. But not under that board.
Taddy knew he would be cool and
comfortable there and there would
be no bright light to hurt his eyes.
Yes, that little Toad was glad to get
home.
Now, Taddy never had approached
his home with the least suspicion,
There never had been occasion to-
He had no suspicion Of anything
wrong now. When he came in sight
OF it, he hurried a little. He was
anxious to get under there in the
dark. He poked his head under and
stopped. Something was wrong For
a second or two he couldn't make
out what it was. Then he received
the worst shock of his short life. For
a second he couldn't move. Then
he backed out. Turning. he started
of III frantic haste, hopping as never
had he hoped before. Looking back
over his shoulder. he saw a broad
fiat head appear from under the
board and pair of unwinking eyes
stared after him. Taddy almost
missed a jump.
Hop, hop, hop, went Taddy in
frantic haste. He had not known
he could make such long hops or
make them so quickly. In the loose
earth of hill of corn around which
Farmer Browns Boy had been hoe
ing the day before he stopped, his
heart going pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat with
fright. He looked back whence he
had come, distress and dreadful fear
In his beautiful golden eyes. Then
he began to dig. He dug hurriedly,
desperately, with his hind feet, loos-
ening the earth and backing down in
as he dug Not until he felt the
earth falling back in the hole on his
back and head did he begin to feel
lessening of that terrible fear. Not
until he had burrowed deeper than
he ever had burrowed before did he
stop digging.
Meanwhile Buffer the Adder,
whose real name is Hog -nosed Snake
and whose broad. fiat, ugly looking
head it was that had been thrust out
from under that board, had with
drawn beneath the board. He had
made no attempt to follow Taddy.
You see, he had only a short time
before swallowed one of the other
young Toads he had found there. He
wasn't ready for another just then.
He wanted to remain quiet for C
while. Most folks do after a meal.
So he made himself comfortable and
never once suspected that right un-
derneath him was much bigger and
more satisfying meal. It was Old
Mr.. Toad, buried in that hole of his
that so often the young Toads had
seen him disappear in, and had Won
dered why he did so. It was for just
s,ch a poSeih1a oyopt or fb;.