Evening star., 1938-11-29
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

ID III VIC VoA AZ
Bowser the Hound enjoys quite so
much as good hunt. He will go
without his dinner any time for the
pleasure of hunt. 1t isn't the
desire to kill, but sheer joy in using
his wonderful nose in puzzling out
and following the scent of the people
of the Green Forest and the Green
Meadows, and in matching his wits
against theirs that makes Bowser
slip away for hunt whenever he
can.
Now that Farmer Browns Boy no
longer hunted, Bowser was forced
to hunt alone whenever he could
slip away. Every once In a while
he would slip away to exercise his
legs and his great voice and to make
sure that his wonderful nose was
quite as good as ever. Certain OF
the Green Forest people he wisely
let alone. When he scented Buster
Bears tracks he merely growled and
hunted for the tracks of some one
else. He was afraid of Buster
Bear. When he came across the
tracks of Lightfoot the Deer he
did the same thing. Farmer Browns
Boy had taught him that he must
not hunt Lightfoot. The tracks of
Prickly Porky didn't interest him
at all. He never would forget how
Prickly Porky had once filled his
face with the sharp little spears he
carries and how dreadfully it had
hurt when they were pulled out.
He liked best to hunt Granny or
Reddy Fox or Old Man Coyote.
When he could find no traces OF
these he some times would hunt
Jumper the Hare and once in awhile
Peter Rabbit. Peter, however, was
not very satisfactory because he
would so soon take refuge in a
bramble tangle. Bowser has one
other delight, and that is to chase
cats. He never chases Black Pussy
because he and Black Pussy are
friends, but strange cat is a JOY to
Bowser.
It happened that not long after
YoWler the Bobcat had discovered
the roosting place of the Gobbler
family, and so nearly had that
turkey dinner he had set his heart
on, Bowser slipped away to the Green
Forest to see what was going on
there. Shifting and snufting among
the leaves he trotted along. He
found where Lightfoot the Deer had
recently passed. Bowser shifted long.
He wanted to follow that warm
scent. Lightfoot would give him a
splendid run. But he knew what
would happen to him If Farmer
Browns Boy found out that he had
been hunting Lightfoot and wisely.
though regretfully, turned away
from temptation and trotted on.
Deeper and deeper into the Green
Forest went Bowser. He had just
about given up hope of hunt when
his nose caught ever so faint scent.
Patiently and carefully he shifted
about, catching Whit here and
whiff there, until at last he found
1t fresh and strong.
"Cat!" exclaimed Bowser, and his
great voice rolled through the Green
Forest as he began to run with his
nose to the ground. 1t was strong
scent and easy to follow. If he had
stopped to think Bowser might have
realized that never before had he
followed such q strong cat scent.
But he was too much excited and
interested to think.
On and on he raced, his great
voice telling all within hearing that
he was on somebody's trail and thor
oughly enjoying the hunt. Sudden
ly the scent ended at the base of a
big tree. Bowser snuffed all about,
but always came back to the base of
that tree. He understood. That cat
had climbed up that tree. Bowser
looked up and barked eXcitedly. A
deep growl and the angriest splitting
he ever had heard answered him.
Then for the first time he saw Yow-
Ter the Bobcat. He was glaring
down from a branch far out of Bow
sers reach.
"Gracious" thought Bowser
That's the biggest cat I've ever
seen!" (Copyright. 193S)
Last of the StippleSs hnec Sent