Evening star., 1938-12-09

Sammy Jay is always ready tc
laugh at his neighbors. He goes
about looking for chance to laugh
at them. He even plays tricks on
them just to make a chance for a
laugh at the expense of one of them
If he sees one of them doing some
thing likely to get him into trouble
Sammy hangs around so that he NAV
have a chance to laugh when the
trouble comes. It Is only when the
trouble is likely to prove to be real
danger that Sammy doesn't laugh
Instead he promptly gives warning
Many of the little people of the
Green Forest owe their lives to
Sammy Jay because of timely warn
1ngs he has given them. That is
one reason why in spite of his mis-
chievous ways almost every one of
his neighbors would be sorry to have
anything serious happen to Sammy
Jay.
Sammy Jay happened to be flying
near Farmer Browns sugar house
when he caught sight of Buster
Bear proWling about aimlessly
Sammy stopped to watch him. He
dearly loves to watch Buster be-
cause Buster is funny fellow and is
always doing queer things. So it was
that Sammy was watching when
Buster got his nose bumped by the
big stone which hung from rope
from a tree just back of the sugar
house. He saw exactly what hap
pened. Buster reached out and
touched the stone with a big paw.
The stone swung away and then
came back and tapped Buster on the
nose. Buster was provoked and hit
the stone sharply. Away it swung
and then back harder than before
giving Buster hard bump on the
nose again.
Sammy understood perfectly what
was happening. He saw that Bus
ter's temper had made him quite
blind to the real facts. He saw that
Buster seemed to think that that
stone was doing this purposely
Sammy wanted to shrek with laugh
ter, but he didn't just then for fear
he might spoil the best joke of the
season. He kept still and watched.
Now if the first tap on the nose
made Buster angry the second and
harder bump filled him with rage
blind rage. His little eyes blazed. He
growled his deepest, most grumbly-
rumbly groWl, and quick as a flash
struck that stone mighty blow with
his paw.
Il guess that will teach you les
son." he growled as the stone flew
off. Hardly were the words out of
his mouth when back came the stone
and hit him such a crack on the
side of the head that he lost his
balance and tumbled over. Then
Sammy Jay could restrain himself no
longer. He shrieked with laughter
1t was the funniest thing he ever
had seen. He laughed until he nearly
split his sides. At least that is the
way he felt. His cousin, Blacky the
Grow, heard him and came hurrying
over to see what was up. Chatterer
the Red Squirrel heard him and
came racing through the treetops.
Peter Rabbit happened to be not far
away and he hurried over. You know
Peter never misses anything if he
can help it. Drummer the Wood
pecker and Tommy Tit the Chicka-
dee also came to see what was going
on. Mrs. Grouse stole softly to a
place where she could also see. In
fact, everybody within hearing of
Sammys voice hurried over there,
for they knew by the sound that
Sammy had discovered something
worth seeing. So in almost no time
at all many pairs of bright eyes we're
watching Buster Bear. and he was
IN such rage that he didn't know it.
(Copyright, 1881