Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-11
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.
Let me go! Let me go!" yelled
Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel as he
backed out of the hollow stump
where he had Just found q wonder
full supply Of good things to eat,
things which belonged to some one
else but which Happy Jack had in
tended to help himself to. He
backed out faster than he had gone
in, great deal faster. Can you
guess why I'll tell you. 1t was
because he was being pulled out.
Yes, sir, Happy Jack Squirrel was
being pulled out by his big, bushy
tail!
Happy Jack was more frightened
than hurt. To be sure, 1t is not at
all comfortable to have ones tail
pulled, but Happy Jack wouldn't
have minded this so much had 1t not
been so unexpected, Or If he could
have seen who was pulling 1t. And
then right inside Happy Jack didn't
feel bit good. Why? Well. be-
cause he was doing a dreadful thing
and he knew it was a dreadful
thing. He had broken into. some
body's storehouse to steal. He was
sure that it was Striped Chipmunk's
storehouse and he wouldn't admit
to himself that he was going to steal,
actually steal. But all the time,
right down deep in his heart, he
knew that If he took any of those
nuts it would be stealing.
You see, it was like this. Happy
Jack had quarreled with his cousin
over some big. fat hickory nuts and
while they were quarreling the nuts
had disappeared. Happy Jack had
suspected his little cousin, striped
Chipmunk, of taking them away,
and he had followed Striped Chip
munk to his hollow stump. Now,
of course, Striped Chipmunk had a
perfect right to those nuts If he
found them on the ground, but
Happy Jack had tried to make him.
self believe that because he had
found them first in the tree top they
belonged to him and he had broken
into the old stump to get them.
But Happy Jack had been care
less. When he made the doorway
big enough for him to crawl inside
he had left his tail hanging outside
Some one had very, very softly
stolen up and grabbed it and began
to pull. 1t was so sudden and un-
expected that Happy Jack had yelled
with fright. When he could get his
wits together he thought that. Of
course, it must be that Striped
Chipmunk had come back and was
pulling his tail When he thought
that, he got over his fright right
away, for Striped Chipmunk is such
little fellow that Happy Jack knew
that he had nothing to fear from
him.
So as fast as he could, Happy Jack
backed out of the hole and whirled
about. OF course, he expected to
face very angry little chipmunk.
But he didn't. No, sir, he didn't.
Instead he looked right into the
angry face Of his other cousin, Chat
terer the Red Squirrel And Chat
terer was angry. Oh, my. my, how
angry Chatterer was! For min
ute. he couldn't find his voice be-
cause his anger fairly choked him.
And when he did how his tongue did
fly!
You thief! You robber! What
are you doing in my storehouse?" he
shrieked. Happy Jack backed away
hurriedly, for though he is much
bigger than Chatterer he has a very
wholesome respect for Chatterer's
sharp teeth and when he is very
angry Chatterer is a great fighter.
II didn't know it was your
storehouse," said Happy Jack, back
ing away still further.
1T doesn't make any difference
if you didn't, you're thief just the
same!" Chatterer screamed and
rushed at Happy Jack. And what
do you think Happy Jack did? Why,
he just turned tail and ran, Chat
terer after him crying Thief! Rob-
Der! Coward" at the top of his
lungs, so that every one in the Green
Forest could hear.