Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-17
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.


Bobby Coon sat just inside one of
the brown tents Of cornstalks in the
middle of Farmer Browns cornfield.
He had torn a place to crawl in
where the biggest and best ears were
hidden and now he was enjoying
himself to his hearts content. 1t
isn't often that Bobby Coon is so
unwise as to visit a cornfield in
broad daylight, and he ought to
have been on the watch every min
ute this time. But he wasn't. No
sir: Bobby Coon wasn't on the watch
at all. That was why he didn't see
Farmer Brown and Farmer Browns
boy come down the lane and into
the cornfield He just forgot every
thing but the good time he was
having.
Happy Jack Squirrel sat on a
fence post, his heart going pit-a-pat
with fright as he thought of what
might happen to Bobby Coon. The
Merry Little Breezes grew more and
more excited as they raced back and
forth across the field trying to find
Bobby Coon and warn him of his
danger. And the more excited they
grew the less grew their chance of
finding Bobby Coon for you know
that excited folks seldom do things
at all we'll.
All this time Farmer Brown and
Farmer Browns boy were following
the tracks of Bobby Coon and walk
ing as softly as they knew how so
that Bobby Coon should not hear
them coming. Right in the middle
of the field the tracks led around
one of the brown corn tents. Farmer
Brown peeped around it very, very
carefully and then he beckoned to
his boy to do the same thing. What
do you think they saw? Why right
in the middle of the very next corn
tent sat Bobby Coon just as if he
owned the whole field of corn.
Farmer Browns boys eyes shone.
The fat coon's beautiful gray and
black coat would make the Warmest
kind of cap. Farmer Browns boy
leaned over to whisper in the ear of
Farmer Brown. You stay here
while I get a club and we'll soon
settle Mr.. Coon" said he, winking.
Farmer Brown nodded, and just
as softly as he had come Farmer
Browns boy stole back to get club.
AS soon as he was out of sight be-
hind the brown corn tents some
thing happened. something that
frightened Bobby Coon so that he
jumped almost out of his skin and
that tickled Farmer Brown so that
he laughed until he shook all over.
You see. Farmer Brown is a big
man and he has big heart. He
really loves the little meadow and
forest people as much as his boy
loves them. So as soon as his boy
was out of sight behind the brown
corn tents Farmer Brown picked up
a tiny, tiny stone and tossed it so
that it fell at Bobby Coon's feet.
OF course, Bobby Coon looked
straight up into the face of Farmer
Brown. For second Bobby was so
SUI pllSeu ana frightened tlldC ne
didn't move and then he started
down the row of brown corn tents
straight for the Green Forest at a
rate that made the sand fly.
A few minutes later back came
Farmer Browns boy creeping as
softly as before and he had two
big clubs. Farmer Brown took one
and, pretending that he didn't know
that Bobby Coon had gone, he
rushed around one side of the brown
corn tent while Farmer Brown
boy rushed around the other. Of
course, there was no Bobby Coon,
and, of course, Farmer Browns boy
was terribly disappointed at not
getting the chance to throw a little
scare into Bobby Coon for having
trespaSsed on somebody else'S prop
erty. Farmer Brown pretended to
be disappointed, too, but all the
time there was twinkle in his eye
and every once in a while on their
Way home he chllckled To himself