Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-03
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.
"Can a body be a body
Yet not a body be?
Tell a body, anybody
Didst such a body See?"

Tell body, anybody
Didst such a body see?"
OF course, it was Sammy Jay who
was humming such q foolish sound
ing rhyme as that. But really 1t
wasn't so foolish in Sammy's case
after all: He had sat up wide awake
all night just to try to find out why
1t was that all the little meadow and
forest people had complained that
he spent part of each night scream
ing Thief! Thief! Thief" just as
he does in the daytime. Now he
knew. Sitting in the dark in his
big pine tree he had heard his own
voice, or what sounded like his own
voice, screaming down in the alders
by the Laughing Brook. Sammy
had scratched himself, to be sure
that he was really and truly awake,
and not dreaming, for there was his
voice down In the alders and there
was himself sitting in the big pine
tree with his mouth closed as tight
as he could shut it. Did ever a
jaybird have, anything so queer as
that to puzzle him?
Anyway, Sammy Jay knew that he
didn't scream in his sleep, and there
was whole lot Of comfort In that.
He could eat with better appetite
now. You see when he had been
told that he was screaming in the
night, Sammy had been afraid that
he was doing it in his sleep, and If
he was doing that. why some dark
night Hooty the Owl might hear
him and find him and that would be
the end of him. Now he knew that
he could go to sleep in peace, just as
he always had.
Sammy Jay brushed and smoothed
out his handsome blue coat and
made himself as pert and smart ap-
pearing as possible. He had been
so worried lately that he hadn't
taken much care Of himself, which
is very unusual for Sammy Jay.
Now, however, he felt so much bet
ter that he began to think about
his looks. When he had finished
dressing he started for the alders
beside the Laughing Brook just TO
have a look around. OF course, he
didn't expect to find his voice down
there, for whoever saw a voice?
| Still, he thought that he might find
something that would explain the
| mystery.
He hunted all around in the
thicket of alders beside the Laugh
ing Brook, but nothing unusual did
he find. Then for a long time he
sat as still as still can be, studying
and thinking. Finally he thought to
himself, an just see how my voice
really does sound down here" and
opening his mouth, he screamed:
Thief! Thief! Thief"
Then out popped Jenny Wren, and
she was so mad that she couldn't
sit still second. My, my, my, how
she did scold!
you ought to be ashamed Of
yourself, Sammy Jay! You ought to
be ashamed of YOURSELF" she sput-
tered. isn't it enough to keep us
awake half the night without COM
ing down and screaming all day?"
st haven't been down here in the
night and I haven't kept anybody
awake!" replied Sammy Jay indig-
nantly.
Jenny Wren came right up In
front Of Sammy Jay and hoped up
and down. She was so mad that
with every word she jerked her
funny little tail so that Sammy Jay
almost had to laugh.
Don't tell that to me, Sammy
Jay! Don't tell that to mel" she
cried. Didn't I see you with my
own eyes sitting on that alder over
there? Don't tell that to me! You
ought to be ashamed of yourself!"