Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-13
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS.


There was a dreadful time on the
Green Meadows and in the Green
Forest. Oh, dear, dear, dear! 1t
really was dreadful! First Sammy
Jay had been accused of screaming
in the night and keeping honest
little meadow and forest people
awake when they wanted to sleep.
And all the time Sammy Jay hadn't
made a sound. Then Stickytoes the
Treetoad had been accused of being
noisy, when all the time he was
sitting with his mouth closed as
tight as tight could be. Sammy Jay
had moved away to the Old Pasture,
but no one believed that, for they
still heard his voice in the night
and said that he WIS hiding during
the day. Stickytoes had worried
himself almost sick because no one
would believe him when he said he
hadn't made sound.
All this was bad enough. but now
things were so much worse that 1t
was getting so that no one would
have anything to do with any one
else. Those who had been the very
best OF friends would pass without
speaking. You see, everybody on the
Green Meadows and in the Green
Forrest knows everybody else by
their voice. So when Jimmy Skunk,
happening along near the Smiling
Pool. heard Mrs. Redwing's voice he
didn't waste any time trying to see
Mrs. Redwing. Instead he went
straight over and told Johnny Chuck
the unkind things that he had over
heard Mrs. Redwing saying about
Johnny.
In the same way Bobby Coon
heard the voice of Blacky the Grow
in Farmer Browns cornfield, and
when Bobby listened he heard some
things not at all nice about himself.
And so 1t was all over the Green
Meadows and through the Green
Forest. 1t seemed as if almost every
body was heard talking about some
one else and never saying nice
things. The only one who still man.
aged to keep on good terms with
everybody was Unc' Billy Postum No
one ever heard him saystg unkind
things about the others, and so. be-
cause now there were so few others
to talk to. everybody was glad to see
Unc' Billy coming and he soon was
the best liked of all the little meadow
and forest people. He went about
trying to smooth out the troubles,
and to see him you never, never,
would have guessed that he had
anything to do with making them
My, my, no indeed!
But every night when the moon
was up Unc' Billy would have a
caller, who would come and sit out
side the doorway of Unc' Billy's
house and scream Thief! thief!
theft Then out would pop Unc'
Billy's sharp little face, then his fat
little body would follow. and he and
his friend with the long tail and
the sharp eyes, for, of course. you
have guessed that that is who it was
would put their heads together
and laugh and chuckle as if they
were enjoying the best joke ever
was. Then they would whisper and
sometimes talk right out loud when
they felt sure that one one was near
to hear.
What were they talking about?
Why. about the trouble on the
Green Meadows and in the Green
Forest, and what joke it all was
and what the best way was to keep
it up. You see, the reason that no
one heard of Unc Billy saying mean
things. or any mean things about
Unc' Billy, was because it was Unc'
Billy himself and his friend with
the long tail and the sharp eyes
who were making all the trouble.
Yes. sir, they were the mischief
makers. 1t was great fun to fool
everybody so. They never once
stopped to think how very, very
uncomfortable it kept everybody
feeling.