Evening star., 1940-10-07
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w.. BURGES

Happy Jack Squirrel didn't look
happy a bit. Indeed, Happy Jack
looked very unhappy. You see, he
looked just as he felt. He had set
his heart on having all the big, fat
nuts that he had found In the top
of the tall hickory tree and now
instead Of having all of them he
hadn't any of them. Worse still,
he knew right down in his heart
that 1t was his own fault. He had
been too greedy to let his cousin,
Chatterer the Red Squirrel, have
a few. While they had been quar-
reling in the top Of the tall hickory
tree they had knocked all the nuts
down, and then when they went
down to hunt for them not a nut
was to be found.
Happy Jack was studying about
this as he sat with his back against
a big chestnut tree. He remem-
bered how Peter Rabbit laughed
flt to kill himself when Happy Jack
and his cousin, Chatterer the Red
Squirrel, had been so surprised be-
cause they could not find the nuts
they had knocked down. Peter
hadn't taken them. for Peter has
no use for nuts, but he must know
what had become Of them, for he
was still laughing as he had gone
down the Lone Little Path. While
he was thinking of all this Happy
Jacks bright eyes had been wide
open, as they usually are, so that
no danger should come near. Sud-
denly they saw something moving
among the brown and yellow leaves
on the ground. Happy Jack looked
sharply and then sudden thought
popped into his head.
Hi, there, Cousin Chipmunk!
he shouted.
Hi, there. your ownself!" replied
Striped Chipmunk. for it was he.
What are you doing there?'
asked Happy Jack,
Looking for hickory nuts" re.
piled Striped Chipmunk. and hi
eyes twinkled as he said it. FOL
there wasn't a hickory tree near.
Happy Jack looked hard al
Striped Chipmunk, for that sud
den thought which had popped
into his head when he first
saw Striped Chipmunk was growing
into a strong. a very strong, sus-
picion that Striped Chipmunk knew
something about those lost hickory
nuts. But Striped Chipmunk looked
so innocent that Happy Jack didn't
know Just what to think.
Have you begun to fill youl
storehouse for the winter yet?" in
quired Happy Jack.
"Of course, I have. I don't mean
to let Jack Frost catch me with
an empty storehouse," reptile d
Striped Chipmunk.
When leaves turn yellow. brown and rec
And nuts come pitter patter down
When days are short and swiftly sped
And autumn wears her colored gown
I'm up before old Mr.. Sun
His nightcap has chance to DON,
And have my DAYS work well besun
When others kick their bedclothes on
What are you filling your store
house with?' asked Happy Jack
trying not to show too much in
terest.
Corn, nice, ripe, yellow corn, and
seeds and acorns and chestnuts,'
answered Striped Chipmunk. And
now I'm looking for some big. fat
hickory nuts" he added. and his
bright eyes twinkled. Have you
seen any, Happy Jack?"
Happy Jack said he hadn't seen
any and Striped Chipmunk re-
marked that he couldn't waste any
more time talking If he wanted tc
fll his storehouse. and scurried
away. Happy Jack watched him 60
a puzzled little frown puckering up
his brows.
II believe he knows something
about those nuts; I think I'll fol-
low him and have a peep into his
storehouse," he muttered.