Evening star., 1940-08-02
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURG

ny 4nOhN xON W. DOh0LSSs
The grass around the doorstep OF
the house where Reddy Fox had
always lived was all wet with dew
when Farmer Browns Boy laid his
gun down, took of his coat, rolled
up his shirt sleeves and picked up
his spade. 1t was cool and beautiful
there on the edge of the Green
Meadows. jolly, round, red Mr.. Sun
had just begun his long climb up
in the blue, blue sky. Mr.. Redwing
was singing for Joy over in the bull
rushes on the edge of the Smiling
Pool. Yet 1t was very beautiful
very beautiful, indeed. 1t didnt t
seem as If harm could come to any
one on such beautiful morning.
But there was Farmer Browns
Boy. He had crawled on hands and
knees without making a sound to
get near enough to the home of
Reddy Fox to shoot If Reddy was
outside. But there was no sign of
Reddy, so Farmer Browns Boy had
hoped up, and now he was whis-
tling as he began to dig. His
freckled face looked good d-natured.
It didn't seem as If he could mean
harm to any one. But there lay the
gun, and he was working as II he
really meant to get to the very
bottom of the home Of Reddy Fox.
Deeper and deeper grew the hole
and bigger and bigger grew the pile
of sand which he threw out. He
didn't know that any one was
watching him except Bowser the
Hound. He didn't see Johnny Chuck
peeping from behind a tall bunch of
meadow grass, nor Peter Rabbit
peeping from behind tree on the
edge of the Green Forest, nor Bobby
Coon looking from a safe hiding
place IN the top Of that same tree.
He didn't see Jimmy Skunk, nor
Unc' Billy Possum, nor Happy Jack
Squirrel, nor Digger the Badger.
He didn't see one of them, but they
saw him. They saw every shovelful
of sand that he threw, and their
hearts went pit-a-pat as they
watched, for each one felt sure that
something dreadful was going to
happen to Reddy Fox.
Only or Mistah Buzzard knew
better From way up high in the
blue, blue sky he could look down
and see many things. He could see
all the little meadow and forest peo-
pie who were watching Farmer
Browns Boy. The harder Farmer
Browns Boy worked the more OF
Mistah Buzzard chuckled to himself
What was he laughing at? Why
peering out from behind an old
fence corner he could see the sharp
face Of Old Granny Fox, and she
was grinning. or Mistah Buzzard
knew by that that Reddy Fox was
safe.
But the other little people of the
Green Forest and the Green Mead
ows didn't know that Old Granny
Fox and Reddy Fox had moved,
and their faces grew longer and
longer as they watched Farmer
Browns Boy 60 deeper and deeper
into the ground.
"Reddy Fox has worried me al
most to death, and would eat me if
he could catch me, but somehow
things wouldn't be quite the same
without him around. Oh, dear, I
don't want him killed." moaned
Peter Rabbit.
Perhaps he isn't home" said
Jimmy Skunk.
"Of course he's home. He's so stifi
and sore he can hardly walk at all
and has to stay home, replied john
ny Chuck. Hello. what's the mat
ter now?"
Everybody looked. Farmer Browns
Boy had climbed out of the hole. He
looked tired and cross. He rested
for few minutes, and as he rested
he scowled. Then he began to
shovel the sand back into the hole.
He had reached the bottom and
found no one there.
"Hurrah!" shouted Peter Rabbit,
and struck his heels together as he
jumped up In the air.