Evening star., 1941-12-27
Bedtime Stories
Nv THORNTON w. BURGES

L
Under the ice seems q queer place
to spend Christmas, doesn't it? Yet
that is where Jerry Muskrat and
his big cousin, Paddy the Beaver,
spent it, and it was a very COM
Portable and happy Christmas. too.
1t isn't quite true that they spent
it wholly under the ice, but IN
way it was very much the same
thing. While the snug, warm bed
rooms of their houses were above
the ice, they couldn't get in or out
of those houses without swimming
under the ice. So you see their
world was a world all their own.
They knew nothing at all about
what was going on in the Green
Forest and on the Green Meadows
except when Billy Mink took IT
into his head to pay them Vlslt
and tell them the news. You know
Billy is a great traveller, and there
isn't much going on OF which ne
doesn't know.
In fact, if it had not been for
Billy Mink I am afraid that Jerry
Muskrat would have quite forgotten
Christmas Day altogether. You see,
In that quiet world OF Jerry's all
days were very much alike. In fact,
they were so much alike that Jerry
quite lost track Of them. So II
early that morning Billy Mink
hadn't stuck his head in at the
door of Jerry Muskrat's house and
cried. Merry Christmas" I am
afraid Jerry might have slept all
day
whats that?" cried Jerry. rub
bing his eyes and blinking them IN
the most sleepy way you ever saw.
Did hear somebody say something
about something?"
Il wished you a Merry Christmas,
you old sleepyhead. I saw Paddy
the Beaver at his house in that pond
of his in the Green Forest, and
told him I was coming down here to
the Smiling Pool. He told me to be
sure to wish you a Merry Christmas
for him. Goodbye! must be on
my way"
Hold on!" cried Jerry. scramb-
ling out Of bed But Billy Mink
already had disappeared, Merry
Christmas. anyway" cried Jerry
thrusting his head down his hallway
Just as Billy Mink slipped into the
water. and whether Billy heard ol
not Jerry didn't know. He hoped
he did.
Now that he was awake Jerry
decided that he must do something
special to make the day dif1eren
from other days. Il must have
Christmas dinner" thought he. 20
course. What would Christmas b'
without an extra fine dinner?"
So Jerry dove into the room OF hi
house, which is under water. ant
from there swan out under the ic'
of the Smiling Pool. all the tim
holding his breath. He swan
. across to one bank and right unde
the edge of this was a little spac
; where the water did not reach tn
, ice. 1t was one of Jerrys regula
breathing places. He took a goo
;. long breath and then he dived t
the bottom Of the Smiling Poo
When he came up he had musse
!. or clam which he had dug out G
the mud at the bottom. You know
:, Jerry is very fond Of clans. The
s he dived again and this time he du
out a plump lily root. Jerry jul:
loves lily roots. After that he vislte
y certain secret storehouse In tn
q bank of the Smiling Pool, and frol
! this he brought carrot and som
= other goodies hidden there befol
. the coming of Jack Frost.
Then Jerry sat down to feast. +
a didn't like eating all alone
Christmas Day, but there was no OF
:" to eat with him. So Jerry pr
!. tended. He thought Of each Of h
W friends by turn and pretended th'
10 were there. One by one he grave
10 wished them Merry Christmases
Grandfather Frog and Spotty Il
= Turtle, both fast asleep somewhe
in the mud at the bottom OF u
Smiling Pool: Billy Mink and Lift
Joe Otter, who would have turn
up their noses at Jerrys sprea
Redwing the Blackbird, who "
spending Christmas in the far aw
Southland, and Peter Rabbit,
hit course. Perhaps" thought Jerl
- my good wishes will reach the
even if they are far away or aslet
Anyway, it doesn't do any harm
make believe, and my dinner "
taste better for making believe
am sharing 1t with some one"
So that is the way Christmas D
was passed under the ice OF
Smiling Pool, and who shall S
that Jerry's friends were not
- better for his happy thoughts
them?