Evening star., 1941-05-21
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck
sat watching Chippy and Mrs. Chip
py building their nest. do you
know that Chippy is often called
Tree Sparrow" asked Johnny
Chuck 'I suppose it is because he
so often builds in a tree" he added.
mo, I didn't know it" replied
Peter. "Chippy shouldn't be called
Tree Sparrow, because he has a
cousin by that name"
Il have never heard of him."
grunted Johnny Chuck, looking
doubtful.
Peter grinned. Here was chance
to tell Johnny Chuck something,
and never is Peter happier than
when he can tell some one some
thing. You'd know him if you
didn't sleep all winter" said he.
'Dotty the Tree Sparrow spends
the winter here. He left for his
home in the Far North about the
time that you took it into your
head to wake up"
why do you call him Dotty?"
asked Johnny Chuck.
Because he has a little round
black dot right on the middle of
his breast" replied Peter. Il don't
know why they call him Tree Spar
row; I see him much oftener on
the ground and in low bushes than
in trees. I think Chippy has much
more right to the name of Tree
Sparrow Now I think of it, I've
heard Dotty called Winter Chippy."
Gracious. what a miX-up" eX-
claimed Johnny Chuck. with
Chippy being called Tree Sparrow,
and the Tree Sparrow being called
Chippy, I should think folks would
get all tangled up"
Perhaps they would" replied
Peter, "if both were here together.
But Chippy comes just as Dotty
goes, and Dotty comes in just as
Chippy goes. That's a pretty good
arrangement, especially as they look
much alike except that Dotty is
bigger than Chippy and always has
that black dot, which Chippy never
has. Gracious! I must be getting
home. Good-by, Johnny Chuck"
AS Peter scampered for the dear
Old Brlar Patch out OF the grass
ahead of him flew a rather pale,
streaked little brown bird, and as
he spread his tail Peter saw two
white feathers on the outer edges.
These were all Peter needed to
recognize another little friend Of
whom he is very fond. 1t was
Sweetvoice the Vesper Sparrow
Come over to the Old Briar
Patch and sing to me- cried Peter.
Sweetvoice dropped down in the
grass, and when Peter reached him
he was very busy getting a mouth
full of dry grass. Cant" he num-
bled Cant stop to sing now, Peter
Rabbit. Mrs. Sweetvoice will lose
her patience if I don't get this grass
to her right away. 1t is high time
our nest was finished"
where is your nest, in a tree?"
asked Peter innocently.
That's telling" declared Sweet
voice. "Not a living soul knows
where that nest is but Mrs. Sweet
voice and myself I'll tell you this
much; 1t is in hoofprint of Bossy
the Cow"
"In a what?" cried Peter.
I'm a hoofprint of Bossy the
Cow repeated sweetvoice, chuck
ling softly.
You know when the ground was
wet and soft early this spring Bossy
left deep footprints wherever she
went. One of these makes the incest
kind Of a place Tor a nest. I think
we have picked out the very incest
one on all the Green Meadows.
Now run along. Peter, and don't
bother me any more. Perhaps I'll
come over to the dear Old Briar
Patch and sing to you at Shadow
time. just love to sing then"
I'll be watching for you," replied
Peter. "You don't love to sing any
more than I love to hear you"
That night, sure enough, just as
the Black Shadows came creeping
over the Green Meadows, Sweet
voice perched on a bramble bush
just above Peters head and sang
the sweetest little song, and kept on
singing it after it was quite dark.
Peter didn't know it, but it is this
habit of singing in the evening that
has given Sweetvoice the name of
Vesper Sparrow. And as he listened
Peter was thinking what a queer
place Sweetvoice had chosen for his
home and wondering how many
footprints he would have to look at
to find the right one.
nNIAIrc ran a nHAl+6