Evening star., 1941-12-30
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGEs


Mrs. Grouse is one of the little
people of the Green Forest who al
ways mind their own business. She
never interfereS with other people,
and so she is very much respected
and very much liked by her neigh
bors. But Mrs. Grouse has her
troubles. Oh. my, yes. Most of us
do. In the summer she has to watch
out for her large family. and large
family always means a great deal OF
worry. In the fall, men with dread
full guns are forever hunting for her,
and she has to be always on the
watch to keep out of their way. In
the winter food is sometimes scarce
and she has to 60 hungry. And sum-
mer and winter she had always to
watch out for Reddy and Granny
Fox, Mr.. Goshawk and Hooty the
Owl, all of whom are very fond of
grouse for dinner. The coming of
Old Man Coyote to the Green Forest
had added to her troubles.
But Mrs. Grouse is very smart,
and none of them ever had got more
than one of her tail feathers. She
felt quite able to take care of herself
so far as they were concerned. The
thing that troubled her most just
now was getting enough to eat You
see, the Green Forest and the Green
Meadows were covered deep with
snow, and food was very scarce. She
was able to get about very well, for
Old Mother Nature had given her a
splendid new pair of feather snow
shoes, so that she could walk on the
snow much easier than some of her
neighbors. In fact. Mrs. Grouse
rather liked the snow when it was
not so deep that she could find MOTH
ing to eat.
You see, Mrs Grouse is not at all
fond of sleeping in trees. She much
prefers comfortable bed on the
ground. But there she always is in
danger Of being found by Reddy or
Granny Fox. So she has learned to
use the snow to keep her safe and
warm. When it is bedtime she just
plunges headfrst into the snow and
then works along under it. Then If
Reddy Fox should find the place
where she went in and start to dig
her out she will hear him, and with
her stout wings burst out of the
snow before he can reach her, and
whirr away into the trees.
For two or three days Mrs. Grouse
had had hard work to get enough
to eat She had even had to leave
the Green Forest. which she very
much dislikes to do, and go over to
the Old Orchard for some apple
buds. She was thinking about this
and wondering if she would have to
do 1t the next day. 1t was getting
dark in the Green Forest and she
was preparing to go to bed, as usual,
under the snow. 1t looked very
much as If there would be more
snow. Indeed, few flakes were
drifting down through the trees.
We'll" thought Mrs. Grouse, II
will be all the safer If it does snow.
1t will fill up the hole I make"
With that she plunged headf1rst into
the snow ana soon was CONF Ortab Die
and warm and fast asleep.
The snow sifted down through
the trees and filled up the hole she
had made, just as she had thought
1t would. But after q while the
snow turned to a fine rain. Then
along came rough Brother North
Wind and Jack Frost and froze the
wet snow into a hard crust. But
Mrs. Grouse didn't know anything
about this. She was sleeping warm
and comfortable down underneath
and dreaming of a great feast of the
things she likes best. The crust
froze harder and harder. Mrs.
Grouse was in trouble, very great
trouble, but she didn't know any,
thing about it, and she wouldn't
until morning.