Evening star., 1941-12-26
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.

The Green FOREST, the OlQ OI-
chard and the dear Old Brier Patch
were not the only places where
Christmas cheer made a beautiful
day still more beautiful. No, indeed!
The Christmas spirit goes every
where, you know, and the Christmas
spirit Is love. Love knows no differ
ence between the big and the little,
the great and the humble, the
strong and the weak, the rich and
the poor. 1t seeks out all.
Now, down on the Green Meadows
that morning Danny and Nanny
Meadow Mouse were in high spirits.
In the first place, they had made
some very wonderful tunnels
through the snow along which they
could scamper to their hearts con-
tent without fear. They could &c
and come as they pleased, with no
danger that any one would see them.
It was quite light down in those
tunnels, for white walls and white
roof made it so. 1t was great fun TO
play hide-and-seek and tag In them,
and to pop outside through the llt-
tie round doorways made wherever
a dry old weed stalk furnished
ladder to the top. They were in good
spirits because they had plenty OF
seeds stored where they could be got
whenever they were hungry, and so
they didn't have to worry about
food. And they we're in good spirits
because it was the glorious Christ
mas season. They just couldn't help
being in good spirits.
Once as Danny popped his head
out of one of his little round door
ways for peek at the great white
world he discovered visitors. Snow
flake the Snow Bunting, with Slate
the Junco, were very busy running
this way and that over the snow as
they picked seeds from the weeds
that just showed their heads above
the surface Static the Junco had
been around almost since the begin
ming of cold weather, but Snowflake
had just arrived from the Far North.
Merry Christmas, Danny Meadow
Mouse!" he cried as he caught sight
Of Danny.
Merry Christmas YOURSELF" re-
piled Danny when did you get
here, and what has brought you
down from the Far North SO early
in the winter?"
Just arrived" replied Snowflake,
Game to spend Christmas. Of
course. Aren't you glad to see me?"
"Of course am" squeaked Danny.
But don't try to make me believe
that you came way down here just
to spend Christmas. The trouble
Is you couldn't get enough to eat
up in that Northland you are so
fond Of, and so you had to come
down here. Anyway. I'm glad to
see you. hope you'll stay all WIN
ter"
Thank you, Danny" replied
Snowflake. 81 expect to stay some
time, anyway. The snow is so deep
I'D where I came from that all the
seeds are quite buried. Look out,
Dannyl" Snowflake fairly screamed
this warning over his shoulder as
with a fit-flit OF swift wings he few
away.
Danny turned to see what the
warning was for Too late to dive
into one of his little round doorways,
he discovered fierce old Roughleg
the Hawk just reaching for him
with great cruel claws. Danny was
| too frightened to even move. He
looked up into the hungry eyes Of
Roughleg and then, Just why he
didn't know, unless 1t was because
his heart had been so full of the
beautiful Christmas spirit that 1t
couldn't be wholly frightened out,
he squeaked, Merry Christmas!"
Now, never before in all his life
had any one ever wished Roughleg
the Hawk a merry Christmas. 1t
surprised him so that he didn't
know what to say, so he didn't say
anything. But he did something.
Yes, sir, he did something that sur
prised Danny as much as Danny
had surprised him. He drew up his
feet with their great, cruel claws,
which had been reaching for Danny,
and sailed right on over Danny
without touching him at all. On he
sailed and up into the sky, while
Danny dove headlong to the safety
Of his tunnels under the snow
Roughleg laughed to see him.
Merry Christmas" he muttered to
himself. II couldn't possibly hurt
the little scamp today after that.
Merry Christmas; well, I wish him
the same"
And so it was that Christmas Day
on the snow covered Green Mead
ows was merry day after all, for
after that no one hunted there that
whole livelong day.