Evening star., 1942-04-14
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGE

ny AhOANAON W. oOnOLbCs
Good morning" said Danny
Meadow Mouse, when he suddenly
found little Miss Nanny Meadow
Mouse sitting with her back to him,
quite as If she hadn't the least idea
that he was anywhere about. Miss
Nanny pretended not to hear.
Good morning" said Danny q
little louder than before. Little Miss
Nanny turned her head and pre-
tended to be very, very much sur
prised.
Good morning." said she In q
very low voice, and appearing very
shy. Danny thought it was the
sweetest voice he had ever heard.
live come to make q call"
said Danny, because he couldn't
think of anything else to say.
"Oh!" said little Miss Nanny, and
then both laughed because 1t was all
so very funny and foolish sounding.
do you always chase people until
they lose their breath and are too
tired to run another step when you
make calls?" asked Miss Nanny.
do you always hide when you see
callers coming7" asked Danny.
Then they both laughed again,
and in two minutes they were talk
ing as If they had known each other
always. And every minute Danny
Meadow Mouse was falling more
and more in love. 1t seemed to him
that he just couldn't live without
little Miss Nanny. He wanted to take
her right home with him. He told
her so. He told her that she was the
most beautiful Meadow Mouse in the
world, and a lot more foolish things
which were very pleasant to hear.
"If you will come home with me
and be Mrs. Danny, I'll fight for you
and work for you, and you won't ever
have anything to worry about" de-
clared Danny.
Little Miss Nanny looked very
thoughtful. "I know you can fight, +"
said she, because I saw you whip
that important looking stranger
whom you met on my doorstep. 1t
was a splendid fight, and, do you
know, all the time I hoped you
would win. 1t was perfectly splen-
did,"
Pooh, that was nothing" said
Danny. THAT fellow couldn't fight.
Would you always fight like that
for me?" asked Nanny shyly.
"Just try me and see!" replied
Danny eagerly, II would fight twice
as hard for you any time"
But little Miss Nanny hadn't lived
by herself and earned her own living
for nothing. She was very practical,
was Miss Nanny. whoever I marry
will have to prove his love first,
said she with very grand air.
Danny looked puzzled. Didn't !
prove it by fighting that stranger"
he asked.
That was only part Of the proof
Most people will fight for what they
very much want. How do I know
that you are as good a worker as
you are a fighter? How do I know
that you will keep the storehouse
always filled so that I will have
enough to eat and not have to work
for a living?" Little Miss Nanny
said this quite as If she had given
the matter a great deal Of thought
and had fully made up her mind
that whoever won her love would
first have to prove that he could
and would take the very best care of
her.
You might try me and see. Please
dol" begged Danny.
I'm very hungry right this min
ute," declared little Miss Nanny.
Away raced Danny as fast as ever
he could make his legs go, after she
had promised to wait right where
she was until he should come back.
He would show her what a good pro-
wider he could be. So he raced this
way and that way hunting for some
thing especially fine. II he had been
at home he would have known Just
where to go, but this was q part of
the Green Meadows with which he
was not acquainted, and he really
didn't know where to 60. But he
was bound he would find something,
and sure enough he did. He ran right
into a fat June bug, and with this he
was soon back. Little Miss Nanny's
eyes sparkled as she saw 1t. Danny
knew by the look in them that he
had once more won her approval.