Evening star., 1942-04-09
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.

"My love must be a hero bold,
With heart both stout and true,
And by his might must prove his right
For my regard to sue"
Little Miss Nanny Meadow Mouse
wasn't in love-yet. But she was
quite ready to fall In love if only a
real hero would come along and
make love to her and just prove to
her that he really was hero. She
never said so aloud, but right down
in her heart she felt sure that
there never had been a prettier
Meadow Mouse on the Green
Meadows than her small, gray
coated self. She spent great deal
of time brushing her hair and wash
ing herself and seeing to it that not
so much as a single hair was out OF
place on her fur coat. And as she
brushed and combed and washed
and smoothed out her coat she
would repeat over and over that
little verse. Somehow she felt sure
that sooner or later her hero would
appear. She wondered how she
would know him and what he would
look like. When she curled herself
up for nap she dreamed about him.
Now little Miss Nanny live all
alone and she couldn't spend all her
time making herself look beautiful
and dreaming. Oh, dear, no! She
had to eat, just as everybody does,
and what is more, she had to get
her own food. In fact she had to
spend so much time hunting for
enough to keep her stomach full
that she didn't have half as much
time for dreaming as she wished
for. And always when she was OH
hunting for seeds or fat cricket or
a nimble grasshopper she was afraid
that her hero might come along and
she would miss him.
On this particular morning she
had a feeling that something was
going to happen. She didn't know
what 1t was going to be, only she
Just felt that something was going
to happen. She didn't eat as much
breakfast as usual, but hurried home
and at once began to wash and
brush and make herself look as fine
as possible. Right in the midst OF 1t
she heard footsteps coming along
her private little path. She peeped
out through the grass that overhung
her doorway and there she saw a
very fat, very important looking
meadow mouse, and he was coming
straight toward her doorstep as If
he felt very sure of himself and of
things in general.
Hes very handsome, though he
does look a little old and a little
gray" murmured Miss Nanny, land
I do believe he is coming to call
on me"
Her heart fiuttered with excite
ment, and she did wish that there
was little pool of water handy so
that she could look at herself in it
and be sure that she was looking her
very best. The fat, important, self
satisfied meadow mouse had almost
reached her doorstep, and Nanny
was feeling very shy and timid and
was wondering what she should say
to him when her quick little ears
caught the sound of other footsteps
approaching from the other direc-
ton. Once more peeping out
through the sheltered grass she
saw another caller approaching. He
was younger and simmer and trim
mer looking than the first, and he
seemed very uncertain and bashful.
He would come few steps and then
hesitate, as if he was almost of
mind to go back. Then he would
come on a few steps more. 1t was
Danny Meadow Mouse.
Hes very handsome" murmured
little Miss Nanny, and her timid
little heart fiuttered more than ever
with excitement. She never had had
caller before, and now here were
two callers at the same time She
wondered what she should say to
them and If they would be pleasant
to each other. And then all of a
sudden she had a foolish feeling
that she wanted to run away. She
had almost made up her mind to
when she heard the sharp, angry
voice of the fat, important looking
visitor. He had just discovered
Danny Meadow Mouse and he was
telling him to. clear out that he had
no business there. Little Miss Nanny
decided not to run away just yet.
She wanted to see what would
happen next.