Evening star., 1942-04-03
Bedtime Story
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS,

Blacky the Grow and Sammy Jay,
looking down from the top Of a tall
tree, held their breath. Happy Jack,
the Gray Squirrel, and his cousin,
Chatterer, the Red Squirrel, look
ing down from another tree, held
their breath. Unc' Billy Possum,
sticking his head out from a hol-
low tree, held his breath. Bobby
Coon, looking through a hole In a
hollow stump In which he was hid
ing, held his breath. Reddy Fox,
lying fat down behind a heap OF
brush, held his breath. Peter Rab-
bit, sitting bolt upright under a
thick hemlock branch with eyes and
ears wide open, held his breath. And
all the other little people who hap
pened to be where they could see
did the same thing.
You see 1t was the most exciting
moment ever was In the Green For
est. Farmer Browns boy had Just
stepped out from behind one side of
a little hemlock tree and Buster
Bear had jusC stepped out from be-
hind the opposite side of the little
hemlock tree, and neither had
known that the other was anywhere
near. For a whole minute they
stood there face to face gazing into
each others eyes while everybody
watched and waited, and 1t seemed
as If the whole Green Forest was
holding its breath.
Then something happened. Yes,
sir, something happened. Farmer
Browns boy opened his mouth and
yelled! 1t was such a sudden yell
and such loud yell that it startled
Chatterer so that he nearly fell
from his place in the tree, and it
made Reddy Fox jump to his feet
ready to run. And that yell was a
yell of fright. There was no doubt
about 1t, for with the yell Farmer
Browns boy turned and ran for
run before. He ran just as Peter
Rabbit runs when he has got to
reach the dear Old Briar Patch
before Reddy Fox can catch him,
which. you know, is as fast as he
can run. Once he stumbled and
fell, but he scrambled to his feet
In twinkling and away he went
without once turning his head to
see II Buster Bear was after him.
There wasn't any doubt that he
was much afraid.
Everybody leaned forward to
watch him. What did I tell you?
Didn't I say that he was afraid of
Buster Bear" cried Little Joe Ot-
ter, dancing about with excitement.
you were right. Little Joe! I'm
sorry that I doubted 1t. See him
go! Cav. cav, caw!" shrieked
Blacky the Crow.
For a minute or two everybody
forgot about Buster Bear. Then
there was a great crash which
made everybody turn to look the
other way. What do you think
they saw? Why, Buster Bear was
running away, too, and he was
running twice as fast as Farmer
Browns boy! He bumped into trees
and crashed through bushes and
jumped over logs, and In almost no
time at all he was out of sight. Al
together 1t was the most surprising
thing that the little people Of the
Green Forest ever had seen.
Sammy jay looked at Blacky the
Crow, and Blacky looked at Chat
terer. and Chatterer looked at Hap
py Jack, and Happy Jack looked
at Peter Rabbit. and Peter looked
at Unc' Billy Possum, and Unc'
Billy Possum looked at Bobby Coon,
and Bobby looked at John Chuck,
and Johnny looked at Keddy Fox,
and Reddy looked at Jimmy Skunk.
and for a moment nobody could
say a word. Then Little Joe gave
funny little gasp.
why, why-e-!" said he, II believe
Buster Bear Is afraid, tool"
Unc' Billy Possum chuckled. "Ah
believe yo' are right again. Br'er
Otter" said he. TT cert'nly does
look so. If Brer Bear isn't scared
he must have remembered some
thing important and has gone to
attend to 1t in a powerful hurry"
Then everybody began to laugh,
because it was so very, very funny.