Evening star., 1942-02-07
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS

BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.
And better 'twere there were not any. >
Which means that when two peo-
pie try to talk at the same time 1t
is very unpleasant for themselves
and even more unpleasant for others
who may have to listen to them.
When Blacky the Crow came flying
out from deep in the Green Forest
so excited that he was cawing at
the top Of his voice Sammy Jay
had at once flown to meet him.
Now, Sammy was just as excited,
and he was screaming at the top
OF his lungs. You see, he knew
that Blacky had found the stranger
who had so excited him. Now per-
haps the little people of the Green
Forest and the Green Meadows
would believe him and no longer
think him crazy.
But they didn't No, sir, they
didn't! Instead they thought that
Blacky the Crow had gone crazy.
too. Never was there heard a worse
racket than Sammy and Blacky
made as each tried to talk louder
and faster than the other. Neither
was listening to what the other was
saying. which in itself was very
impolite, even If they were cousins.
Worse still, each kept interrupting
the other, and, you know, there is
nothing more impolite than to in
terrupt when another Is speaking.
But neither seemed to mind in the
least. Each kept right on talking
and growing more and more ex-
cited.
OF course, all the little people
within hearing hurried over to find
out what 1t all meant. But they
couldn't understand at all what
Sammy and Blacky were talking
about. You see, Sammy and Blacky
interrupted each other so often that
all that those who were listening
could make out was that there was a
great big stranger in the Green
Forest, a stranger who wore black
fur and was as big as Farmer
Browns boy. Now. none of the little
people knew Of any one as big as
Farmer Browns boy unless II was
another boy or a man. But Sammy
and Blacky said that the stranger
was not a man. So all their neigh
bors shook their heads sadly and
said: They're crazy" and then
again shook their heads sadly.
Too bad" said Jimmy Skunk
Il always thought Blacky was smart
very smart, but there certainly is
something the matter with him
now"
Yes. sab, there cert,nly is," said
Unc' Billy Possum. Something's
wrong with both Br'er Jay and Br'er
Crow. They're foolish in their
haids."
DO you suppose it's catching?"I
asked Bobby Coon. You know.
Sammy Jay had it first and now
Blacky has it."
What's all this fuss about?" de-
manded a new voice. It was Peter
Rabbits. He was all out of breath,
ne mad hurried so. You see, he had
been way up in the Old Orchard,
when he heard the screaming of
Sammy and Blacky and he had
started right away, for, you know.
Peter would feel dreadful to miss
anything that was going on.
Nothing, only Blacky the Grow
is just as crazy as his cousin, Sammy
Jay" replied Jimmy Skunk. "Blacky
says he has seen the same stranger
IN the Green Forest that upset
Sammy so. Just listen to those two
birds! Did you ever hear anything
Like it3 I'm going home" With
that Jimmy Skunk turned his back
In disgust and started up the
Crooked Little Path that comes
down the hill. = a
Bobby Coon and Unc' Billy Pos
sum started for their homes, and
Danny Meadow Mouse began to run
along one of his little paths to get
as far as possible from such q noise.
But Peter Rabbit suddenly sat up
with his eyes popping right out of
his head. He had just remembered
the strange tracks he had seen in
the snow deep in the Green Forest
just at the end Of winter. Could it
be that they were made by the
stranger who had so excited Sammy
Jay and Blacky the Grow?