Evening star., 1942-04-13
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.


Danny Meadow Mouse never be-
fore In all his life had felt so BASH
full as when at last he stood on
the doorstep Of the house Of little
Miss Nanny Meadow Mouse. He
hoped she would be glad to see him
and he was afraid she wouldn't.
He Just knew that he wouldn't be
able TO think of q thing to say.
The truth is Danny was in love.
He had been in love ever since he
first saw little Miss Nanny day
or two before. But she might not
fall in love with him. 1t was
dreadful thought because he felt
that he could never be happy again
If she didn't. Perhaps there was
some one else she cared for. The
very idea made Danny grind his
teeth and long to fight again as
he had just been fighting.
How still 1t was inside! Danny
fidgeted about uneasily. Then he
peeped inside, which Is perfectly
proper thing to do in Meadow Mouse
society. The house was empty!
Little Miss Nanny wasn't there at
all! Danny walked right In and
looked everywhere. 1t was queer,
very queer, for he had been quite
certain that he had seen her peep
ing out at him as he started up
her private little path. Gould she
be hiding from him? Or could 1t
be that while he had been so long
in coming some one else had stolen
her away? Instantly he grew bold.
The thought that he might have
lost her through his own bashful-
ness made him doubly anxious to
find her.
Danny looked out Of the back
door. AS she hadn't come out the
front way she must have gone out
this way. OF course! There was
just little faint mouse scent. 1t
tickled Danny's nose. He knew 1t
was the scent Of little Miss Nanny.
He followed 1t eagerly, for that is
the way Of little meadow people. 1t
led him straight to big grassy tus-
sock. The long grass hung way over
all around. Danny peeped under.
1t seemed to him that he saw Just
the tip of q fascinating little tail
disappear on the other side Of the
tussock. Danny started after 1t
eagerly and as fast as he could run.
Sometimes he though he heard little
footsteps ahead Of him. Round and
round that grassy tussock he ran,
but though he could run pretty fast
for q Meadow Mouse he didn't even
catch another glimpse of that fasci-
mating tail. 1t was quite plain to
see that little Miss Nanny could run
quite as fast as he could.
Then he had q bright idea. Any
way 1t seemed like q bright idea to
him. He would run the other way
and then he would be sure to meet
her. So Danny turned around and
started round the grassy tussock
Just the opposite way from which
he had been going and his heart
beat very fast with excitement for
now surely he must catch little Miss
Nanny. But he didn't! No, sir, he
didn't! He went clear around that
grassy tussock without seeing q sign
Of little Miss Nanny. He was so
disappointed and vexed that he
could have cried but for the fact
that he had outgrown his cry-baby
DAYS. It was very plain to be seen
that little Miss Nanny was quite as
clever and smart as he, and the
more he realized this the more he
knew that he just must have her.
This time he walked around very
slowly, shifting and shifting. Ha!
There was that faint scent and 1t
led of down a private little path.
Danny began to run once more.
This time it led to an old brush pile
and under this were little galleries
In all directions. Danny heard a
faint rustic In one of them and OF
he started in that direction. Then
began such q game Of hide-and-seek
as he never had played in all his
life. Dozens Of times he was sure
that at last he had caught up with
little Miss Danny, only to be dis
appointed. He began to almost hate
that brush pile. And then. just
when he was quite tired out and
almost discouraged, he saw little
Miss Nanny sitting with her back
to MIN and looking out under the
old brush pile quite as If she didn't
know that he was anywhere about.