Evening star., 1942-04-23
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON W. BURGESS


Mite. the Ittlest and snartest and
most headsTong Of the four chill
dren Of Danny and Nanny Meadow
Mouse. had run away Yes. sir. he
had rIn away from home. For some
time he had planned to DO It, and
TOW ne actually had done it. Il
wasn't because ne was unhappy al
home. Il wasn't because he WASH :
loved b. his father and mother and
brother and sisters. The fact Is
he was so small and cute and smart
that ne was very much loved Uy
all Of them. The reason he had run
away was simply because he wanted
10 see the Great World, and he oe-
heved himself so smart that he
could do it without getting into
danger. You see. he had a very
good opinion Of himself. had little
Mite: such a good opinion Of him
self that he thought he knew more
than Danny Meadow Mouse and
used to turn MS head to hide a
smile when Danny would tell how
dangerous it would De for one of
them to so much as peep out from
the shelter OF the pile Of old corn
stalks in the middle Of which was
their home.
y don't believe it is dangerous at
all -" said Mite Il guess I'm smart
enough to keep out of danger, any
way. And if I should find trouble,
all I've got to do is 10 turn around
and scamper home again"
So he had watched his chance
and when no one was looking ne
had slipped out along one OF Danny S
private little paths. He scampereo
along it as fast as ever he could,
fearing that he would be seen and
called back. He took the first path
that branched of and followed this
until this branched, and here he
turned off again. BY this time ne
was quite sure that no one had
seen him, and so, Of course, that
no one was following him, and he
began TO enjoy his freedom. 1t was
very delightful and cool down there
with walls Of grass stems on either
side and with a green roof where
the grasses met above the little
path and through which the merry
little sunbeamS crept here and there.
Every few minutes Mite stopped
to sample tender, young. juicy
grasses, and once. to his great de-
light, he found a strawberry. Later
he caught sight of a fat cricket just
disappearing around turn IN tne
path and with a little squeak OF
excitement he started after 1t. But
when he got around the little turn
in the path the cricket was nowhere
to be seen. Mite hunted until ne
was tired. Then he sat down to
rest.
u guess" thought he. ''it is about
time I started back home" Right
then and there he received the first
of many frightS which were to be
his before he should again see the
dear old home under the pile OF
old cornstalks on the edge of Farmer
Browns cornfeld. Yes, sir, he re-
ceived a fright, a very great fright.
He didn't know where home was!
He, Mite Meadow Mouse, who was
so smart and clever, had lost him
self the very first thing. He had
come along so many paths that
he couldn't remember which was
which.
Right away little Mite did the
very thing that most people do when
they find that they are lost-he be-
gan to run. Yes, sir, Mite oegan
to run as hard as ever he could.
He didn't feel tired any longer. All
he could think of was getting home,
and he acted as if he thought that
lust running would get him there
Now, of course, it would have got
him there if-if he had been run
ming in the right direction. But he
wasn't. and so the faster he ran the
further he got from home. Anc as
he ran, little Mite cried. Yes, sir, ne
cried. He suddenly felt very, very
small and so dreadfully lonely.
Those dangers he had so foolishly
laughed at now seemed very real
and near. Jolly, round, bright Mr..
Sun had hidden behind a cloud, and
so no merry little sunbeams bright
ened the little path. And at last
the little path ended. Little Mite
sat down and cried. He just couldn't
help it. Tt wish I had stayed at
home!'' he sobbed. Il wish hadn't
thought myself so dreadfully smart" !"