Evening star., 1942-05-01
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BUR

Little Mite, the smallest and
| smartest of the four babies of Danny
Meadow Mouse, who had run away
| to see the Great World, wished with
all his might that he never had
thought of leaving his dear, safe
home. He had been so sure that
he was smart enough to take care of
himself, and now already he had
had three dreadful adventures, and
the fact that he was still alive was
not because of his own smartness,
but because of good fortune. He
had been lucky; that was all The
Great World, which, as he had
peeped out at it from the safety of
his home, had seemed such a won-
derful place, now seemed a very
dreadful place.
First. he had had all his breath
Knocked out of him by Bossy the
Cow. 1t was an accident, but he
didn't know it. Then he had been
caught by Black Pussy and had
escaped only because the Merry Lit
tie Breezes had helped him. He
didn't know this, either. Then Miner
the Mole had almost caught him
when he had taken a nap in Miners
underground house. Now he Won
dered what would happen next. He
had begun to think that there
wasn't any safe place anywhere for
little meadow mouse. He wasn't
doing any harm to anybody or any
thing, and yet it seemed as if the
whole Great World had turned
against him. He shivered with
fright as he wondered what he
should do next and what would
happen to him next.
THE first thing to do is to find a
safe hiding place." thought he, "and
believe I'll do it at once" This
was the very wisest thing that Little
Mite could possibly do, and it
showed that at last he really had
begun to learn. He was just about
to start out to look for a hiding
place, when he heard footsteps. He
pricked up his little ears and
listened with all his might. He
wondered if it might be a friend
who would help him. The trouble
was he didn't know who were friends
and who were enemies. Nearer and
nearer came those footsteps. Some
how they didn't sound like the foot
steps of a friend, because-well, be-
cause they had stealthy sound as
if whoever was making them was
trying to make no sound at all.
Nearer and nearer they came.
Little Mite didn't know what to do,
so he did nothing. He just sat still
his heart going thumpity- -thump-
thump, thumpity thump thump.
Now, it happens that sitting still
was just the wisest thing to do
Nearer and nearer came the soft,
stealthy footsteps. Then quite sud-
denly something big and red loomed
up right in front of Little Mite He
didn't know for sure who it was, but
he guessed. You see, the handsome
red coat was enough to make Mite
quite certain. And then there was
a smell that somehow made him
quite sick with fear.
TITS Reddy Fox" thought poor
Little Mite.
He was quite right. It was Reddy
Fox. Reddy had seated himself, his
back to wee. frightened Little Mite
and was watching something which
Mite, down among the grasses,
couldn't see. But he could see
Reddy's sides 60 in and out, in and
out, as he breathed, and he could
hear Reddy lick his chops every few
minutes. 1t was a perfectly dread
full situation! Here he was so closs
to one of those he most feared, the
very one about whom his father.
Danny Meadow Mouse, had warned
him against most, that he could
touch the long hairs Of his tall He
couldn't run, because there was no
place to run to. All he could do was
to sit perfectly still and try to hold
his breath. He wished his heart
wouldn't thump so. He was afraid
that Reddy would hear it.
What if Reddy should happen to
turn around and look behind him?
Mite made himself f1atter than ever
at the thought. He hoped that
Reddy would keep interested in
whatever it was that he was watch
ing so intently. How he did wish
for something to cover him up
something to hide under. And al
most with the thought something
did cover him UP. What do you
think it was? Why, it was the great.
plumey tail Of Reddy Fox himself
He had swung it around so that it
lay right over Little Mite Meadow
Mouse and Reddy knew nothing
about it. Little Mite held his
breath and wondered if he ever
would see home again.