Evening star., 1942-02-05
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.


This is the story, the amazing
story, that Sammy Jay told to
Blacky the Grow as they sat in the
Lone Pine. It is the same story he
had tried to tell all the little people
of the Green Meadows and the
Green Forest, but that in his excite
ment he had mixed up so that no
body could make head or tail of 1t
and so everybody had thought he
had gone crazy.
Il had gone way, way into the
Green Forest just to look around a
little" said Sammy. "I had seen
nothing and nobody for a long time,
when suddenly I saw something
moving on the ground. ! flew over to
see what it was, and when I got
where I could see clearly I nearly
fell from the tree in which I was
sitting. Yes, sir, was so surprised
and-and frightened that I nearly
fell out of that tree!"
Blacky looked as If he didn't quite
believe this, but thought that
Sammy was Just trying to make a
big story. But he didn't say any
thing, and Sammy went on.
AT first thought it was Farmer
Browns boy, for the stranger was
standing on two legs, just like
Farmer Browns boy, and his back
was to me. But in a minute I saw
he had on a black fur coat, and I've
never seen Farmer Browns boy
wearing black fur coat, have your"
Blacky shook his head. WAS 1t
as black as mine?" he asked.
Sammy nodded. "Just as black, 4"
said he. I'm a minute he began to
walk, and he didn't walk on two
feet-he walked on four feet!"
Sammy was beginning to get excited
again. Il was so surprised that I
guess I screamed. OF course, he
heard me and looked up. Hello, Mr..
Jay! said he, and grinned, and
when he grinned he showed his
teeth, and they were very big. I had
begun to think that nobody lives
around here and was getting kind
of lonesome. You don't happen to
know where there is any honey, do
you?' The idea of thinking that
there would be any honey as early
in the spring as this! Then he
walked over to a big tree and stood
up and stretched his hands way up
as high as he could and scratched
the bark of the tree, and he has the
awfulest claws you ever saw! 1
didn't suppose anybody ever had
such claws. When I saw those I
just spread my wings and flew away
as fast as ever I could. And now
when try to tell about it every
body calls me crazy"
Blacky scratched his head thought
fully and Sammy suspected that he,
too, thought him crazy. Did he
have a tail?" asked Blacky.
II don't know" confessed
Sammy. Il didn't stop to look"
And you say he is as big as-as
Reddy Fox?" asked Blacky, his sharp
eyes twinkling shrewdly.
I said he is as big as Farmer
Browns boy!" replied Sammy in
dignantly.
And he walks on four legs?" per-
sisted Blacky.
"Yes," replied Sammy, "but he
stands on two legs"
"Hm-m-m," said Blacky. "I've
lived a long time in the Green
Forest, but I've never seen or heard
of any one like that. You are sure
you did not dream it, Sammy?"
"Of course, I didn't dream it!"
cried Sammy. Did you ever know
me to go to sleep in the daytime!
I tell you he's a stranger!"
Where did you say you saw him?"
asked Blacky.
Deep in the Green Forest, beyond
the pond of Paddy the Beaver, re-
piled Sammy.
Il believe I'll 60 have a look for
myself" said Blacky. Wont you
come show me the way?"
mo, thanks" replied Sammy
promptly. I've seen him once,
and that's enough!"
And so Blacky the Crow started
alone to hunt for the stranger in the
Green Forest.