Evening star., 1942-03-02
Bedtime Storie:
By THORNTON w. BUR less.


Granny Fox was trottingt Wn the
Lone Little Path through th AGreen
Forest. She was in no particular
hurry. In fact, she was not going
anywhere in particular. She was
just out for an airing. But whether
she is going anywhere in particular
or not old Granny Fox always keeps
her eyes and her ears wide open.
1t is in this way that she has learned
so much about her neighbors. and
it is because of this habit that she
Is so hard to surprise or to fool.
Sly, very sly, and smart, is old
Granny Fox, and it is largely be-
cause she has learned to use her
eyes and her ears.
So now as she trotted down the
Lone Little Path she heard the
voice OF Blacky the Grow. She
stopped right away and cooked her
head on one side SO as to hear
better, for Blacky's voice was very
faint, as if he were long way of.
Cav, cav, cav, caw!" Granny
sat down and a shrewd look crept
into her sharp eyes as she listened.
There's mischief afoot," said
Granny. when Blacky caws like
that there is something going on.
He's way over in the Green Forest,
and he sees something that is excit-
ing, very exciting indeed. He's spoiled
many a hunt for me by caWing like
that. 1t sounds very much as if he
was saying, Fox, fox, fox!' I wonder
If that scamp Reddy is in trouble.
I believe I'll have to look and see
what is going on"
With that old Granny Fox trotted
off in the direction from which
Blacky's voice came. The nearer
she got the louder his voice
sounded. Granny would stop once
in a while to cock her head on one
side and listen. Something going
on! There certainly is something
going on!" she would say to herself.
Then she would trot on faster than
before. Presently she reached a
point where she could see Blacky
on the top of a tall pine tree. He
was leaning forward so as to look
down, and it was very plain to see
that he was watching something
very exciting down below, and he
was cawing so that Granny
wondered that it didn't give him a
sore throat. She smiled to herself
when she saw that Blacky was so
interested in what he was looking
at that he didn't see her coming.
It has long been Blacky's delight to
torment old Granny Fox by telling
everybody within sound OF his voice
where she is when he sees her. so
now Granny smiled and crept
forward very, very carefully. so as
not to be seen or heard, and pres
emily she reached a place where
she could peep out and see what
it was that was exciting Blacky so.
What was 1t? Why, it was Peter
Rabbit playing dodge with Reddy
Fox.
"I thought I'd find that scamp
Reddy," muttered Granny. When
Blacky makes a fuss like that 1t Is
usually because Reddy is somewhere
around. I think I'll join in the
game and show Reddy that, smart
as he is, his old granny is smarter.
1t is high time that impudent Peter
Rabbit was served up for a Fox
dinner"
Now, it is no wonder that Blacky
the Crow was excited. That game
of dodge wasn't a game for fun at
all. Oh, my, no! 1t was very much
more exciting than a game for fun
ever could be. You see. II Peter
could be caught he would not only
lose the game but he would lose his
life as we'll. And If Reddy shouldn't
catch him he would not only lose
the game but he would lose a good
dinner he had quite made up his
mouth for. So each was bound to
win.
Just as old Granny Fox made up
her mind that she would take a
hand and show Reddy how to- catch
Peter something happened. Peter
suddenly stopped dodglng and
started for a big pile of brush as fast
as he could 60 lipperty-lipperty-lip.
Granny saw what he was trying for
and sprang out to head him off,
but she was just too late. Reddy,
following close at the heels Of Peter,
was just too late, too. Peter was
safe under the big pile of brush!