Evening star., 1942-03-30
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS,

The news that Little Joe Otter
told at the Smiling Pool of how
Farmer Browns Boy had run away
from Buster Bear without even see
ing him. soon spread all over the
Green Meadows and through the
Green Forest until every one who
lives there knew about it. OF course.
Peter RABBIT helped spread 1t. Trust
Peter for that! But everybody else
helped, too. You see, they had all
been afraid of Farmer Browns Boy
for so long that they were tickled
almost to death at the very thought
of having some one in the Green
Forest who could make Farmer
Browns Boy feel fear as they had
felt it. And so it was that Buster
Rear became hero right away to
most of them.
A few doubted Little Joe's story.
One of them was Blacky the Grow.
Another was Reddy Fox. Blacky
doubted because he knew Farmer
Browns Boy so we'll that he couldn't
imagine him being afraid. Reddy
doubted because he didn't want to
believe. You see, he was jealous of
Buster Bear, and at the same time
he was afraid of him. So Reddy
pretended not to believe a word of
what Little Joe Otter had said and
he agreed with Blacky that only
by seeing Farmer Browns Boy
afraid could he ever be made to
believe it. But nearly everybody else
believed it, and there was great
rejoicing. Most of them were afraid
of Buster. very much afraid of him.
because he was so big and strong.
But thev were still more afraid of
Farmer Browns Boy because they
didn't know him or understand him.
and because in the past he had tried
to catch some of them in traps and
had hunted some of them with his
terrible gun.
So now they were very proud to
think that one of their own number
actually had frightened him, and
they began to look on Buster Bear
as real hero. They tried in ever
so many ways to show him how
friendly they felt and went quite
out of their way to do him favors.
Whenever they met one another all
they could talk about was the
smartneSs and greatness of Buster
Bear.
Now, I guess Farmer Browns
Boy will keep away from the Green
Forest and We won't have to be all
the time watching for him" said
Bobby Coon as he washed his dinner
in the Laughing Brook. for, you
know, he is very neat and particular.
And he won't dare set any more
traps for me-" gloated Billy Mink.
"Ah wish Br'er Bear would 20 up
to Farmer Browns henhouse and
scare Farmer Browns Boy so that
he would keep away from there. 1t
would be a favor to me which All
cert'nlv would appreciate" said Unc'
Billy PoSsum when he heard the
news.
Let's all go together and tell
Buster Bear how much obliged we
are for what he has done" pro-
posed Jerry Muskrat.
That's a splendid ideal" cried
Little Joe Otter. We'll do 1t right
away"
Cav, cav. caw!" broke in Blacky
the Grow. Il say, let's wait and
see for ourselves If it is true"
"Of course. it's true!" snapped
Little Joe Otter. Don't you believe
I'm telling the TRUTH"
Certainly. certainly. OF course.
no one doubts your word" replied
Blacky with the utmost politeness.
But you say yourself that Farmer
Browns Boy didn't see Buster Bear,
but only his footprint. Perhaps he
didn't know whose it was. and If
he had, wouldn't have been afraid.
Now I've got a plan by which we
can see for ourselves If he really
is afraid of Buster Bear"
What is it?" asked Sammy Jay
eagerly
Blackv the Grow shook his head
and winked. That's telling" said
he. Il want 70 think it over. If you
will meet me at the Big Hickory
Tree at sunup tomorrow morning.
and get everybody else to come that
you can, perhaps I will tell YOU"