Evening star., 1942-03-26
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.


Farmer Browns boy tramped
through the Green Forest whistling
merrily. He always whistles when he
feels lighthearted, and he always
feels lighthearted when he goes
fishing. You see, he Is just as fond
Of fishing as is Little Joe Otter or
Billy Mink or Buster Bear. And
now he was making his way through
the Green Forest to the Laughing
Brook sure that by the time he had
followed 1t down to the Smiling Pool
he would have a fine lot of trout to
take home. He knew every pool in
the Laughing Brook where the trout
love to hide. did Farmer Browns
boy, and 1t was just the kind of a
morning when the trout should be
hungry. So he whistled as he
tramped along and his whistle was
good to hear.
When he reached the first little
pool he baited his hook very care
fully and then taking the greatest
care to keep out Of sight Of any trout
that might be in the little pool he
began to fish. Now, Farmer Browns
boy learned long time ago that to
be a successful fisherman one must
have a great deal of patience. so
though he didn't get bite right
away, as he had expected to, he
wasn't the least bit discouraged. He
kept very quiet and fished and fished,
patiently waiting for a foolish trout
to take his hook But he didn't get
so much as a nibble. Either the
trout have lost their appetite or they
have grown very wise" muttered
Farmer Browns boy. as after a long
time he moved on to the next pool.
There the same thing happened. He
was very patient, very. very patient,
but his patience brought no reward.
not so much as the faintest kind OF
a nibble. Farmer Browns boy
trudged on to the next pool, and
there was a puzzled frown on his
freckled face. Such a thing never
had happened before. He didn't know
what to make Of it. All the night
before he had dreamed about the
delicious dinner of fried trout he
would have the next day, and now
we'll, If he didn't catch some trout
pretty soon that splendid dinner
would never be anything but a
dream.
If didn't know that nobody else
comes fishing here I should think
that somebody had been here this
very morning and caught all the fish
or else frightened them 50 that they
are all hiding" said he, as he trudged
on to the next pool. Il never had
such luck in all my life before.
Hello! What's this?"
There on the bank beside the little
pool were the heads OF three trout.
Farmer Browns boy scowled down at
them more puzzled than ever. Some
body has been fishing here and they
have had better luck than have"
thought he. He looked up the
Laughing Brook and down the
Laughing Brook, and this way and
that way, but no one was to be seen.
Then he picked up one of the little
heads and looked at it sharply. 1T
wasn't cut of with a knife, it was
bitten OIL" he exclaimed. Il won-
der now If Billy Mink is the scamp
who has spoiled my fun"
Thereafter he kept sharp lookout
for signs of Billy Mink. but though
he found two or three more trout
heads, he saw no other signs and he
caught no fish. This puzzled him
more than ever. 1t didn't seem pos
sible that such little fellow as Billy
Mink could have caught or fright
ened all the fish or have eaten so
many. Besides, he didn't remember
ever having known Billy to leave
heads around that way. Billy some
times catches more fish than he can
eat, but he usually hides them. The
farther he went down the Laughing
Brook the more puzzled Farmer
Browns boy grew. 1t made him feel
very queer. He would have felt still
more queer if he had known all the
time two other fishermen who had
been before him were watching him
and chuckling to themselves. They
were little Joe Otter and Buster
Bear.