Evening star., 1942-04-15
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON v. BURGESS

II, d. brsv, dsed Tor yourself
B., vhen you're brave for some one sise
WHY then. ;he deed Is splendid
Danny and little Miss Nanny
Meadow Mouse were having just
the best time ever. You see. they
really we're very much in love with
each other Danny thought little
Miss Nanny the most beautiful
Meadow Mouse in all the Great
World Hadn't she seen him f1ght
a splendid battle Just for her? And
hadn't he brought her the very
incest things 70 eat7 What more
could she ask Of any one7 And so
they had perfectly happy time
together in the warm sunshine on
the Green Meadows and quite for
got everything and everybody but
themselves.
Now. Il never docs to forget. No.
sir. it never does 10 forget. For
getting is what brings most of the
trouble 10 the little people of the
Green Meadows and the Green For
est No matter how busy or how
happy they are or how peaceful
everything seems. they must never
never forget to watch out for dan
ger But most of them are very
much like little boys and girls and
some older people-thev do forget.
particularly when they are having
good time Old Mr. Trouble always
seems TO be looking especially for
those who are having a good time.
probably because he knows that that
Is the time when they are most
likely to have forgotten and so are
not watching out
That is the way It was with Dan
ny and Nanny Meadow Mouse. It
was so very beautiful and they were
so happy and having such a good
time that it didn't seem possible
that danger could be anywhere near.
But it was Something had put it
into the head of certain gentle
man in red to go over to that part
Of the Green Meadows where little
Miss Nanny made her home. It was
Reddy Fox. He had no particular
business over there He was lust
out for walk. But Reddy Fox
never goes out for q walk without
keeping ears and eyes and nose wide
open for anything which may prove
interesting or important. This time
It was his nose, that wonderful little
black nose, that warned him that
there was something worth looking
into here.
"M-m-m" said Reddy to him
self, Il smell Meadow Mouse, and
1t reminds me that am hungry. A
fat Meadow Mouse is just what I
need. I must look into this"
Right away Reddy began to fol-
low that little, black nose, and 1t
led him along one of the private
little paths of little Miss Nanny.
He stepped very softly, and every
few steps he stood up a little on
his hindlegs to look ahead over
the tops of the grasses to see if he
could see any of them moving where
a careless Meadow Mouse was run
ming. And every few steps he
stopped and listened for the sound
of scurrying little feet. So. little by
little, following that wonderful lit
tie, black nose of his. he drew near
er to the place where Danny and
Nanny Meadow Mouse were having
such good time and were SO for
getful. At last as he raised him
self to look he saw little Miss Nanny
run under little bunch of over
hanging grass. Reddy smiled, and it
was a cruel, hungry smile Then
he stole forward a few steps and
settled himself to spring swiftly into
the middle of that little bunch of
overhanging grass.
1t was just at that very instant
that Danny Meadow Mouse hap
pened to see Reddy Fox. He knew
just what was going to happen, and
1t made his little heart almost stop
beating. Then what do you think
he did? 1t was Just the bravest
thing! He ran right across in front
Of Reddy and squeaked a sharp
warning to little Miss Nanny. Did
you ever know of braver act than
that?