Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-01-06
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

Some people like to spread bad
news. They would rather spread
bad news than good news. It's
queer, but it's so. Sammy Jay is
that kind. He never seems so happy
as when he is flying about through
the Green Forest telling some dread
full news to everybody he meets.
And this isn't the worst of it. He
doesn't always tell the truth! He
sometimes makes things out great
deal worse than they really are SO
as to make his story more exciting.
And so 1t often happens that Sammy
spreads false reports. You know
false reports are stories that are not
true or only partly true.
Now, Sammy Jay had happened
along just in time to see Farmer
Browns boy pick up poor Mrs.
Grouse after he had broken the
hard, icy crust that had made her a
prisoner underneath. She had been
SO weak and worn out that she
could only f1utter feebly when he
had set her free, and so he had
picked her up and started for home
with her. Sammy Jay had seen
this. His eyes had popped out with
excitement. Here was great news.
He couldn't sit still minute. And
what a splendid chance to say
something bad about Farmer Browns
boy! Sammy never misses chance
to make trouble for Farmer Browns
boy.
So off he started as fast as he
could go. The first one he met was
Chatterer the Red Squirrel.
Great news! Great news!" scream
ed Sammy.
what is it?" asked Chatterer.
Farmer Browns boy has killed
poor Mrs. Grouse and taken her
home for his dinner!" cried Sammy.
II don't believe it." replied Chat
terer, who right that minute was
eating nuts that he knew Farmer
Browns boy had left for him.
"You don't have to, but that
doesn't make it that it isn't so. l
saw him do it," retorted Sammy, and
started on.
RICH away Chatterer lost his ap-
petite. He didn't know whether to
believe it or not. He felt dreadfully
sorry for Mrs. Grouse, and then, too,
he didn't like to think that Farmer
Browns boy would do such dread
full thing. You see, Farmer Browns
boy had been very good to him, and,
though he had once hated him, he
rather liked him now that he had
come to know him, though Chat
terer wouldn't have admitted this
to anybody for the world "Oh. my,
no! 1 don't believe it." he NUT
tered over and over to himself. Il
don't believe it." But just the same
he lost his appetite.
f, Presently Sammy Jay saw Reddy
Fox. Great news! Great newS!"
shrieked Sammy.
What is it?" demanded Reddy.
Farmer Browns boy has killed
poor Mrs. Grouse and taken her
home for his dinner" replied
Sammy.
How do you know" demanded
Reddy, suspiciously.
IT saw him do it," replied Sammy.
II hate Farmer Browns boy!"
growled Reddy Fox. Mrs. Grouse
belonged to me. I meant to have
her for my dinner some day
Why didn't you catch her, then|'
asked Sammy Jay, slyly.
Il would have some day." snapped
Reddy.
The way you have Peter Rabbit"
laughed Sammy.
Reddy couldn't say q word. for
you know he had tried and tried TO
catch Peter Rabbit and never could.
He just glared up at Sammy, who
Just laughed and then flew of to
spread the dreadful news. All the
rest of the day he told the same
story until all the little people who
were out that cold winter day in the
Green Forest and on the Green
Meadows green no longer because
they were covered with snow had
heard that poor Mrs. Grouse had
been killed by Farmer Browns boy.
And some it made very, very sad.
And some, like Reddy and Granny
Fox and Old Man Coyote. 1t made
angry, for each of them had meant
some day to have Mrs. Grouse for
dinner themselves. And all the
time Mrs Grouse wasn't dead at all,
as you and I know.