Evening star., 1943-04-02
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS

RABBIT that no one but Jerry Musk
rat and Paddy the Beaver and Bus
ter Bear and he himself knew the
secret OF where Mr.. and Mrs. Quack
had gone to she was mistaken. Some
one else knew, and that some one
was the very last person in the
world that Mrs. Quack thought of
as being smart enough to find out.
And if Mrs Quack had known that
he knew she would have been quite
upset. 1t was Farmer Browns boy.
Yes, sir, it was Farmer Browns boy.
1t had come about in this way:
Farmer Browns boy had paid
daily visit to the Smiling Pool ever
since the morning he had hidden
among the alder bushes and seen
Mr.. and Mrs. Quack. Sometimes he
had gone in the morning but not
another glimpse had he of either
Mr.. and Mrs. Quack. He had even
tramped down the Laughing Brook
clear to the Big River without see
ing sign of either OF them. Had it
not been for that hurt wing of Mr..
Quack's, he would have felt sure that
they had gone on their way to their
usual home in the far northland,
but remembering that wing he knew
they couldn't have done this. Then
he made up his mind that they had
gone down to the Big River, and if
they had escaped the hunters they
probably were hiding in some lonely
place along the banks of the Big
River.
But every day he brought with
him a pocketful of yellow corn and
scattered it among the bulrushes in
the Smiling Pool. IF they should
happen to come back, or if any
other ducks should happen to drop
in here they'll find something to eat,
anyway said he, out of the good
ness of his heart. Then one morn
ing he happened to think that it was
foolish to waste his corn. He would
see how much there was out there
among the bulrushes before he
threw any more there. Slipping off
his shoes and stockings he waded
and looked and looked. Not single
yellow kernel could he find. Back on
the bank he sat down to think.
That corn has disappeared. Some
one has taken it" thought he. Now,
who is there among those who live
in the Smiling Pool or visit it who
would pick all that corn out of the
mud at the bottom of the Smiling
Pool?" He looked over at Jerry
Muskrat suspiciously. Then he shook
his head, Il don't believe he would
bother with it," said he. There
isn't any one else, unless" He
paused and frowned. Unless those
ducks are not so far away, after
ALL he finished. I'll try it once
more and see what happens" He
stood up and scattered the corn
among the bulrushes and then
tramped off home Quite early the
next morning he was back at the
Smiling Pool. Not a single kernel
of yellow corn could he find
Farmer Browns boy chuckled.
That settles it," he said The ducks
are somewhere around, though
where I can't imagine They are
too smart to come here in daylight,
so they must come after dark. I
think I'll do little spying"
So, just about the time that jolly,
round, red Mr. Sun was going to bed
behind the purple hills that night,
Farmer Browns boy was making
himself comfortable in his old hid
ing place among the alder bushes.
The black shadows crept over the
Green Meadows and across the
Smiling Pool. Little Friend the Song
Sparrow sang sleepy good d-night
song and then for long, long time
there wasn't sound save for the
chorus of the Hylas in the Smiling
Pool, and once the slap of Jerry
Muskrat's tail as Hooty the Owl
drifted like a shadow over the Smil-
ing Pool.
Farmer Browns boy had about
decided that he would have to give
up and go home when he heard a
sharp whistling sound coming from
behind him from up the Laughing
Brook. 1t passed over his head and
moment later Mrs. Quack was
among the bulrushes diving for the
corn he had left there. Farmer
Browns boy gave a little sigh of
satisfaction as he watched her eat
the dinner he had provided for her.
When she had eaten the last kernel
of corn she could find she took to
her stout wings again Dimly Farmer
Browns boy could see her against
the sky as she passed over him
straight toward the Green Forest.
AS the whistle of her wings died
away. he got up and stretched. and
on his freckled face was a smile of
satisfaction.
I've got your secret. old lady"
said he. You're up in the pond Of
Paddy the Beaver. A wonder I
didn't think of it before. wonder
If you will nest up there.