Show TIME SLEEPY-TIME I. I TALES THE TALE OF 4 1 NI NIMBLE DEER BY ART BAILEY I A MOCK BATTLE When Nimble had three points on I each o of hi his antlers in un his fourth summer summer sum sum- summer mer he felt that h was at last grown up He lIe was now la a thre three Some of tl e older bucks had more more points than he Many of them were but four His own father had been a five So nimble hoped secretly that he would have point five antlers in another two years As soon as his new horns were i ready Nimble and his friend Dodger the De Deer r began th their lr ir mock battles again And Nimble found them greater great great- er fun than ever I Dodger was a spry fellow He lie was quick as a flash lash at When Nimble ran at him with with head lowered and horns aimed straight at him I Dodger could wait walt until Nimble all allbut all all' allbut but struck him before leaping aside And then Nimble would go rushing past nast him I 4 But Dodger did n not t always dodge when attacked Sometimes he stood his ground with his own own head lowered in a threatening fashion And then Nimble checked his headlong ru rush h and merely clashed his horns pleasantly against Dodgers I There r was something about t the t W sO sound that h sent a thrill through hr NI NIble Nimble Nimble Nim Nim- ble and started his coat to bristling along his backbone with a queer creepy feeling One day in the fall NImble's mother came upon them In the woods when they were having one of their sham fights better stop that she said to them severely Somebody will g ge get t hurt sooner or later if It youre you're not careful care care- ful Nimble and Dodger paid little heed to her warning except to stop until the good lady had gone on and left them Then Just as they were on the point of renewing their frolic somebody spoke In a hoarse voice It was ol old I Mr Crow v. lIe He sat on a low Jow branch o oa of ofa I a spreading pine where he ho had been watching the contest for tor some time I without being noticed Id have my fun If I wanted to he croaked Ladles Ladies are too finicky They dont don't know what a good time is Now Mr Crows Crow's remarks pleased Nimble And they pleased Dodger the Deer They didn't know that the old ok gentleman was a famous trouble maker So Dodger and Nimble drew a little distance apart as they always did when they were getting ready to clash Go Co it squalled Mr Crow And they started And Mr l Crow Jumped up and down in his excite excIte- ment Now theres there's going to be some rea real fun eun he muttered But Dut Dodger the Deer leaped aside Just in time to avoid being hit An And that didn't please Mr Ir Crow at all You fellows arent aren't half halt trying he cried impatiently Anyone would woul think you were a pair of Spike Horns I I Now all Spike Horns were two I whole years younger than Dodger and Nimble So it was no wonder that thai Mr Crows Crow's words stung them Nimble charged more fiercely than ever And Dodger stood his ground With his feet planted firmly beneath him he waited for the blow 1 Ther There was a cr crack k and a thud Ha lIa Mr Crow squawked a little more like It Dodger didn't dodge that time to be sure But he stood still And only a Spike Horn would stand and wait walt for tho the enemy Of course Dodger couldn't help wanting to show Mr Crow that he knew how to carry earry on a mock bat bat- tle tIe So the next time Nimble rushed at him hlin Dodger did not wait walt He lIe Jumped to meet Nimble They struck In tho the air with a frightful crash and fell tell sp sprawling upon the tho ground Ha That's more like Uke it Mr rr Crow applauded the sort of mock battle 1 I like to see seel r |