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Show Pxy&u Thornton Burcfess ! J a a a a m a a mU . , . . , , aa . . i L a . SMiit-...-.. . . . . . m k SAMM y JAV lOO EXCITED TO TALK STRAIGHT CAMMY J AY was excited. Every-one Every-one who heard him knew that, and everybody who was anywhere near heard him. They would have had to be stone deaf not to have Sammy is just like some people when he Rets just a little excited he begins to talk in a loud voice. The more excited he gets the louder he talks. By and by, when he gets very much excited, he screams. That is what he was doing this beautiful beau-tiful spring morning, screaming as no one ever had heard him scream "What's Got Into Vou, Sammy Jay?" Demanded Peter. before. Indeed, he was so excited ' that his tongue couldn't go fast enough and tripped over his words . and mixed things up so that no one ' could make out what he was trying to say. He came flying out of the Green Forest, flying as fast as he could tnake his wings go, and screaming at the top of his lungs. He saw Jimmy Skunk coming down the . Lone Little Path and flew to meet him. "He's a stranger and he's black!" screamed Sammy. "Who's a stranger and who's black?" asked Jimmy. "And he's got great, big claws in his mouth!" continued Sammy. . Jimmy Skunk stopped short and stared very hard at Sammy Jay. "Say that again," said he. ' ' But just then Sammy caught sight of Peter Rabbit down by his dear Old Briar Patch. "Oh, I must tel Peter!' 'he screamed. "Peter! Peter Pe-ter Rabbit! He's there! He's bigger than Farmer Brown's boy and he walks!" And all the time he was screaming this long before he was anywhere near the Old Briar Patch. Jimmy Skunk was still staring after him and scratching his head in a puzzled kind of way, when along came line' Billy Possum. UnC Billy grinned as he looked over toward the Old Briar Patch. , "Mistah Jaybird's done gone crazy," said he. "He's done gone crazy in his haid. Whoever heard of anybody with great big claws In his mouth?" j. Now, Peter could make no more sense of what Sammy was saying Sweet and Low ; v.N . - - t- -s . ' Sweet and low In a bevy of striking strik-ing silhouettes, this hat has a charm all its own. It is of navy blue felt, trimmed with narrow flanges of cerise, bright blue and navy belting ribbon. The cloche brim is youthful and flattering. than could Jimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy Possum. "Who walks, Sammy Jay? Don't most people walk? What's got into you, Sammy Jay?" demanded Peter. Pe-ter. But Sammy couldn't keep still long enough to answer questions, and ofT he flew toward the Smiling Pool in search of Billy Mink and Jerry Muskrat and Grandfather Frog, and as he flew he still screamed in the same excited way, and Peter heard something about "long teeth" and "big feet," all of which was very perplexing, and, of course, made Peter very, very curious. curi-ous. He straightway started to hunt up Jimmy Skunk to see if Jimmy ' knew what it meant, and hall way down the Lone Little Path he met Jimmy. With him was Unc' Billy Possum. Peter's eyes were very wide open with wonder, and the first thing he said was: "What's the matter with Sammy Jay?" i Jimmy Skunk grinned and Unc' Billy shook his head sadly, though U Peter had looked sharply he would have seen a twinkle in Unc' Billy's eyes. "Poor Sammy Jay," said Unc Billy in the mournfuiest tones. "Poor Sammy Jay. He's foolish in nis haid. Peter. He's foolish in his haid." "Oh!" cried Peter. "Do you really think so, Unc' Billy? 1 thought be was just terribly excited." Unc' Billy winked at Jimmy Skunk as he said: "Ah don't now. about the excitement, Br'er Rab-biu Rab-biu but when people talk about great big claws in somebody's mouth, Ah cert'nly think there is something the matter. If you ask me. Ah think Br'er Jay done gone crazy." "Poor Sammy Jay," said Peter to himself, as he hopped away to find out what other people thought. "Poor Sammy Jay! 1 guess Unc' Billy must be right and he really is crazy. He can't talk straight, so he must be crazy." And all the rest of that day Peter told everyone he met that Sammy Jay had gone crazy. T. W. Burffess. WNU Service. |