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Show BEDTIME STORY FOR CHILDREN I?y THORNTON W. HUKCKSS OLD MAN COYOTE'S MOUTH WATERS Pl'l-ASIl Into the Sinllln Fool Ml Jerry Xlusknit. mul If ever thore was a t lia nk Till Muskrat In till the Groat World that one was Jerry. He didn't mind Ills torn co.n at all. Indeed, In-deed, lie was thankful that It had torn. If It luul helil he wouUl now he on his way to the stomach of llooty the Owl. Despite his fright and the smart of the wiui mis made by Monty's claws, Jerry conl.ln't help a feeble grli as he heard Monty's scream of rage and disappointment. Now. of all that had happened to Jerry Mnskrat there had heen a witness. wit-ness. A witness, you know, Is one who sees whauer Is coir:; on. Jerry Muskrat didn't know that any one had seen what had happened to him. llooty Splash Fell Jerry Right In Front of Him. the Owl didn't know 1L But all the time a pair of the keenest eyes on all the Green Meadows or Id all the Green Forest had been watching. They were the eyes of Old Man Coyote. There Is very little goes on that Old Man Coyote doesn't know about. He had discovered what 'erry Muskrat was about, and more than one night he had been craftily stretched out back of the bulrushes at a place where he hoped Jerry would come for roots and climb out on the foundation walls of his new house and had watched him fall a-dreaming. Me had even thought of trying to wade out and surprise Jerry, but had been too shrewd ti try It He knew he couldn't possibly do It without frightening Jerry. Then he bad seen Hooty the Owl drift like a shadow out across the Smiling Poo! right over Jerry and clutch at him with great cruel claws. His crafty eyes snapped as he saw that Hooty had Jerry only by his coat and that he didnt have a good hold at that i "He won't fly far that way," thought Old Man Coyote. "He'll come down to ' the ground to get a better hold Just j as soon as he is across the Smiling Pooh and when he does ' Id Man Coy ote Is going to be right there. It is very fortunate that I am on this side of the Smiling Pool Instead of on the other, llooty Is going to pass right straight over me and he la living no low that I believe If 1 Jump suddenly 1 can snatch Jerry Muskrat right out of his claws." A lleree yellow light leaped up In the eyes of (lid Man Coyote, and his mouth began to water.. He crouched very Hat and very stll on the bank of the Smiling Pool and watched llooty the Owl draw nearer and nearer with helpless Jerry hanging from hla claws. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt In the mind of Old Man Coyote that In one little minute more he would have a muskrat dinner. And then, right then, when he was so absolutely sure, he saw Hooty 'ose his grip with one foot and Jerry began be-gan to struggle. It was on .he tip o. Old Man Coyote's tongue to cry "1111118 on to him. Hooty! Hang on to him Just a minute longer!" Hut, of course, he didn't do anything like that. Instead In-stead he held Ills breath and quivered all over and his mouth watered more than ever. It was plain to see that Mooty wasn't goin to be able to hold oil to Jerry Muskrat long, and If only he would drop him on dry laud Old Man Coyote would ask 110 more. And then right at the very edge of the Smiling Pool Jerry tore loose and fell. Me was so near that Old Man Coyote could almost touch him by reaching out. Had the water been shallow there this story never would have been written. Put It was deep. It was so deep that Old Man Coyote had to stay 011 the bank. Splash fell Jerry right In front of hlai, and as he leaned over the bank ready to grab Jerry If he came up the water was actually dashed In his face. Hut Jerry didn't come up. He dived deep down and swam to one of his private little tunnels In the bank and crept up this to the safety of a snug little room where there was soft grass. And so Jerry never knew how near he came to falling from trouble Into worse trouble, nor how Old Man Coyote'? Coy-ote'? mouth had watered In vain, and two people Instead of one had been disappointed In .1 dinner they had counted ns already as good as theirs . 1933. ty T W nunt'w.-WNl' Service |