Show BEDTIME STORY FOR FORBy CHILDREN By THORNTON W. W BURGESS JOHNNIE CHUCK DEC DECIDES DES DESTO TO EAT A LITTLE MORE cc 0 EAT or not to eat that Is la the TO question said Johnny Chuck as ashe ashe ashe he nibbled daintily at a clover er leaf You dont don't look to me as If there declared was any question at all Sammy Jay lay who happened along Just JustIn In to time to overhear what Johnny had said maali How flow any one ono so fat as ns you are can ever look at food Is something I cant can't understand If It you eat much more your skin will burst Dont Don't you think of an anything thing but your stomach Johnny Chuck Chinch Im not thinking of my stomach retorted Johnny Chuck Indignantly I If I wouldn't eat another mouthful I he be sure that Im I'm fat enough Fat enough I 1 exclaimed Sammy Jay Ho IIo ho ho hoi 1101 I If you get much u k km m 11 1 J o r l I j jt t t Jt I I Am Not Thinking of My Stomach Retorted Johnny Chuck fatter you wont won't be able to walk How fat do you yon want to get Fat enough to be sure of sleeping comfortably all winter and having strength enough left to take care of m myself self when Mistress Spring gets here mere again replied Johnny Chuck shortly lie He didn't like being laughed at I wish I could know whether the winter Is going to be a long one or a short one If I thought It was going to be short I would stop eating this very cry minute I dont don't see what the winter has to todo todo todo do with your eating replied Sammy Jay scratching his head bead In a puzzled puzzled puzzled way Its got everything e to do with It It retorted Johnny Chuck Then he explained explained ex ex- that getting fat was his way of storing up food and that It was very necessary that he should have ha enough to last him until the coming of Mistress Mistress Mis MIs- tress Spring Sammy Jay listened with something like very real Inter Inter- est He began to understand why It was that Johnny Chuck was so anxious anxIous anxious ious to know what the winter would be Jerry Muskrat thinks It Is going to be a long hard winter said Sammy as Johnny Chuck stopped speaking Johnny pricked up his short round ears cars How do you know that he demanded lIes Hes building the walls of his house thicker than Ive I've ever known him to before replied Sammy If It anybody knows about the weather It ItIs ItIs ItIs Is Jerry Muskrat Then too his cousin Paddy the Beaver Is cutting more moro wood than he did last y year r. r You know he sinks It In his pond and eats the bark In winter That looks to me meas meas meas as If Paddy thinks the same as Jerry Ie lIe knows he cant can't get any more food until the Ice has melted In the spring and he means to have enough I dont don't believe he would work the way waybe he be Is doing If he wasn't pretty sure that It was necessary Johnny Chuck sat up the better betterto to look at Sammy Jay and make sure that Sammy meant what he was say say- ing lag What more have you seen or heard beardi he demanded eagerly all the time chewing a clover leaf Nothing much replied Sammy only that I heard Buster Bear say that his new fur coat cont is the thickest he ever had and he wished cold weather would hurry burry up and come along because h hes he's s 's uncomfortable now Hes He's fatter too than Ive I've ever seen him since ho came to the Green Forest to live This morning I met Reddy neddy Fox and he was complaining about the thickness of his new coat He said that Billy Mink and Little LittleJoe LittleJoe LittleJoe Joe Otter have bave the finest warmest coats they ever have had but are arc finding them a little uncomfortable I think Do know what Just now you What asked Johnny Chuck erly Jay trying tryIng tryIng try- try I 1 think replied Sammy Ing to look wise and knowing that has bas these Nature given If f Old Mother fellow such a thick coat It Is 18 because because be be- cause she knows that they will have need for It lt I think that the winter is going to be hard and long I Im I'm m almost almost al almost al- al most tempted to move south myself Thank you Sammy Jay replied Johnny Chuck gratefully I 1 think Just as you ou do You have removed the last doubt from my mind I dont don't think Ill I'll turn in to sleep for the wInter winter winter win wIn- ter for a few days yet A little more fat wont won't wont won't do any harm There Too is nothing like being prepared but too little much fat wont won't hurt me may may With this Johnny Chuck fell tell to eatIng eating eat eat- ing lag as if he were half balf starved Instead of nearly bursting with fat 1932 by T. T W W. Durgess Service |