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Show (ip Daddy's $eifyeiii Fairy Tale ' yWV GRAHAM BQWCR . n vutW MWHB IIWHI f. SHOEBILL'S SMARTNESS Hlllle Brownie, as you know, was Riven permission by Mother Nature to talk to all of tier children and to understand un-derstand what was said by them, as well ait having them understand Billie ISrownie. Hu had been wanting for some tune to visit the Shaehlll which bad arrived from Africa Home time before and which had taken up lt residence In the too. So, one morning, bright and early, while the dew wus on the grass und the birds were singing their early morning concert, ltillie Hrownle packed a little lunch of Brownie sandwiches, and started forth for a day's trip. He expected to cull on some others besides the Shoehlll, ho that It was well to huva some food with him, as lie might get very hungry before night came. He had some nuts and bananas and other good things to give to some of the animals and he had these In another an-other package. lie put both of these packages In the knapsack he wore over bis back when he went on trips, and started out. So, as soon as he reached the r.oo, he went to call on the Shoehlll. "I will have to get around to the other side of your face," said Billle ISrownie, "to see your other eye." Then, when be got around to the other side of Shoebill's fuce It seemed as though he were still being looked at out of one eye of the Shoe-bill's. Shoe-bill's. "Your face Is so long," said Billle, The Shoeblll didn't seem to mind that In the least. As a matter of fact, ltillie hadn't meant to say Just that, but In going from one side of the Shoehlll to tne other It had seemed quite a natural thing to say. Of course Billle knew that the animals ani-mals were rather proud of all their unusual points, but he didn't know the - 'i i He Went to Call on tha Shoebill. Shoehlll well at all and he didn't unite know, what made n Shoebill pleased and what made him mad. "I beg your pardon, Shoebill, If I have offended you," Billle Krownle said. ".Needn't beg pardon," said the tShoehlll, "for I'm not offended. Old Grandfather Shoebill used to say to us back In our African home: "'Don't get offended, Shoehllls. It only causes you to feel unhappy, and being unhappy when you don't need to be unhappy Is a waste of beautiful, beautiful time.' "So I try to keep my grandfather's advice In mind." "I'm glad to be cheered up," said Blllie Krownle, "as I've been a little sad today. "I met a tattle-tale child on my way here and a tattle-tale child always makes a Brownie very sad." "I'll tell you a Jolly story," said Shoehlll. "My benk Is a great, long beak as you can see. "It's somewhat the shape of a shoe as you can also see, and as you've heard before. I mean that you know that is the reason why we have such a family name. "Now 1 have a Jolly reason why I think we got that name. Of course It Is only my little reason and so don't put It down us natural history. "Whatever else I've told you Is so we do come from Africa and we're named Shoehlll because our"beaks look something like a s)ioe. But when I tell vou mv own Jolly reason It is only my own little story to cheer you up. "I think that there came a time when news even reached Africa about the prtve of slices. "Fathers were worried, mothers were worried, everyone was worried, "'The price of children's shoes,' they kept hearing it all the time and It bad a sound they didn't like. So they said, 'Let's all of us look like a shoe and always have our shoe with us. Then we'll always have something to show wln people f.v t0 frighten US with the price of shoes for children. "'We won't need shoes of course, but people may try to upset us by talking talk-ing nlioiit such things and we'll always buve a shoe for every member of the family and a bill at the same time j which belongs to us ii'id which no one enn send In at the tlrst of the mouth." " Blllie Brownie laughed mid the Shoe-bill Shoe-bill winked his eye. "I cheered you," lie said brightly. |
