Show tHE inc GROUSE lIND D DBy By Thornton tS d Give me a friend who L Ia I never afraid When 1 I m In la trouble to proffer me m aid ld aidI Mrs Air Grouse Grome I The first ot of the th little Black Sha- Sha Shadows Shadows Sha dows came cam creeping out from tram the Purple lulls through the th Green t The Th lost little Grouse had hadnot hadnot ba not been found by her hu mother She Sh was quite as much Io lost t as vor before beCore at the th approach ot of oth the Black Sh Shadows dow she he had had Mother Grou Grouse e to crawl under or orto orto oto to creep crep close to Never in her Iler short abort life bad had she i hc he been all alone So perhaps it is not to be won won- wondered wondered dered at that as a she he saw aw the tho first little Black s creeping I through tho Green Forest she ha shiv-I shiv shiv- shiv shivered cred ered with loneliness md fear tear bhe knew now that she abe bc would have to I I spend the th night all alone She t watt walt for tor or more mora o ot of th the DIk to come bhe She looked DIkI for fora forI fora to I a hiding place and presently she ahe h found an old log which was hollow hollos aheI I and open at one on end She Sh crept L Into this and did her best to make herself belle believe she he wasn't want afraid But she h was afraid Yes Yel sir air she shewa ho was wa afraid raid She Sh was w very much muc I raid Every little little- sound that she h heard made h her r tremble Sounds that sho aho had hid heard often oCten enough and paid no Attention to when she had d mother with bet hei now seemed strange and frightened her Yo You see eo she sh wa as 08 not yet old enough to know the meaning or of o each ellch sound She tried to go so to sleep bu but t couldn't It was not yet quite dark d v hen aho h beard heard the tho th sound ot of o little claws on the log log- logIn In which she sh wu was w hiding She crouched as far r bacIn back In that old log loc as she slie lae could get ret wuI and I her heart beat bet very rut fast with fright She kept kepL her hr eyes fixed on the tb op- op opening op ening at t the tb end of ot that old log J Her worst fears eari were realized Some one was w looking In at t that th opening The Tho little Grouse held her h breath Never In all her life lito had lishe she ahe been quite Quit so 80 o frightened I For Vor perhaps halt half a a minute tilts stranger stood looking In To th the little Grouse he ho looked very vry bIg bIgand bigand bland and terrible Would ho he h see o bert liar I Would ho he h conic come corn In to get her She Sho wished then tha that she h hadn't hidden In a a place p c from which she ahe nh could I Inot not fly fir She felt that she he had hid made madea md a great re I-re t mistake In crawling Into that holl holi hollow w log loir Now thero was w no way w y oot out waal The Tho Th stranger moved Would woula he go 10 away way 01 oi would he ho come orne ln In How terrible he h looked for Just Ju t a I I I Il l I II I I 1 U 1 I II I Somo ome ome one une Mas Ib aS looking In at al that opening second the little Grouse sh shut ut her he eyes eye so o as an not to see him When she opened them again ho he was In- In Inside tide side and coming straight her Sho She to cry out bu but she he was as too frightened to Never before had she h had such sueh uch a drad tul fui feeling You see neer neier ne er before had bad she been so helpless as 8 she sh now was WILS The Th stranger was wall w s almost l to her and ho he h looked bigger than ever And then for tor the th first time tilDe he saw her Well Well Veil well well Who Vho Is this said a a squeaky little ice The little Grouse didn t n II i ply She was WILS 10 q o frightened she abe couldn t have v found her voice to save her life The stranger er had stopped and was wf looking at t her with a pair ot of bright eyes which It if she he had only known It were also soft cye eyeS They must have h ve seen teen the tho dreadful fright of ot the little Grouse Groue for they th began n to twinkle Don t be afraid said the squeaky squeak voice Im I'm the Wood Mouse and I wont won't hurt you What hat youW h t are arc Ou doing here Z Now the little Grouse had seen Vt the Wood Mouse before and Mother Grouse had told her what a I timid harmless little tel leI tellow fel fellow low h he was Th The she knew who he was w he no longer loncer lon cr looked big and terrible He was a friend At least he seemed to be b friendly CoPYright 2923 1923 1 22 by T W Burgess The next nert story The Little Grouse Is |