Show 1 I Iby by Thornton w Burgess BUSTER BEAR nEAR PLAYS A TRICK TI CK BUSTER DUSTER BEAR and Jumper the i 0 Hare had had their heads to to- gether This doesn't mean that they really ready touched heads Oh my no No indeed Jumper is too wise to get so close to Buster Bear as that It means that they had made mode plans together If I Reddy Fox had known It d about those plans Reddy would certainly certainly certainly have kept away from that part of the Green Forest But he heE E didn't know about them and so he didn't keep away from irom that part of the Green Forest You see it was there that Jumper i- i j pv t I g 1 M r t trot Softly Ever So Softly Reddy Redd Fox Tiptoed Forward the spent Hare Hare spent most of his time and so it was there that Reddy was spending most of his time now for he was bound that he would catch Jumper to pay him for making him the laughing stock of all the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows At first Reddy had been afraid very much afraid that he might meet Buster Bear there So Reddy because he is very smart and sly spent a great deal of time looking for the places where Jumper lumper made his bed and for the places where he ate Then he would hide near one of these and wait vait pa pa- patiently patiently patiently for Jumper to come But somehow Jumper always went to a place where Reddy was not hiding The truth is Jumper knew perfectly what Reddy was doing and so he never went twice to the same place That is he never went twice very near together If he took a nap un un- under under un- un under der a big hemlock branch and then went out to get a bite to eat he would finish his nap under another tree instead of going back to the first one So though Reddy often found places Jumper had just left and hid bid beside them patiently for Jumper to come back it never was of the least bit of use But after Jumper and Buster Bear had had their heads together Jump Jump- Jumper er seemed to grow careless Yes sir that is the way it seemed Reddy Fox noticed it right away and grinned wickedly Three times he saw Jumper dozing just in front of ofa ofa a great fallen tree Then for a fourth time he saw Jumper sit in inthe inthe inthe the same place By and by Jumper I began to nod Then his eyes closed in the sleepiest way Reddy grinned and licked his chops Jumpers Jumper's eyes opened closed again opened once more then closed and remained closed Reddy watched a long time before he stirred but there was no sign from Jumper the Hare He certainly looked to be fast very fast asleep Softly ever so softly Reddy Fox tiptoed forward Jumper did not move A few steps nearer and still Jumper seemed fast asleep Reddy stopped long enough to grin a wick wick- wicked wicked wicked ed hungry grin This time he would catch Jumper and then he would see if the other people would laugh at and make fun of him any more morel I Softly softly very ver very softly he stole forward until with one great jump he would be able to land right righton on poor Jumper Very very care care- carefully carefully carefully fully Reddy fixed his hind legs to make the spring and then well then well then he landed right exactly where Juniper Jumper had been but You see Jumper had been just pretend pretend- pretending ing to be asleep and when Reddy had jumped he had jumped too Now Jumper had jumped right over the old tree trunk and Reddy sprang after him But Reddy is not quite so good a jumper as Jump Jump- Jumper er the Hare and while Jumper went clear over the fallen tree Reddy landed on top of it meaning to jump down on the other side But Butic Buthe Buthe he ic No sir he In In- Instead Instead Instead stead he fell off backward with a scream of fright What was the trouble Why Buster Bear had been lying ying down on the other side of that old tree and when Jumper leaped over it Buster knew that Reddy was close at hand and so he jumped up with a dreadful growl Just as asic ashe ashe he ic had done the first time he saw Buster Bear Reddy put his tail be be- between between between tween his legs and started for home as fast as ever he could go goHa goHa goHa Ha ha ha hal shouted Buster Bear Ho ho ho shouted Jumper the Hare Hee hee hee heel tittered Sammy Jay who had happened along just justin in fn time to see the fun 0 T. T W. W Burgess Service |