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Show T(Pt BEDTIME BUBGES5 j CHATTERER HAS HIS LAUGH SAMMY JAY had not been up to the Old Orchard for several days, and Chatterer the Red Squirrel was beginning to wonder if Sammy had grown tired of corn. But Chatterer Chatter-er had learned that it always is best to be prepared; so, every morning when he visited Farmer Brown's corncrib he brought a generous supply sup-ply back to the Old Orchard and hid it In several secret places in different differ-ent parts of the old stone wall and some in a certain hollow In an old apple tree. Chatterer couldn't quite believe that Sammy had given up all hope of making him more trouble, so he meant to be prepared. So when Sammy did appear early one morning Chatterer was not in the least surprised. Now, when Sammy first made Chatterer Chat-terer promise to get corn for him whenever he wanted it, Sammy had thought only of the easy way it would be to get all the corn he wanted without working for it. Afterward, Aft-erward, he had thought more of the fun of seeing Chatterer in trouble getting it; so, when Chatterer had at last found a way of always having the corn ready without running any risk at all, Sammy had spent all his spare time trying to think of some way to upset Chatterer's simple sim-ple plan. He had noticed that Chatterer Chat-terer always got the corn for him "I believe I will," replied Sammy, also pretending to be very polite. from a certain hiding place under the stones of the old wall. All in a flash a plan had popped into his head a plan to give Chatterer such a fright that he would not dare visit that hiding place again in a hurry. "Good morning, Sammy Jay," said Chatterer, pretending to be polite. po-lite. "I had begun to think that you were tired of corn. I have some very nice corn ready for you. Will you have some this morning?" "I believe I will," replied Sammy, also pretending to be very polite. "It is very nice of you to pick out the best corn for me, and the very thought of it makes me hungry. I believe I would like some this very minute." As he spoke he turned his head too hide a grin, for, thought he, "of course, Chatterer will go straight to that hiding place in the Old Stone Wall and then we shall see some fun." He glanced hastily in that direction di-rection and he saw a patch of red half hidden behind the wall, and he knew that it was the red coat of Reddy Fox. Reddy was hiding just where Sammy had told him to. Now, Chatterer had been doing some quick thinking. He remembered remem-bered the sharp tricks Sammy had played on him before, and he didn't have the least doubt that Sammy had planned another. "Of course, he expects me to go straight to that place where he knows I have hidden corn for him, and, if he has planned any trouble for me, that is where it will be," thought Chatterer. Chatter-er. "I think I'll get the corn from one of the hiding places he doesn't know about." With that Chatterer ran swiftly out along the branch of the tree he was in, leaped across to another tree, and then to a third, the one in which was the hollow in which he had put some of the corn. In a few minutes he was back, with his cheeks stuffed full. Sammy Jay pretended pre-tended to be very much pleased, but he ate it as if he had lost his appetite, as, indeed, he had. You see, he was wondering what he should say to Reddy Fox, to whom he had promised a chance to catch Chatterer. He knew that Reddy would think that it was all one of Sammy's tricks. So, without waiting wait-ing to finish all the corn, Sammy politely said good-by and flew away to the deepest part of the Green Forest. 'Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" laughed Chatterer, as his sharp eyes spied Reddy Fox trying to creep away without being seen. "Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho! It's my turn to laugh. Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" |