Show TO 9 by thornton W burgess bur ss 4 SOW MR BIB COYOTE CAME TO THE GREEN MEADOWS AMMY JAY remember S SAMMY ever having heard a more inter sting story than that of old man coyote it was especially interesting because it was a true story you know a true story is always nore interesting than a make relieve one old man coyote had told about his old home in the great wide wonderful erful west and how he aad been trapped there and made i 1 prisoner and after that put in a cage and carried on the steam cars tar tar far from his old home to spend ais life in a cage for people to stare it he had told just how terribly ao mesick he had been and how aw t ul it was to look out between the 4 1 its farmer browns boy coming to look at those traps exclaimed sammy jay in great excitement cit ement bars and long and long for or freedom until until sammy had felt as it if it would almost be better to be killed than to be made a prisoner when old man coyote stopped as tt if he had reached the end of the story sammy just had to ask another question you see old man coyotes story had ended with him still a prisoner and yeti yet here he was on the green meadows as free as ever he be had been sammy just knew that there must be more to th that t story did they let you go finally he asked not so that you would notice it replied old man coyote with a grin some one was careless funny how carelessness gets some people into trouble and others out of trouble it there was a little sliding door in that cage and every day a man used to open it to put in in food and water tor for me then he would close it and fasten it he know it but I 1 used to study and study the way he fastened that door you see I 1 hoped that some day he might forget and not fasten IL it I 1 I 1 had had almost given up hope when when one day he came in a great hurry he forget to fasten the door but he was in such a hurry that he was careless and he half fasten it I 1 waited until there was no one around and then I 1 went to work on that door I 1 poked at it I 1 jumped against it I 1 pushed at it at last the fastening slipped a little I 1 kept at it harder than ever it slipped a wee bit more ta then quite suddenly the door flew wide open 9 old man coyote paused and in his eyes usually so fierce looking was a great light of joy it was plain to see that he was living over again in his mind that wonderful moment when he once more saw freedom before him he was still so long that at last sammy gently reminded him of his presence what did you do then he asked just what you would have done replied old man coyote 1 I even stop to say goodby good by to my neighbors I 1 was out of that prison quicker than you could say scat somebody saw me for I 1 heard a man shout how I 1 ran by and by I 1 haard 1 efard dogs and I 1 knew that they were w re on my track and that I 1 was being hunted I 1 care I 1 knew that never again would I 1 be caught I 1 laughed I 1 wanted to yell for pure joy but I 1 knew better than to do that the first thing I 1 had to do was to mix my trail up so that the dogs follow it then I 1 found an old hollow log and crawled into that and stayed there until night As soon as it was dark I 1 started on and all night long I 1 ran until I 1 was ready to drop because I 1 was so tired when morning came I 1 hid so I 1 traveled every night and hid every day until at last I 1 came to this place when I 1 saw the green meadows the green forest and the smiling pool I 1 made up my mind that this was the place for me and here I 1 am hello chos that coming its farmer browns boy coming to look at those traps exclaimed sammy jay in great excitement associated newspapers service |