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THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: MARCH 18, 1917.
The Busy Bees
Their Own Page
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ACCORDING to the calendar, the firt day of spring will be thit
Wednesday, the twenty-first day of March, although snow often
covert the ground after that. It is time for the Busy Beet to
begin work in their gardens, but the gardens for the mostart
must at present be paper ones. Now is the time to work out your
plans and become masters of them, so that when the time comes
for outdoor gardening no time shall be wasted. , ,
In i rder that we all may profit by each others ideas and experience in
gardening and may be more successful in beautifying our homes and neigh-
horhoods, we are going to have a garden plan contest for the Busy Bees.
I'or the boy or girl sending in the best drawn plan accompanied by a
description of his or her garden, the kinds of flowers, fruits or vegetables
i own in it and any devices used to make it an attractive spot, a prize will
le awarded. The contest will close April 7, to apply yourselves at once
mid see how much fun it is to plan and anticipate on paper a beautiful place
which will be a source of joy to you the balance of the summer.
Remember in planning that a good rule to follow is to make the arrange
ncnt as simple as possible.' Some of you live in the country, where land is
ilentiful, while others live in the city under more crowded conditions, so
i lie size of the garden will not make any difference. Rather, how you utilize
irrd improve your space to the best advantage and transform unsightly
places into picturesque spots will count for the most in this contest.
Besides planning on paper there are many other forms of. preparedness
in gardening which you may be attending to these days. First of all, remem
ber that you may obtain seeds free from your congressman in Washington
.and at the State College of Agriculture. The first bright day get put and
measure the space you may use, so that your plan may be a working one,
and you can figure just the number. of rowt of teedt you are going to use
for different things in your garden. Then clean off the chosen spot and
uncover the outdoor bulbs, which will be yellow because of being hidden
from the light for so long. Buy the necessary tools, trowels, spading forks,
rakes, weedert, sprinklers, strong twine, make stakes, markers, sun dials and
' bird houses. An outgrown play house will terve as a convenient placeNto
keep the garden tools.
Start your hotbeds now, towing in them lettuce, radish and onion teed,
and if you are not ture how the seedlings of plants look, when they come,
plant tone in boxes inside and get acquainted with them.
- It it also a good plan to test your seeds by placing them between
damp blowing paper or on moist cotton, and leaving them in a warm place
and keeping them moist until the seeds germinate. If three-fourths of
them sprot 75 per cent of them have shown life and it speaks well for
yow teed and you may feel safe in planting it.
As gatfening is beneficial to every child s health and the contact
with the sol and fresh air is the very best way of bringing the roset to the
cheekt of boys and girls, the editor hopes you will all respond to this contest
'Katheri'nc Fryock of the Rett Side won the prize last week and Mabel
Clark and HoWard Mattox, both of the Blue Side, honorable mention.
-i-
JAttte Stories
(PJze Story)
Minerva; and the OwL
Br "Cstherine Fijyock, Aged 10 Years,
2$fc Woolwoth Avenue, Omaha.
Sfi Side.
I am going to.tell you about Min
erva and the owl i
"My wise bird!' Minerva said one
day to her owl, I have hitherto ad
mired you for yor profound silence,
but I have now amind to have you
show your ability W discourse, for si
lence is only admirable n one wno
can, when he pleases, triumph by his
eloquence."
The owl replied by solemn grimaces
and made dumb sigt. ' "' i
Minerva bade him' lay aside hit af
fectation and begin, but he only shook
hit wise head and remained silent.
Thereupon Minerva whispered very
softly in her ear this sage remark,
"Since the world hat grown to de
praved, they ought to be esteemed
most wise who have eyes to tee and
will to hold their tongues."
I like to read Busy Bee ftories
every week.
I live across the street from Han
scom park. They have a monkey,
several alligators, a porcupine, tome
Mexican ducks, fish and many beauti
ful flowers in the summer.
You must all come over to the park
some time this summer.
I shall write you again soon.
Hat Many Pett.
By Bernard Carroll, Aged 13, Palmer,
Neb. Red Side.
I have quite a number of pett now
so I thought I would write and tell
about tome of them.
I have four cats. Old Tabby, a
huge gray and white one; Goldy,
Pussy and Tommy. I like them all
and feed them milk at night and
mornings.
I have two dogs, a shepherd named
t liliiliiiiliiliiliiltitiil'tliiiiliili:ilitliiliiaiiliiliiliiliililiilitiiiiiiiiiiilri uilitliililiiliiliiliiiliiliiliilillnsiiliitiisiiiiliit
THE GREAT SECRET I
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Novelized From the Metro WonderpUy
Serial of the Same Name, in Which Francis
X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne are Co-Stare
: BY J, M. LOUGHBOROUGH
Anther ! tfc Nvvtllution of ClytJ
M
iiiiiitiluintiiHiiiiiini
What Hai Gone Before.
Thomai Clark, a multimillionaire crlm
tl, who beloiiff to m brainy and crafty
Imtitl of Hew York lawbreakra calllng
( liantMlvfia Tha Bcrt tVven and rulnd by
.a man known aa Tha Ureat Maatar, bmimta
onaciencff-atrlrken whit 111 and decldra to
(cava hla wealth to hla nlc, Beverly
(lark, a poor girl. CI irk had plod Red
hirnaall to ftva hla fortune to Tha Hacrod
Havod. and the band Ivftna plotting to gt
It. Dr. Zutph, ona of tha tiimbfia, torturn
htm. and hi diaa after having glvan a caa
Uet fitted with wraith to Bavarly, who had
twan raarued from kldiupara by William
Montgomery Strong, a Wfatthy young club
man. HlrHlnga of Th Sacral Hnvan got hold
d tha -aakM. but find It amply, Htrung'a
'hint servant having aafpguarded tha
inMtxura In It, Beverly a Ruin la kidnaped,
iimi Ktrnng, whom tto Innorantly compro
ted the ya of his flancae, Kunlna
I or ton, and her mother, atarta forth to
tnd her, wrarlng h clothaa of a gangstar
.nowtt aa Thug, whom ha overpowarad In
ia apartment. Ha attanda a maiurrif
!t givn by Tha tln-at Maatar, tharo to !
-am that Kunh-a la fal, than 'goea to a1
:r-dsvoua of the gangster, whara Bavarty
- being held. Tha pcillca rf Id tha place, but
tverly la carrtrd awy by tha gangatera by
?ana of a room which la lowered Ilka an
?vator. Utrnng'a C'httieae aervant tells the
Uea f thta room.
Chapter VI. '
THE DRAGON'S DEN. "
Although Wee See, the Chinese
orvant, held the secret of "the room
if, last resort," his secret, like the
ooin, was an empty one. The police
."arched the weird compartment,
i hey found a narrow vault which led
lirni to what from the street ap
earcd to .be a manhole. Through
fits passageway the band had taken
leverly. But where? It was an un
answerable question.
Strong, more dead than alive, was
earned to his home. Ackerton, the
kindly detective, appeared there.
"Our raid has been an empty one,"
lie said. "We have rounded up t big
band of crooks, but the biggest men
carried that poor girl away.' Thit it
a hornets-" nest we have stirred up,
,J r. Strong. I feel that something
serious it going to happen to me, and
I know whereof I speak. I with you
would take back this enormous treat;
tire belonging to Beverly Clarke.'
by Little Folk
Carlo and a bulldog who goet by the
name of Buck.
I have two of the prettiest calves,
Snowball and Judy. ,
That it all the pett I have, to far,
but when tpring comes I am going
to get tome rabbitt and squirrels
down on the creek.
I like to live in the country be
cause one can have a lots better time
sledding, skating, etc. Besides a city
boy has not the chance to raise pets,
which I love. .
(Honorable Mention.)
Tile of a Cottonwood.
By Howard Mattox, Aged 10 Years,
5924 South Fortieth Street, South
Side, Omaha, Blue Side.
. I am going to write the story of
my life.
I am a cottonwood tree and jive in
the forest with my brothers.
One day in June a storm came up
and the lightning struck my brother,
but I was saved.
One day a woodman came and
chopped me down and took me to
the mill where I was made into a flat
board.
Then a man came and got me,
along with some other boards, and
took us to a place where there was
going to be a house built. I was
thrown out and nailed to the house,
where I lived for many years.. ,
Some yeart afterward a man came
and got a hammer and pulled out the
nailt and out the boards in a wagon.
1 was taken to a back yard and
thrown out and chopped up tor fire
wood. I made a nice hot fire and in
the morning was thrown out, when I
perished.
(Honorable Mention.)
A Camping Trip.
By Mabel Clark; aged 14 years. 3008
Poppleton avenue, Omaha, Blue Side
One summer when my mother was
Fitch's play. "Hm- Stater, Hte
ur wort ttOTM.
Here the chief of detectives drew
from his pocket a bundle of securi
ties. . "Don't give them to me," moaned
Strong. "1 am easy prey for any
body now, Where is the girl, Chief?
Give me that information."
"All in good time," replied Acker
ton. "I have the best detectives in
the UnitcC States after her. Now
you must rest. The doctor tells me
your condition is very serious. You
must remain in bed.- I will get a
trained nurse." Ackerton went to an
other room, telephoned to headquar
ters and asked for Miss Tredwell,
known throughout the world as the
shrewdest of girl detectives. He told
her to hurry to Strong's apartment in
the costume of a trained nurse and
guard the clubman. I
. LOOK out for ail attack hn linn "
ordered Ackerton. "I am on the
trail of Beverly Clarke."
While Miss Tredwell was hurrying
to the desperately wounded vouth a
strange proceeding was taking place
m ine neaaquarters ot the Secret
"- gt0UI) of n,cn' their h41
hidden by black hoods, stood at a
table. , 1
'We will carry out Dr. Zulnh'i
secret order No. 17," announced one ot
"em. ine man who draws No. 17
will look in his book and find the
Zulph order." The man who drew
the number clinched his hands con
vulsively. Tremblingly he fumbled
in Ins pocket and drew forth a small
book, while the other sable hoods
slunk out of the room. He found the
order from Zulph. It read:
, 'No. 17.-Knife to the hilt for Will
lam Strong." The sable-hooded one
set forth for Strong's apartment. Be
neath hit coat he carried a bowie
knife.
His companions, removing their
hoods, congratulated one another on
having escaped a perilous task, and
their leader none other than "Bull"
Whalen. the mn.i .1-. ...... i.:..i:
"Mt1 set Seven-said:
IBM time wt will 6nd out from
itai vm Vt ' n Ml
This picture was taken at a Bunny
party for a little girl who is just 7,
Mary Elizabeth Birkett, daughter of
Mr; and Mrs. Charles D. Birkett,
2411 Jones street, Saturday afternoon.
This was a very exclusive party;
very exclusive, indeed, for boys and
grown folks were excluded. Ten
little girls, each wearing a bunny bon
net, with two long ears bobbing and
turning all about to make the most
of what was going on. iust like Peter
Rabbit and Susan Cottontail we read !
about these were the real party I
Oh, the things hey did and the
things they saw with their bright
bunny eyes I There were carrots scat
tered all over a long table and sur
rounding a big cabbage at one end
15 years old, she and six others went
on a camping trip.
They were to start at 5 o'clock in
the morning, but mother, getting up
in the dark, looked at the clock and
found that it was 10 minutes past 4.
She awakened the family and they
dressed in record time. When they
were dressed somebody looked at the
clock and found that it was almost
3 o'clock I They had gotten up at
20 minutes past 2.
Before the;- reached the end of
their forty mite trip, if started to
rain. Coming to their cabin they
found, to their dismay, that it had
burned. They had two tents which
they immediately set up. The men
collected what dry branches they
could find, and built a fire, which
quickly cheered them.
One day five of the party went
fishing, leaving the other two at camp.
While they were out on the lake, it
suddenly started to rain. They started
for home, cheering tliemselvps-by the
thought that the two at camp would
have a nice, warm fire for them.
. They arrived at camp to find no
body in sight and the fire out.
When the others came in ffom
blackberrying, they were as wet as
the first comers. They built a small
fire and went to bed after a cold
tupper.
The next morning a man went to
town for the wagon. By the time
they reached the ferry it was still
raining hard, and no ferryman ap
peared, for two hours. Inttead of ar
riving at home at 6 in the evening,
they arrived at 2 in the morning.
Friendt of Winter Birds.
Eleanor Wilson, Age 7, Peru Neb.
I s Red Side.
We have a bird table outside our
south window and how we do love to
watch the birds eat and drink.
The birds that we have teen this
winter are th-s tufted titmouse, the
5, jr v" '
a . . -v - -
DR. GIT SIN QUESTIONS B,EVERLY,
Beverly Clarke where the fortune left
by her uncle is hid. Come on," They
went to a miserable shack on the wa
ter front. In a dark room there Bev
erly was being held.
"I'll give you one more chance,"
said Whalen. "If you tell us where
the money from the casket it we'll let
you go; if you don't, we'll take you
to the dragon's den. You don't know
what that is. I'll tell you. It's a
Chinese dive. Now wiM you tell?"
"I don't know! I swear itl Spare
me I" cried the girl. . ,
"All right, fellows,' growled Wha
ten. "Take her to Git Sin's place."
Dr. Git Sin, an oriental" magician of
prominence in years gone by, was
reputed to possess nypnotic power.
With his white wife he lived in a dive
not far from Chinatown. Thither
Beverly was taken. - -;
A slovenly woman led Beverly to a
Ten Little Bunnies at Children's
were twelve cunning brown rabbits,
which, let me tell you on the quiet,
were chewing gum bunnies. At the
other end, of the table was the birth
day cake, of course, Vith seven little
candles standing on top. I guess
bunnies like candies, for they were
scattered all over the cake. But, oh,
better than the Take, were cooky
rabbits, some, white with pink candy
eyes, and brown rabbits with brown
eyes.
Well--but, first of all, you should
have seen those bunnies march I Then
they chose two leaders and had a
hop. Then came the carrot hunt, for
which each little girl received a bunny
bean bag for a prize. Then, after this
wat "Ole Brer Fox" game, followed
by a story of "The LittleWhite Rab
bit." At a signal the girlies dropped
black-capped chickadee, the cardinal,
me Diuejay, ine Drown creeper, tne
thatch, the junco, and many sparrows
and woodpeckers.
.We put out prumbs, nuts, suet, oat
meal, bits of cheese "and milk for
them. We also put water out for
them. In real cold weather we must
do this several times, a day, as It
freezes. .- '
. The birds seem to, like the nuts and
the tuet the best.
V Winter Days, '
Edith Wolter, Ohiowa, Neb., age 13
yeart, Red Side.
The weather here hat been, very
cold and we have been having quite
a good deal of mow, after which the
boys get their sleds out and go coast
ing down a hill. - ' ,
, All this has brought an idea to me
which caused me to write this little
verse, and I hope it it worthy of print
The gray clouds are hanging low;
The cold north wind begins to blow;
The tnow begint to fly,
The banks are heaping high.
The farmer boy goes out of doors
To do his usual evening chores.
He pats the cattle's round, sleek sides,
And feeds the horses he often rides.
And In the meantime, little Ned
Gets from the barn a bright red tied;
To a nearby hill he hurriet fast.
And coasts and coasts till the day is
past
An Interested Reader.
By Mildred Johnson, Aged 11 Years,
Craig, Neb. Red Side.
As I have been reading the stories
and letters every Monday since last
August, I thought I would write a
short letter.
I am in the Seventh grade and I
have seven studies a day. There are
room bare of furniture save for a
chest with Chinese characters written
on iL She reappeared with a Chinese
dress. ,
"Put this on." she ordered." The
frightened girl shrank; back and gaied
in horror at the creature before Her.
v "Are you human?" she asked, "or
am I dreaming? Is it possible that a
woman with white blood in her veins
would willingly remain in a place like
thisr
""Put this on," was the mechanical
order. "1 11 be back. If vou don t.
we'll Irar off your clothes and put it
on for Vou." .
Beverfy thought of Strong won
dered what had become of him during
the terrible battle in the rendezvous
of the gangsters and could only rea
son that he must have been killed.
She pictured her patient, widowed
mother, and at the thut thought Mrs.
v -
Party
to the floor, bunny fashion, but not
to eat carrots or cabbage, but ice
cream and cake from bunny dishes,
and also they ate the bunny cookies.
And as they ate the victrola was tell
ing stories, tinging songs and playing
dances. , ;
But, lot Some one exclaimed,
"What's that?" It was a "Cabbage
Patch," that had suddenly sprung up!
Hidden in the leaves of each cabbage
was a carrot? No, a tiny doll, with
lovely hair and carrot colored dress.
Each bunny girl pulled a cabbage,
and then marched around the table,
where a little brown bunny was given
to join the cabbage, and just as they
were leaving Mary Elizabeth stood
at the door and added another dear
bunny an all-day sucker and the
party was over! .
two girls in my class. My teacher's
name it Miss tlzaha Close.
We had a program February 23 in
honor of George Washington. There
was a large crowd there.
Well, I must say goodbye to all the
Busy Bees. I hope you all will have
a good time coasting and skating the
rest ot tnis winter.
A Pet Dog.
By Helen Crabb, Aged 9 Years, 4016
North Thirty-fourth Avenue,
, Omaha, Neb. Red Side.
One day my papa and I went out
in the garden. As papa was coming
back my big dog was down by the
shed waiting for us to come out.
When weV came out mv dog got
ahead of me and then ran for my
papa. He was just playing, and papa
jumped aside, thinking I was not be
hind him, and the dog hit. me wltlt
his whole weight. He knocked me
dowp, but did not hurt me any, and
when I got up I laughed, thinking it
funny. - -
The dog sat still, staring first at
me and then at papa. He did nqr
know what to think of it. Then he
dropped his head as though he had
done wrong, but when papa spoke to
him he jumped and played and
wagged his tail as though he under
stood it was all right
, Hallowe'en Entertainment.
By Mildred Johnson, Aged 11 Yeart,
Craig, Neb, R. F. D. 2. Red Side.
Last October our teacher decided to
have a Hallowe'en entertainment We
did not tell the little folks about it,
because we were afraid they would
tell our parents and it was going to
be a surprise on them.
One morning our teacher taught Us
some yells, the little folks learning
them, too. A little girl repeated them
to her mother who asked her where
Clarke, frantic over the absence of her
daughter, was confronting Strong.
"You said you would find my poor
little girl I" she cried. "You didn't
do it If the police could find you in
that den, why couldn t they hnd nerf
"I know I failed, Mrs. Clarke,"
moaned Strong. "I thought I had
found her, but there were too many
of them. I, fought to reach her as
long as I could stand, and then I
don t remember." The courageous
old mother's eyet lighted up with
sympathy.
"Poor boyt" she said soothingly.
"Forgive me. I was wrong. We
must be brave. I will pray for you
both, and surely God will help us
find her."
After she had gone away Strong
received a scented note. It was from
Eunice Morton, who had read a news
paper account of the raid on the ren
dezvous, in which he was mentioned
as having been rescued by the police
in tneir search tor Beverly. '
"In view of your very strange and
unexptainable actions," she wrote, "to
say nothing of the disgraceful no
toriety, it is hardly necessary for me
to tell you that our engagement is
afan end."
William gritted his teeth. He knew
Eunice did not understand, and his
heat was bitter over her false sus
picions against Beverly as well as her
duplicity at the masquerade ball. Then
he began wondering about The Great
Master, who at that moment was
busily directing "the band from his
palatial home on the banks of the
Hudson. In that home he appeared
without a mustache and wearing gog
gles. Before his criminal band he
was an alert man with a closely
cropped mustache. But here, as a
man of wealth with a high social po
sition, he was smooth shaven and
sleek looking. A trusted servant ap
peared before him and whispered:
"A 'sable hood' has gone to dis
patch Mr. Strong."
"What!" cried The Great Master.
"Get Dr. -Zulph at oncel". ' ,
But, whatever his intentions, he was
late in any interference he might be
planning, for at that - moment the
"sable hood," bowie knife in hand,
crept into Strong's apartment Strong,
having been given a notion by Miss
Tredwell, was sound asleep. The girl
detective was dozing in the library.
The "sable hood" tiptoed past her
into Strong's room, stood over the
sleeping clubman, then raised the
knife and made ready to strike.
- ,'End Chapter VI.V
she learned them and the replied, "In
tchool."
When the teacher found thit out
she told the little f61ks that it was
to be a surprise on their parents; so
they did not say much about it any
more. 1
We made invitations with little
brownies on the left side. When papa
first saw mine he said it was only an
advertisement. He was so surprised.
Monday and Tuesday we were busy
making pumpkin faces.
We had a short program and after
that most of the parents had their
fortunes told. They had to drop a
penny, pin or seme article before their
fortune was told.
Cocoa, cake and coffee were served
free, after which all the parents and
children went home.
A Unique Pet
By Enid Minick, Aged 11 Years, Han
f sock, la. Red Side.
On October 20, 1916, when we came
home from school,' mamma told us to
go down to a certain coop and see
what we could' find.
I thought it was a turkey, but it was
an eagle. When we got back she told
us this story about it.
She said that she heard a noise and
looked out of doors and saw someV
thing which she thought was a large
hawk, but saw it wan an eagle. She
called my father who camend picked
it up bare handed. It could not get
away because it was fastened to the
fence. '
That night we measured it. It was
six feet from tip-to-tip of its wings.
The next school day the teacher
said that the whole school (which
consisted of thirteen pupils) could
go over to see it at noon. It was
time for school to call when we got
back to the school house.
The eagle was brown, and we, tied
a string on its feet so it could not fly
very high.
Battle of Snow Ridge.
By Alverna Longe, Aged 11 Years,
Pender, Neb. Blue Side. - -I
wilt tell you about a battle we
had at school. We had a snowstorm,
so we had great fun at school making
snow torts and having battles. We
called our battle the Snow Ridge bat
tle because we made our forts on a
bank of snow.
There were two forts. On the side
I was on there were eight of us. The
two biggest boys were on the other
side. We broke large pieces of snow
from hard snow banks and piled them
up, thus making our forts.
One of the boys was ,hit with a
snow ball and began to cry, but it
was not more than five minutes before
Twilight Animal Stories
''Bumper the White Rabbit" -
By Cwl Etktlbert Wnlsh -
(Copyrttllt, HIT, br Georgf B. Wilih.)
The way back to the garden seemed
a long one, and Bumper soon began
to entertain doubts about 4he kind
nets of Mr. Sewer Rat. It was an
old abandoned sewer, with plenty of
room in it for a whole colony of rab
bits, but it was terribly dirty and
damp. The musty odor was to dif
ferent from the pleasant fragrance of
the garden he had recently left.
"I must have traveled milet and
miles," he thought after while,
stopping to clean off some of the dirt
that clung to bis white fur. "Either
that Rat didn't know what he wat
talking about, or ht told a whopping
fib. They alwayl are sneaky animals,
the Sewer Rats, and I shouldn't have
listened to him."
He stopped to consider whether he
shouldn't turn around and retrace his
steps; but he was disturbed by the
fear that he would never recognize
th mouth of the drain pipe he had
come through. He had passed a
number of these black holes on his
way, all looking alike.
"I should have counted them, and
then I'd know which one was mine,"
he reflected. .
But there was no good crying over
spilt milk. He was in the abandoned
sewer, and he had to find hit way out
somehow. Meanwhile, he was get
ting desperately hungry. Oh, for a
mouthful of the succulent grass that
raw in the garden, or a cabbage leaf
or a piece of celery anything, in fact,
that would satisfy tnat gnawing ai ine
stomach 1 '
"Ah, welll" he sighed. "I must keep
going until I find something to eat.
There must be other gardens, and this
sewer must lead somewhere."
In a little while he became so
thirsty that a drink of water seemed
even more desirable than a bite of
food. He tried to lick some of the
moisture from the tides of the sewer,
but that was only aggravating. It
seemed to increase rather than dimin
ish his thirstf'
One hopeful feature of his adven
'ture was that the big sewer seemed
to grow lighter as he proceeded, and
he was sure he was coming near the
end. But before this hope was real
ized he stumbled upon something that
gave him a shock.
Just ahead of him something long
and black hung frortuthe roof of the
sewer, reaching down almost to tne
bottom. Bumper stopped to gaze
critically at it, his little heart beating
with apprehension. Was this the
shadow of some strange animal, or
was it simply an innocent log of
wood that had got wedged in the
sewer?
As it didn't move, and was per
fectly noiseless, Bumper concluded
that it wa harmless, and so he ap
proached it, and hfter sniffing at it
began- nibbling the lower part Sud
denly there was a loud squeak, and
the big shadow seemed to part in the
middle and fly in every direction. It
took wings so strangely that Bumper
was more astounded than frightened.
The sewer was filled with black
shadows that flitted all around him.
Then followed a babel of noisy
squeaks. Some came so close to his
ears that he dodged and ducked in
fear. One pair of sharp beaks caught
him on the tip of his nose and made
him squeal and another nipped the
back of his head. He was too sur
prised and frightened by this time to
run, and he tried to defend himself
with his two front paws. V l
"It't the Sewer Rati Bite Mm!
Tweak his nose I Snap his tail! Tear
out hit eyes!"
mum'
Six Yeart Old Tomorrow (March 19):
Name. School.
Clow, Helen.. ;.. Garfield
Homan, Ruth. . .Howard Kenned
Meyer, Dorothy Farnard
Stine, Robert C Miller Pari
Seven Years Old Tomorrow: I
Grosjean, Milton O... Clifton Hill
Hrost, Mary Dupont
Lcvine, Sarah Clifton HiH
Manino. Matalena Comeniu!
L. Rasmussen, Georgene. Walnut Hill
Schwartzlander, Chris Madison
Eight Years Old Tomorrow:
Benak, Josephine Assumption
Gibson, Ruby Pacific
Kenney, Ruth St. John's "
Mantich, Mary Holy Family
Stapenhorit, Ralph E...... Mason
Tedesco, Frank Pacific
Nine Yeart Old Tomorrow:
Bennett Margaret. .. .Holy Family
Bles, Louise St Philomena
Carlberg, George E.... Columbian
Kauffold, Kathhryn. Monmouth Pk.1
Redmond, Ralph .Howard Kennedy
ii i i wegaaMaMra
he was up defending the fort. -After
both forts had begun to have a few
pieces knockout out, the other side '
came and knocked ours over.
It disappointed me the way it ended,
for I wanted to see which fort would
last the longest. I hope we soon will
have another battle for it is great fun.
Goodbye Busy Bees.
I .
Poem from New Member. ,
By Caroline Pycha, Aged 12 Years,
1954 South Thirteenth Street
Omaha, Blue Side.
This if the first tinle I have written
to the Busy Bee page, but I read the
stories every week. "- ' ,
I go to Lincoln school and am in
the Seventh grade. My teacher's name
is Miss Healey and I. like her very
much.
I am sending a little poem which
I made up. The name of it is "A Fall
on a Snowy-Day:"
One cold' winter day
A girl went out to play.
She had a fall,
And had to crawl.
For she hurt her foot.
Her mother was worried,
And they hurried
For the doctor who was far away.
The doctor came
And said that she would be tame
From the fall that winter day. i .
The air was filled with these faint
cries before Bumper began to realize
just what he was up against. . ,
Bumoer had run into a big bunch """
of bats sleeping in the abandoned
sewer, and his nibbling at them had
alarmed and angered them. It was
apparent from their remarks that they'
mistook him for Mr. Sewer Rat, who
perhaps had annoved them many
times before, and had even threatened
to devour some of them.
"I'm not the Sewer Rati cried
Bumoer. "Please don't snap my eyes
outl I didn't mean to disturb youl .
Wait! Wait, until I can explain!" ,
' Who are your And what are vou. .
then?" cried the biggest and fiercest
of the bats, coming so close that his
eyes looked like pin-point3 of light.
"I'm Bumper, the white rabbit!"
"Bumper, the white rabbit! Who
ever head of a white rabbit! All rab
bits are brown or gray." ,
It was the big bat speaking for the
others, but they all joined him in
gnashing their teeth and in whipping
the air with their soft almost noise
less, wings.
"But I can assure you I am a white
rabbit," replied Bumper. "Come and
look at me." . .
This challenge seemed fair, and
some of the smaller bats approached
nearer, but the leader warned them
back. "Keep away! It's the Sewer
Rat in disguise. It's a trick of hit to
catch you." "
"Is the Sewer Rat white?" inter
rupted Bumper.
"No, not unless he's been white
washed or been sleeping in a barrel
of flour.:
Bumper had to smile at thit, for he
recalled once how a big rat had been
caught in a bag of flour by the old
woman who kept rabbits, and his hair
was as white as that of the whitest
rabbit.
"I can assure you, Mr. Bat I
haven't been whitewashed, and I
haven't been sleeeping in flour. Look
at my ears. Does Mr. Sewer Rat have
long ears like mine?"
"No, but he could disguise them by
using pieces of white paper. I
wouldn't trust him a minute."
In desperation, Bumper then added:
"But look at my tail I Did a Sewer "
Rat or any other kind of a Rat have
a tail likeViine?" '
"Where is it?" asked the big Bat.
"I don't see any tail at all. All rab
bits have white tails, and you haven't
any at all." . ,
Bumper wagged the stump of tail
that he thought would convince the
bats, but for a moment he wasn't ex
actly sure that he saw it himself. In
stead of a white, fluffy stub of a tail .
as soft as cotton, he saw the dirtiest,
blackest wad of hair waving in the
air that had ever disgraced a rabbit.
"It's the Sewer Rat in disguise!"
shouted the big leader of the Bats.
"Now we'll punish himl Drive him
out of the sewerl Peck out his eyes!"
Bumper stopped just long enough
to realize that he had no chance in a
fight against all those whirring wings
and little gnashing teeth. If he was
to escape at all he had to get a start
on the bats. Even though flight
seemed to confirm the suspicions of
the Bats, he turned and fled as fast
as his four legs would carry him.
When Bumper finally came to the .
mouth of the sewer he was all out of
breath, but the view ahead compen
sated for a lot of his troubles. He
could tee the- blue iky, green fields
and waving trees, and nearby the rip
pling surface of a lake, or river. V
(Bum pr Story Ritbi Kttj Dm? ts Xraataal
1m.)
- y