A BED-TIME STORY

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 11, 30 September 1927, Page 15

A BED-TIME STORY

MOUSKY BIRD. There ouce was a mouse who lived at his ease in the wainscot of a small house, where there were no cats. He really ought to have been very happy, because he knew how to get bread¢rumbs and sugar, and all sorts of nice things from the Jarder, without being noticed. Every morning, as he started ont to forage, his neat little wife would kiss him good-bye at the door hole, and warn him against traps; and every time he came back she would smooth his coat and make sure that his paws were quite dry. But one day, in the meadow, he saw a whole flock of swallows flying a-s! spming above the grass. So graceful ans beautiful they looked that Mousev could think of nothing else. ca! must fly; I must be a bird!’ was alt he could say, and he wandered about repeating this over and over again, "'E must fly---" "Certainly," said. a piping voice .so close beside him that Mousey jumped. It was a gnome who lived in a tree at:the foot of the hilt and did all sorts of magic, -‘Certainly," he said. ‘I can easily fit you with oa pair of wings."

Mousey was so delighted he could hardly squeak. "Oh, he cried, at last, "T shall be a prince of birds." The gnome took his magic wand and moiled and toiled, and toiled and moiled, for quite three minutes. "There,’? said the gnome, proudly. Mousey sprang up, and, wild with excitement, flew off to the swallows, He had got wings, after all, but he didn’t know he was only going to be a hat! "Who are you?" asked the swallowe: "T am a swallow," said. Mousey. "TF am prince of swallows.’? The real swallows began to laugh. "TTa-ha-ha ! You are only an ugly Mousey-Bird ! You had better hide during the davtime, or you will have every bird in the skv laughing at von. Ha-ha-ha!’* "Oh, dear,’ sighed Mousey. ‘Tf they are all going to laugh at me like that, I had bettér he a nightingale, and come ont after dark." He found a corner of a barn to hide in, and when it was quite dark ilew to the nightingale wood. "Who are you?" said the nightingales, "I am a nightingale," said Mousey. "I am a prince of nightingales." The real niehtingales were not quite sure, "Tn that case," thev chorused, ‘you must’ have a_ better, voice than anv of us. Let us hear -* at once!’* Mousey opened his mouth, but the squeak that came ont of it was so thin and high that if it had not -been a sound vou would have said that ** was an invisible squeak. ‘The nightingales eurgled and nearly burst wit? laughter. 7 "Wa, ha, ha," thev twittered, "von are culy a ragged Monsey bird, without any ear for music. You had better not come out at night, or every nightingale and ow! will make fun ef vou, Ha, ha, ha!" "Oh, dear, oh dear me-"? sighet Mousey, more deeply than before. I may not come out by day, and I may not come ont by night, and everybody’s laughing. I had better be » monse again.’? Ie flew bavk quickly to lis mdnsehole and peeped through the door, "Who’s there?" said the shrill voice of his neglected wife. ‘ft’s your lonylost Mousey," squeaked the, truant, "and-and Iam the prince of mice * he added, very weakly indeed. "Prince, did you dare to say? Come inside at once!’ Mousey scrambled and scratched, but in vain. His wings were too big --they wouldn’t go through the doorhole. His wife came scurrying up. "Who’s this?’ she cried, and then burst into tears. "Oh, oh," > she cried. "You are not my husband at all. Mv Mousey kin had such a fine tail and. whiskers, and you have none at all; he had not nearly such big ears, anc instead of those clumsy wings, mr Mousey-Pousey had neat little paws fe me to drv. I mnst have some paw" to dry. Ob, oh, 1 must get anothe- } husband.’?

Poor Mousev did not know what to say. ‘‘Won’t I do?" he wailed, quite, quite humbly. "No, indeed," decided his wife severely, looking at him with a needle eve. "IT wonld much rather have a gvod mouse than a bad bird, and yoa — swell, you’re just a Mousey-Bird." Mousey flapped sadly away. ‘I’m just a Mousey-Bird," he said, and then, quite by force of habit, "I am a prince of Mousey-Birds!" Mousey wondered whv on earth he hadn’t thought of that before. He forgot about the birds and the mice, and by day, by night, hung lead downwards im a corner of his, dusty barn in the very best Mousey-Bird manner. Ah, but at dusk how he danced and itueked and twirled in the funny velvety light! He snapped at enats and flies, and squeaked with delight so finely that no one could hear him. It certainly was an invisible squeak, and he certainly was a prince of MouseyBirds! And in the circumstances I think it was the very best thing he conld be -don’t you? ee meomnes oestes ee wee me ome ome