Evening Star Newspaper, October 6, 1936, Page 28

Bedtime Stories Crafty Old Unc’ Billy Possum. BY THORNTON W. BURGESS. | Beware of crafty folk, for they To gain their ends will find & way. —Old Mother Nature. NC’ BILLY POSSUM was in & tight place. This was no new experience for Unc’ Billy. He had been in many tight places before. Never, however, had he been in a worse situation than he now was. He was in Johnny Chuck's back hall. Of course he had no busi- ness there. He had run in there to escape Flip the Terrier and Bowser the l’l:cufld. He hadn’t known that Johnny Chuck was using that house, but it wouldn't have made any dif- ference had he known it. He just had to get somewhere and this was the only place to get away from those Dogs. Now it looked as if he might have to go out again, for Johnny Chuck had ordered him out and was coming up the back hall to see that he went out. g “Ah can't fight those Dogs,” said Une’ Billy to himself. “Ah wouldn't have a chance in the world. Ah couldn't fool them again, either. Ah| *yeckon if Ah must fight I'll fight Brer | Chuck, but Ah don't want to fight | at all” Une’ Billy could hear Johnny Chuck ecoming nearer and his growls sound- ed uglier and uglier. Johnny was| working himself up into a rage. Yes, eir, that is what Johnny Chuck was doing. Perhaps Johnny felt that was kind of & mean thing to do, to force Une’ Billy out where those Dogs were{ and so he was working himself up | into a rage. You know people can do | things when they are in a rage that they couldn't do at any other time. Johnny was getting pretty near to| where Unc’ Billy was waiting. Unc'| Billy was making no sound at all. He| made no reply now to anything that Johnny said. He didn't growl He didn't snarl. He didn't whine. He Just didn't do anything. Johnny be- gan to have a funny feeling. It is| dificult to keep in a terrible rage| when no one answers back or offers| fight. He began to wonder if Unc’ Billy was really going out. Then| Johnny Chuck came to something that blocked the way. | What was it that Johnny Chuck | eame to? Why, it was Unc’ Billy Pos- | sum himself. He was lying therp.! right in the hallway, apparently dead. | Johnny sniffed at him. He touched| him. There was no sign of life. | Johnny backed off a little. All his, rage left him. Now that Unc’ Billy was helpless, seemingly dead, Johnny Chuck began to be sorry for him. “I wonder what could have hap-| pened,” said Johnny to himself. “It must be that one of those Dogs caught him before he got into my| house and hurt him. Yes, sir, that| must be what happened. He was badly hurt and he has died in here. | Too bad. Too bad. I never knew Unc’ Billy Possum very well, but just the same it is too bad he should have | been killed. I don't see that I can His 9“11 Job| BY JOHN BLAKE. JUST heard about another man | who created a job for himself.' This man lost his job when the staff of the business he was working in was reduced. He had no capital whatso- ever, and he didn’t see much chance of getting more work for some time. He reached a point where he was will- | ing to take anything to get some money. But even menial jobs didn’'t | seem to be available. | He remembered the days he had | spent taking care of his car. That| gave him an idea. He knew how m; wash a car. He knew how £ keep the | upholstery clean with a vacuum | cleaner. | He had a vacuum cleaner, and hef set out with it one evening after din- | ner just about the time when most | men in the suburbs get out the family automobile and polish it. | He offered to do & job on the up-| holstery for them at a reasonable | price. Most of the men were de-| lighted to turn that part of the work | over to him, for they found it irksome | and difficult. | He did a fine job, and he soon found | enough work to fill most of his time. | He did the work so well that some housewives gave their rugs and car- pets to him to clean. Eventually the business he had worked in “came back” and he was | given his old job again. But during the time he was out of work he had | supported himself. He had learned | something about the pleasure of being | self-sufficient. And I am sure he did | his job better than ever. f Conquering the trying times must have given him a new self-confidence. He didn't have to worry about losing his job. He had proved to himself that he could get along, even though times were unusually hard. His lack of fear in tackling & hum- ble occupation was well-rewarded. Another man, who might have been too proud to think of such a job for himself, would have been in a far ‘worse situation. But this man turned what knowledge he had to account. His modesty didn't hamper his in- genuity. It was a big help to him. Such a man proves what we all might be capable of, if we kept our wits about us. He was in a position where he had a good excuse for de- spairing. Thousands like him hgd lost their jobs through circumstances for which they were in no way to blame. He had a perfect right to feel unfor- tunate and abused. Yet instead of that, he put his wits together and thought of a solution. He went to work and created a job for himself. It ought to give all of us an idea when the same thing happens to us. ‘When everything goes wrong through no fault of ours, it might be well to remember what he did under the cir- cumstances. (Copyright, 1936, “ECZEMA’S ITCH IS UP TO YOU” ' SAYS POSLAM You would not trade the grateful relief and comfort for a hundred dollars that a single box of Poslam often brings to itching, inflamed, eczema-to! skin. You can tell you are going to be helped because the very first touch of this concentrated, yet gentle ointment usually soothes the irritation and £ ing at once. Don’t delay your relief. Get a box of Poslam right | house as Johnny Chuck’s. “I WONDER WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED,” SAID JOHNNY TO HIMSELF. do anything about it. I certainly can't push him outside where those Dogs are, and I certainly don't want him down below in my bedroom. I guess there is nothing for me to do but to leave him where he is for the | time being.” So Johnny Chuck went down back | to his bedroom. He didn't even growl any more. Instead of being angry, he | was sorry. Outside Flip the Terrier and Bowser the Hound decided that| it was useless to try to get Unc’ Billy | Possum and that they might as well g0 home. Anyway, Bowser decided | this, for he knew the uselessness of trying to dig any one out of such a| He knew | that that underground , house had more than one door. Flip, having less experience, would have wasted time and energy digging had it not been for Bowser. Flip certainly did hate to give up. But give up he did finally and, with many a backward look, trotted home behind Bowser the Hound. | Meanwhile Unc’ Billy Possum, lying | tion " with a glance. THE EVENING Psychology BY DR. JESSE W. SRROWLS, Eye Movements. IN READING a printed* line your eyes move in jerks or jumps from point to point. You are actually seeing only when the eyes are at rest. You are actually reading only when the eyes are in motion. In other words, the meaning you get out of a printed line is what you interpret between stops. A fast reader will make about 3 or 4 eye-stops in the space of an ordinary book line. A slow ,reader will make from 8 to 10 eye-stops. This means not only sluggish, but also poor, interpretation. Slow readers are by no means sure readers. The theory is that reading habits acquired in the first year or two of school are the reasons for good and poor reading. ‘These abilities are not inborn. There is an interesting sideline to these facts, which may one day find a place in examinations for driver permits. It seems that slow readers, and therefore poor comprehenders, are poor traffic risks. They are not, it seems, able to take in a traffic situa- It is said that fast readers have fewer traffic acci- dents than slow readers. o Sonnysayings T S e — there in that back hallway of Johnny | ck's, was once more chuckling, but he was chuckling so softly that no one could hear him. “Ah done fooled Brer Chuck, too,” chuckled Unc’ Billy under his breath. (Copyright, 1936,) WOODWARD & 10™ 1™ F AND G STREETS In a New Shipment from Wedding Autumn flowers and leaves. Hot ginger cookies is men's food, | Bal Gifts of Unusual choice in gifts for a bride—for your week-end hostess— looking ahead to Christmas—or for your own home to set off For from the smallest ash STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, Nature’s Children Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). BY LILLIAN COX ATHEY. ERE is the first armored car of America! From the be- ginning this model has been & success, and while not built for speed, is absolutely reliable when it comes to endurance and reliability. Further, this most interesting crea- ture is friendly in its actions toward its human brother, spending much of its waking hours scouting insect pests. It is claimed by those in authority that the armadillo is one of our mam- mals few have heard about, and many know it only as & sculptured basket sold in curio shops. Texas is the chosen State of the armadillo. Of late years it has taken courage and acquired ambition. So we can see it in our Southwestern States. Of a retiring disposition and gentle in its ways, the “poverty pig,” as it is called in Eastern Texas, has of- fended no one. It is called nine- banded because it has nine sections in the horny plate thal makes up & part of its coat of mail. An inspection of the armadillo’s beautifully sculptured chassis is well worth your time. It has regular horny plates, small ones on the ears, inner side of legs and abdomen, and where these are lacking stiff bristles are used. The tail has 14 rings or horny joints | and four or five inches of scaly tip. The nose seems fo be the only ex- posed part of the snatomy. If you should come suddenly upon the lit- tle fellow, and he is too far from one of his retreats, he promptly goes into a ball shape—now try to unwind him. If he is forced to stand with his ADVERTISEMENT. Now You Can Wear ' FALSE TEETH Without Embarrassment Eat, talk. laugh or sneeze. without fear of false teeth drobping or slipping. | FASTEETH holds them firmly and com- | ou've ever used. 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Animals of late years have been getting blamed for a lot of things t};dr human brother has been gulilty of. that armadillos have ruined a crop of cane or vegetation, see if it was not in pursuing a heavy infestation of grubs or insects that were being an- nilihated. Scientists have never found anything but our most destested in- sect foes in the stomachs of these animals. The babies are born in early Spring. There is always a quartet, and of one sex. During their infancy they are B Our esp 10.5x19.l LREPEPD. 12.1x202 -rvsprms - 110x14.10 ...... 103x14 .. 10.6x15.10 . ‘When next you hear a report OCTOBER 6, 1936. kept at home. For eight weeks they live on & milk diet exclusively. ‘The parents are most careful in the co-operative rearing and instructing of their children. They are well equipped to 'take care of themselves when parental supervision is removed. Armadillos make charming pets. They trot about on their short, stubby legs, their low-slung bodies well pro- tected from any attack, as they rout out grub and worm, paying not the slightest attention to anyone. Being near-sighted, they depend on their keen sense of hearing and smell to warn them of close observers. If startled, they rise swiftly on their hind feet, then it possible they make & dash for cover. (Copyright, 1936 ) How It Started “As Mad as a Hatter.” BY JEAN NEWTON. Dmm the many attempts that have been made to give this Dendent srocer C. D, KENNY co. NA. 0395 rio; “Artistry Are Still gfiown‘ifi’g Persian Rugs phrase a literal explanation, it can- not be done. Hatters are humans and no more mad than most, which means much, little or nothing at all. “Mad as a hatter” is really a cor- ruption of mad as an adder. The existence of the phrase is due BETTER BETTER to the use of “mad” for poisonous or venomous and to the change in & word wrought by careless articulation. 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