Sandmans Goodnight Stories

쵘
Sandman's Goodnight Stories, by Abbie

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Sandman's Goodnight Stories, by Abbie Phillips Walker, Illustrated by Rhoda C. Chase
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Sandman's Goodnight Stories
Author: Abbie Phillips Walker

Release Date: April 2, 2007 [eBook #20962]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SANDMAN'S GOODNIGHT STORIES***
E-text prepared by Al Haines

Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 20962-h.htm or 20962-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/0/9/6/20962/20962-h/20962-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/0/9/6/20962/20962-h.zip)

SANDMAN'S GOODNIGHT STORIES
by
ABBIE PHILLIPS WALKER
Illustrated by Rhoda C. Chase

[Illustration: Title page art]

Harper & Brothers, Publishers
SANDMAN'S GOOD-NIGHT STORIES Copyright, 1921, by Harper & Brothers

To My Sister
MARY P. BABCOCK
I Lovingly Dedicate
These Little Stories

CONTENTS
THE EATYOUP THE TELL-TALE GOBLIN DAME CRICKET'S STORY THE PLAYROOM WEDDING MORNING-GLORY THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLIES THE REVENGE OF THE GNOMES THE LITTLE CHINA SHEPHERDESS HOW THE BUTTERCUP GREW YELLOW WAS IT THE FIELD FAIRY? THE FROGS AND THE FAIRIES JACK THE PREACHER MR. CROW GOES AND TELLS DISCONTENTED DEWDROP INQUISITIVE MR. POSSUM WHAT THE FLOWERS TOLD MARTHA WHEN JACK FROST WAS YOUNG THE REVENGE OF THE FIREFLIES SALLIE HICKS'S FOREFINGER THE RAIN ELVES MR. FOX'S HOUSEWARMING LITTLE PITCHER-MAN THE WIND-FLOWER'S STORY PUSSY WILLOW'S FURS ORIANNA OLD NORTH WIND MR. FOX CUTS THE COTTONTAILS LITTLE NEVER-UPSET

THE EATYOUP
[Illustration: The Eatyoup]
Dicky Duck was a very wise young fellow. He swam about the pond alone long before his brothers left their mother, and such worms and bugs and things of that sort as he found made all the other young ducks quite green with envy.
But one day Dicky Duck almost lost his life by thinking he was so wise, for he was swimming around the pond when he came to the woods where Mr. Fox was hiding back of some bushes.
Dicky did not go near enough for Mr. Fox to catch him, but Mr. Fox could see that he was a nice plump duck and it made his eyes shine with longing to look at him.
"Ah me," he sighed as Dicky swam by, "if only I knew some wise creature to ask! I am far too dull to know anything myself."
When Dicky heard the word "wise" he felt sure that meant him, for was not he the wisest duck of his size and age? So he stopped swimming and looked around.
Mr. Fox had hidden himself well under the bushes now. Not even the tip of his nose could be seen and he made his voice sound very weak, as if he were a very small animal.
"Who is it that wants to know a wise creature?" asked Dicky Duck.
"Oh, a poor little animal called Eatyoup," answered Mr. Fox, laughing so at his joke that he could hardly speak. "I am very stupid and do not know much and I have no wise friends."
Dicky Duck had never heard of an Eatyoup, but he had no intention of letting anyone think there was anything he did not know, so he swam nearer and said, "Well, I am wise, and if you wish to know anything ask me. Come out where I can see you and we can talk to each other better." He was trying all the time to get a glimpse of the new animal, but Mr. Fox was a wise creature himself and he had no intention of being seen.
"Oh, dear! I should hate to show my miserable little self to such a big, fine-looking creature as you are," he said. "It is bad enough to have you know I am stupid, but if you will come closer I will tell you what it is I want to know."
Dicky Duck by this time was very brave, for what had he to fear from so small a creature as the Eatyoup. So he swam right up to the side of the pond and out bounced Mr. Fox and almost caught him.
If Dicky had not used his wings as well as his feet he would not have escaped, but he was in the middle of the pond, swimming for dear life, by the time Mr. Fox was in the water, and as the farm was not far off Mr. Fox decided not to risk his life.
When Dicky Duck reached the barnyard he told all the fowl about the strange animal he had seen, called an Eatyoup, and that, while he had a very weak voice, he was almost as large as big Rover, the dog.
Of course everyone thought Dicky wiser than ever when he told this, but for all that he was very careful not to swim near the woods again, for, though he had told the fowl he had seen an Eatyoup, he