Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-12-04


1t is by doing just this that Peter
Rabbit has succeeded in getting out of
all kinds of scrapes. If Peter was the
kind to give up easily he long ago
would have made a good dinner for
Reddy Fox or Old Man Coyote or
Hooty the Owl or Roughleg the Hawk
or Some other of those who have a
fondness for rabbit.
When Peter told Mrs, Peter that in
letting Bowser the Hound keep close
to his heels all the way through the
Green Forest and half way across the
Green Meadows to the dear Old Brier
Patch he had been fooling Old Man
Coyote, she didn't know what to think.
what did OLD Man coyote have to do
with it?' she demanded, just wee bit
GROSSLY, for she had been terribly
frightened as she watched Peter seem
ingly having such hard work to keep
ont of the clutches of Bowser the
Hound. Il didn't see him anywhere"
Peter chuckled. 1T was this way,
my dear" he began. Il was sitting
near the pond of Paddy the Beaver,
over in the Green Forest, last night,
where Honker the Goose and eleven of
his followers were fast asleep, when l
saw Old Man Coyote and Reddy and
Granny Fox hide close to the edge of
the pond BY and by | saw that some
OF those sleeping geese We're drifting
in right toward them | waited until
| didn't dare wait another minute, and
then | thumped the danger signal to
waken them Paddy the Beaver heard
me and slapped the water with his tail,
and that made them open their eyes in
hurry. The instant ! had thumped
/ ran, for ] knew that the nearest hid
ing place was an old bramble tangle
and that was a long way off, and [ felt
sure that Old Man Coyote would try
to get even with me for spelling his
chance of getting fat goose. Half
way there ! stopped to listen, which
was a very foolish thing to do. Old
Man Coyote almost caught me there.
Hes smart. is Old Man Coyote.
never realized until last night how
smart he is. You see. he knew that the
nearest place of safety for me was
that old brambletangle, and he guess
ed that would do just what did do
stop before | got there. SO the instant
thumped he started for the bramble-
tangie to try to catch me, and he near
ly did it. too Just look at my tail. Did
you ever see such a looking tail?' Pc
ter twisted around and looked mourn
fully at the ragged little white bunch
which he called tail
ne SO nearly caught me that he
pulled bunch of hair out of my tail
Just as | reached the bramble- tangle.
never before had such a narrow es-
cape in all my life. Then he told me
that never would get back to the dear
Old Brier Patch unless ! got him a fat
goose to make up for the one | had
cheated him out of by waking Honker
and the others, and | knew by the way
he said it that he meant it. OF course
he knew that ! couldn't, and wouldn't
If | could, get him goose. 1t was his
way of telling me that he meant to
catch me. Then he trotted away, and
/ knew perfectly well that he had gone
to hide somewhere along the way L
would have to go to get home.
Il kept trying and trying to think
of some way to get here, for I knew
but | couldn't think of a single plan
until Bowser the Hound came nosinc
along this morning and found me there
in the bramble- tangle. Then, all in a
flash, ii came to me how | could get
home. | hoped right out in front of
BoWser and pretended that something
was the matter with me-. OF course, he
out of his reach, and all the time pre-
tending that ! couldn't run any faster.
Right on the edge of the Green Forest
hiding behind a pile of brush, was Old
Man Coyote, just as | had suspected he
would be. | wish you could have seen
him when ! went past almost under his
nose. You see, he didn't dare jump
heels. When ii was safe to do so /
showed Bowser how ! can run when
want to and here ] am. I'd give an
other bunch of hair out of my tail to
know what Old Man Coyote said when
1 skipped past. Ha. ha, ha! There's