The Detroit times., 1916-03-06
LITTLE STORIES FOR BEDTIME.
Merry Little Breezes Tell the Truth
sy THORNTON w. BURGESS.

tIopyright, 1910. py 4. W. burkess')
Peter Rabbit didn't believe that
the Merry Little Breezes had told
the truth when they said that they
had found flowers in bloom. Not
that he thought that they had le-
liberately told an untruth. No. in
deed. He didn't think that. He
thought that they were either just
trying to tease him or that they
had been mistaken. But he couldn't
get rid OF the thought that perhaps
they had seen something that he
hadn't seen, and nothing upsets Pc
ter more than the thought that
others know more than he does
about what is going on in the Green
Forest and on the Green Meadows.
The Merry Little Breezes had told
Peter to use his eyes. Just as II
Peter isn't forever using his eyes!
You know how curious he Is.
III there are any signs of spring
which they have seen I'd like to
know where they are muttered
Peter as he hoped all through the
dear Old Brier Patch looking sharp
ly at all the bushes and little trees
and brambles to see II any OF the
sleeping buds of leaves showed any
signs OF waking. But they didn't,
and Peter felt satisfied that there
we're no signs OF spring in the Old
Brier Patch And there certainly
we're none on the Green Meadows,
for these were still covered with
snow.
Then Peter made up his mind to
visit the Green Forest just to make
sure that he had missed nothing
there They were just fooling OF
dreaming or simply crazy" he NUT
tered a he scampered about through
the Green Forest. Nowhere could
he find the least sign of the coming
Of Mistress Spring. There was snow
everywhere. Suddenly an idea pop
ped into his head. ''If they really
saw any flowers 1t must be that they
saw them through the window of
Farmer Browns house. I've seen
them there myself" thought he.
"why didn't think Of that be-
fore? But flowers up there are no
sign Of spring"
A few minutes later Peter came
TO hat part OF the Green Forest
where Lightfoot the Deer had spent
| the winter II was quite sheltered
| there-one Of the warmest places In
all the Green Forest. In "laces IT
was swampy. You know a swampy
place is where the ground is always
very wet. In places the snow had
disappeared, and In one of these
places there was very tiny stream
OF water coming from place where
II bubbled up out Of the ground. 1t
was q spring, and the tiny stream
was the beginning OF the Laughing
Brook. Peter stopped on the edge
OF 1t. Just then along came the
Merry Little Breezes, and one Of
them tickled his nose with a queer
smell. Peter snihed.
Smells like the scent Jimmy
skunk carries around with him, but
I haven't seen Jimmy's tracks any
where" thought Peter. Again he
shifted. and 1t seemed as II that
smell came right out CT the water
In front OF him. He stared at II a
minute, and for the first time he
noticed several queer brown things
like pointed hoods sticking above
the water. Peter leaned forward to
look at one a l'tle closer. and then
he made a discovery. That smell
like Jimmy Skunk's perfume came
from that queer brown hood Peter
hoped a step nearer so that he
might see better. On one side OF
that queer brown hood was an open
ing, a narrow opening. Peter was
all curiosity now. He crept still
nearer and held his nose while he
peeped In at that narrow opening.
You see he didn't like that smell,
and so close % that little brown
hood II was very strong.
At nrst he couldn't see anything,