Evening star., 1916-05-08
lITTuLE&0RlEs
'%rBEDTInE
By THORNTON w. BURGESS
copyright, 1915. by T. W. BurgessD
How Peter Rabbit Was Set
Free.

At the sound of Welcome Robins
warning Peter Rabbit suddenly changed
his mind about coming out of his
hiding place in the old stone wall on
the edge of the Old orchard.
| MY, what a marrow escape" said
Peter to himself III II hadn't been
for welcome Robin certainly would
have been caught by Black Pussy.
What a lucky thing for me that We'll
come happened to come over here just
when he did. 1 guess I owe my life
10 Welcome and I'll never. never for
Ga, I, wonder how much longer
that dreadful cat is going to keep
me a prisoner here. Hello! What is
going on out there now, 1 wonder!
What was going on was just this:
Welcome Robin was scolding Black
Pussy at the top of his lungs. Other
little people in the Old Orchard heard
him and hurried over to see what he
was making such a fuss about. AS
aeon as they saw Black Pussy they
added their voices to the racket. Sam
my Jay, Drummer the Woodpecker.
Clacker the Grackle. Bully the English
sparrow, Tommy Tit the Chickadee,
and even gentle winsome Bluebird
zach did his best to tell Black Pussy
what he thought Of her. They even
darted down very close to Black Pussy
and made dreadful threats of picking
her eyes out. but they took the great
est care not to get too near. Black
Pussy paid not the least attention to
them save that the tip of her black
tail twitched angrily. All the scream
Ing and harsh things they could say
wouldn't hurt her and she knew 1t.
Presently Farmer Browns boy came
out of the barn OF course he heard
the racket the birds were making and.
Of course. he was interested right
away He had long ago learned that
when a lot Of birds get together and
scream that way there always is a
reason For q few minutes he stood
still and watched them darting down
toward the ground and then back into
the trees. and all the time screaming
throats.
II wonder" said Farmer Browns
boy, IF Mr.. Blacksnake is over there
think TIL have a look. / simply can't
have him bothering my little feathered
friends"
He walked slowly toward the place
where the birds were SO excited and
presently he saw Black Pussy. 80 it.
ought to know better than to scare my
friends so. l am afraid l shall have to
punish you II you don't keep away from
the Old Orchard"
Then he saw that Black Pussy wasn't
paying the least bit of attention to the
birds, but was keeping her eyes fas-
tened on an opening in the old stone
wall. He knew right away that that
| meant that there was some one in
there, and that she was waiting for
him to come out.
Probably 1t is Chatterer the Red
| Squirrel or Striped Chipmunk." thought
he. "In either case it won't do to let
Black Pussy catch them"
So he walked over to Black Pussy and
picked her up. He scolded her as he
took her over to the dooryard. Then
he put her down and cried Scat"
Black Pussy ran little way and then
sat down to watch Farmer Browns
Boy. He went back to the old stone
wall and peeped in at the opening be-
tween the stones. but it was dark in
side and he couldn't see any one
Then he lifted off one of the big stones
and this let the light in. There
crouched Peter Rabbit!
Hello. you little brown scamp" ex-
claimed Farmer Browns Boy in sur
prise. What are you doing up here in
the Old Orchard, I'd like to know?
Don't you know that IL you go where
you have no business you are bound to
get into trouble sooner or later? i
guess IT'S lucky thing for you that
1 came over here to find out what was
going on
He reached in and very gently picked
Peter up. Peter kicked a little, but
Farmer Browns Boy held him firmly
and Peter found that IL was of no use
to struggle. Farmer Browns Boy
smoothed Peters coat with one hand
and there was something in that touch
that seemed to remove all fear from
Peter. He didn't know what would
happen to him next, but somehow he
felt sure that II would be nothing bad,
Farmer Browns Boy carried him across
the Old Orchard to the edge Of tho
Green Meadows. Then he headed him
toward the dear Old Brier Patch and
put him down. Now run along home
you scamp. and tell Mrs. Peter ali
about your wonderful adventure" said
he.
And Peter did. He ran lipperty-
lipperty-lip as fast as ever he could,
and Farmer Browns Boy laughed to
see him go.
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