The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-04-05
~ THORNTON w. BURGESS


There are heroes who are heroes
First In thought and then In fact.
Others are made into heroes
Quite BY accident In fact.
Real heroes are those who do
brave deeds knowing all the time
Just what they are about. what
rfsks they are taking. what will
happen IL they fail. and yet doing
the brave deeds just the same. The
other kind OF heroes are not real,
true heroes az all. but are treated
rs n they were and are made Just
as much OF az n they were. They
are the ones who do what seem IN
be brave deeds. but which In truth
haven't been planned at all, but
have been done Internationally.
People who In trying 10 save their
own lives happen TO save the lives
OF others always are called heroes
and are looked up TO and made
much OF when In truth they are not
heroes At all.
Peter Rabbit n this kind OF a
hero. He saved Bobby Coon's life.
Al least Bobby Coon 10 kind enough
20 say he did. Anyway he made Il
possible for Bobby to escape from
angry Buster Bear. So Peter IL
called a hero and has been made
much OF. Everybody says that he
was very, very brave. But night
down In his own heart Peter knows
that he doesn't deserve any OF the
nice things said about him. Truo.
he did save Bobby Coon. but he
didn't do II purpoeely. No. air. he
didn't do II purposely. Perhaps he
might have II he had thought OF It
but he didn't think OF II. What he
did wasn't the result OF thinking
and planning al all. but OF not
thinking; OK carelessness and heed
iessness II You please. But II made
. hero ~ Peter in the eyes OF his
friends and neighbors Just the same.
You see II was this way:
When Buster Bear tore open the
,AIi old stump In which Bobby Coon
waS sleeping Peter had been watch.
'vg from behind big tree. He had
-een Buster Bear lose his temper.
lie had seen Bobby Coon climb
the btg tree with Buster after him.
growing nsrcely. He had seen
Bobby Jump over into the slender.
young tree growing near. and Bus
ter Bear promptly drop down and
rush over TO the foot Of that young
tee before Bobby could get down
out OF II. n was all terribly excit-
ing. Peters heart was all with
Bobby Coon. Peters heart always
10 with the one who Is being hunt
ed. no matter who " f.. even when
II Is Reddy Fox with Bowser the
Hound ~ his heels.
When Buster Bear began 10 shake
that slender young tree. trying 10
shake Bobby Coon ont OF n. Peter
forgot everything but his desire 10
see what would happen. From
- ~ As behind that big rea
he couldn't clearly see Bobby Coon
IT. the top OF the slender young
tree so. quite forgetting that he
might be In danger himself. Peter
hoped out from behind that big
tree to try 10 End a place where he
could see better In his curiosity
and excitement he heedlessly for.
Eot TO watch his steps. and trod
on q dry stick that broke with
little snap.
Now. no one IN all the Green For
est has keener ears than Buster
Fear. In spite OF the fact that his
attention was all on Bobby Coon,
ne heard that little snap and whlrled
like a Fash 10 see what had made
r. There sat round-eyed Peter
Rabbit staring with all his might
without pausine an instant Buster
Sprang for Peter. He would make
very good eating as Bustsr well
knew. and a rabbit on the ground
was better than a coon he couldn't
shake out OF tree
Peter lodged Just In time. aud
with a squeal OF fear away he went,