Evening star., 1918-02-12
EI1IILESloRlEs EI1IILE
'I6fBEDTIrE
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS
Copyright, 1918. by T. W. BurEesa.l
Danny Meadow Mouse Saves
Peter.

Peter Rabbit couldn't get quite SO en-
thusiastic over the snow as did Danny
Meadow Mouse He likes the snow
when there isn't too much Of 1T. but,
on the whole, he could get along better
without it than with it. He said as
much to Danny.
You see," explained Peter, I'm not
SO lucky as my cousin, Jumper the
Hare. If 1 had a pure white coat like
his would like the snow better than ]
do. When he has that coat snow just
helps him to remain unseen, but it does
Just the other thing to me. l never dc
feel at all sure of not being seen unless
am in hole or hollow log or under
a hemlock bough or sitting right smack
up against the trunk of a tree 1t
makes me dreadfully nervous to be out
in the open the way / am now You
see, haven't any nice little tunnels to
dive down to and be out of sight.
Against all this whiteness my brown
coat shows up. SO that I'm never really
easy in my mind when I'm outside the
dear old Brier Patch. I'm not easy
now"
"Oh. there's nothing to worry about
here" replied Danny. carelessly- If
little fellow like me doesn't worry
don't see why fellow SO many times
bigger should worry"
I'm not worrying" replied Peter,
somewhat Indignantly. Il said I was a
little uneasy, that's all Some of you
very small folks don't know when you
are well off. You can always find a
hiding place. Sometimes 1 think l
would just about as soon be very small
as very big. It's fellows like me. nei-
ther big nor very small, who have the
speck ! UP there in the sky? Is it
Roughleg the Hawk?"
Looks like him." replied Danny, sit
ting up straight that he might see bet
seems to be coming this way. What's
your hurry. Peter?"
Just feeling that 1 would like to
keep whole skin and live little
longer: that's all. Danny" cried Peter
dear Old Brier Patch, perty-lipperty-
lip. as fast as he could go.
As Danny Meadow Mouse watched
that brown form bobbing along over
the snow toward the dear Old Brier
coat did show up and he quite under
stood Peters uneasiness. He looked to-
ward Roughleg the Hawk. He was no
longer a black speck in the sky; he was
a big, black bird. growing bigger every
instant. He was heading right straight
for where Danny was sitting on the
snow. He might be after him or he
might be intending to keep on after
Feter HaDD1I-
Danny decided that the place for him
was down out of sight. Right at his
feet was little round doorway. All
he had to do was to dive down through
this to a tunnel at the bottom and be
absolutely safe. He started to do this.
then stopped for one more look at
Peter Rabbit. Peter still had some dis
tance to go to reach the dear Old Brier
Patch and safety. At the rate he was
coming Roughleg would reach Peter
before Peter could reach the dear Old
Brier Patch. Anyway that is the way it
looked to Danny. An Idea popped into
Danny's head. If Roughleg should try
to catch him it might give Peter time
enough to reach the Brier Patch. Per
haps Roughleg wouldn't try to catch
him because he was SO much smaller
than Peter. Danny ran a few steps,
then back to attract the attention of
Roughleg.
Now Roughleg had fully made up his
mind to dine on rabbit if it were pos
sible, but he was not at all sure that it
was possible. 1t looked to him as if
Peter might reach the Brier Patch in
time If he couldn't have Rabbit why
Mouse would do. Perhaps he could
have both. He hesftated just bit, then
suddenly, shot down to grasp Danny:
But all he got was his claws full of
snow. At the very last second Danny
had dived down that little doorway
which Roughleg hadn't seen.
Up and on Roughleg winged his way.
but that little pause had saved Peter
Rabbits life. Poking his head out of
another little doorway Danny saw
Peter dart into the dear Old Brier Patch
and heard Roughleg's scream of dis
appointment.
'I guess did Peter a good turn that
time" chuckled Danny.