Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-11
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ny THORNTON ". RURGESS.
Peter Discovers Surprising
Relationships.
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS.
I've always more or less suspected
That somehow we are all connected.

When Old Mother Nature asked to
Jack stared at Chatterer. Chatterer
stared at Peter Rabbit and Peter Rab-
bit stared at Jumper the Hare. Jumper
stared at the other three. On all four
faces was the funniest of expressions.
Peter was the first to find his tongue.
IF you please" said he. Il guess we
don't know. what you mean by an
order"
Il suspected as much. said Old
Mother Nature. In the first place. all
the animals of the Great World are
These are again divided into smaller
groups. and these into still smaller
groups. Happy Jack and Chatterer be-
long to group called the Squirrel
family. Peter and Jumper belong TO
a group called the Hare family. Boil,
families and several others belong to
a larger group called an order. and
this order is the order of Gnawers or
Rodents
Peter Rabbit fairly jumped up in
the air. he was so excited. Then
Jumper and ! must be related to
Happy Jack and Chatterer." he cried.
I'm way You are replied Old
relationship. still YOU are related. All
of you are Rodents. So are all the
members Of the Rat and Mouse family,
the Beaver family, the Porcupine
family, the Pocket Gopher family. the
Pika family and the Sewellel family"
BY this time Peters eyes seemed in
danger of popping right out of his
head. This is the first time l have
even heard of some Of those families. -
said he. My. what a lot we have to
learn. Is it because all the members
of these families have teeth for gnaw-
sS,rr hot Lot,
Old Mother Nature looked pleased.
Peter" said she, Il believe you are
really beginning to think. You ought
to go to the head of the class. That is
just why. All the members of all the
families have named belong to the
same order. the order of Rodents.
Animals without such teeth cannot
gnaw."
Now, as you and Jumper have
learned about your family. it is the
turn of Happy Jack and Chatterer to
learn about their family. 1t is rather
large family. and is divided into three
groups. The first consists Of the true
Squirrels. to which group both Happy
Jack and Chatterer belong. The sec
ond group consists of the AIarmots,
and Johnny Chuck belongs to this.
The third group Jimmy the Flying
Squirrel has all to himself"
Where does Striped Chipmunk come
in?" asked Chatterer.
I'm coming to that" replied Old
Mother Nature. The true Squirrels
are divided into Tree Squirrels. Rock
Squirrels and Ground Squirrels. Of
course. Happy Jack and Chatterer are
Tree Squirrels.''
And Striped Chipmunk is Ground
Squirrel" interrupted Peter Rabbit,
looking as If he felt very much
pleased with his own smartness.
Old Mother Nature shook her head.
You are wrong" said she. and Peter
looked as foolish as he felt. Striped
Chipmunk is Rock Squirrel. Seek
Seek the Spermophile. who lives on
the plains of the West and is often
called Gopher Squirrel. is the true
Ground Squirrel.
Now ! can't spend any more time
this morning with you little folks.
Tomorrow morning ! shall expect
Chatterer to tell us all about Happy
Jack and Happy Jack to tell us all
about Chatterer. Now scamper along
| and think over all you have learned
this morning"
Copyright. 1920 by T. W. Bursess)