Omaha daily bee., 1921-01-04

Mrs. Rabbit wouldn't expect him to
do any work to pay for what she
might give him.
You look to me as if you needed
scme cambric tea," Mrs. Rabbit said.
Now, if there was anything that
Peter Mink disliked, it was cambric
tea. If she had said chicken broth"
he might have liked that.
"I've been very ILL.," he said. "But
now the doctor tells me | must have
good, nourishing food-and plenty of
IT,"
s"Well, if you're we'll enough to eat,
you're we'll enough to work." said
Mrs. Rabbit.
''Oh, certainly" answered Peter.
Mrs. Rabbit went into the house
then. And when she came out again
Peter Mink was surprised at what
she brought. He had expected an
other plateful of goodies. But in
stead of that Mrs. Rabbit had an axe
in her hand.
"Here!' she said. "Take this out
to the wood-pile--and use it! want
you to split every stick of wood you
can find. Then knock on the door
again and I'll bring you something to
eat"
You ought to have seen Peter
Mink scowl., as he walked away to
the wood-pile with the axe on his
shoulder. It was a lesson to any
body, never to frown
"She needn't think she can make
me work." Peter said to himself.
an Just break her old axe--that's s
what I'll do" And he swung the axe
with all his might at stick of wood.
But the axe didn't break. And as
for stick, it fell I'm two pieces; for
Peter had split it perfectly.
He was so out of patience that he
timed a hard blow at another stick OF
wood. Again he didn't hurt the axe
at all. And again he split the wood
exactly as Mrs. Rabbit wanted him
to. But Peter never thought OF that.
Peter Mink scowled even worse
than ever. And he made up his mind
that he would break Mrs. Rabbits
axe il he had to use UP the whole
wood-pile to do it.
Well that is Just what happened.
Peter tried so hard to break the axe
so he wouldn't have to work, that be-
fore he knew it he had split all the
wood.
He was Just about to look for a
rock, then--on which to break the
axe-when he happened to think that
there was no linger any sense in try
ing TO do that, because the work was
all done!
SO he put the axe across his
shoulder and went and knocked on
Mrs. Rabbits door.
Bring on your food!' he said,
when Mrs. Rabbit appeared.
is the axe all right?" she asked
at didn't break, did it,"
"No, indeedv he said, though
was rather expecting it would
rs the wood all split:?' she in
quired.
Every stick of itr' answered Pc
ter.
Then bring it here, near the back
door," Mrs. Rabbit told him. THAT
will help pay for the saw you broke
here last week"
'I'll do nothing of the kind! sait
Peter Mink. And he was so angry
that he went back to the wood pile
and began throwing sticks of woot
at Mrs. Rabbits house, trying tc
break a window. And before HI
knew it he had thrown the who'll
wood pile in almost the exact spo
where Mrs. Rabbit wanted it. Ant
he hadn't broken single window
either.
But Peter Mink never once real
ICED what he had done. He went of
to take swim in the brook and may
be catch trout.
Later, when Mrs. Rabbit saw tha
in spite of what Peter had said. h
had moved her wood pile for her
she wondered why he had not aske'
for something to eat. But Pete
Mink never knocked on her doc
again. He kept away from Mr.:
Rabbit ever .afterward, because sh
was the only person who had eve
been able to make him work.
Copyright Grosset & Dunlap.