The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-15


The night that Jack Frost settled
down to real work and was so very
busy Peter Rabbit visited the Green
Forest. He would go, in spite Of all
the timid little Mrs. Peter could say
to keep him at home in the dear Old
Briar-patch. And when he reached
the Green Forest he kept moving.
Jack Frost saw to that. If Peter sat
still for any length of time Jack
Frost pinched him and started him
going again.
So it came about that in time Peter
arrived near the great pile of fallen
trees deep in the Green Forest, where
Mother Bear and the twins. Boxer
and Wool Wool, had made their
home early in the spring. In fact
Mother Bear had spent the previous
winter under that great windfall, as
Peter knew.
Il wonder If she will sleep there
this winter and l wonder where the
twins will sleep" though Peter, as
he sat under a little hemlock tree,
the lowest branches of which almost
touched the ground. Those twins are
SO big now that 1 suppose they will
go off by themselves. Perhaps they
win have gone to sleep already;
haven't seen them for ever so long"
Just then Peter heard big feet
shuffling through the fallen leaves
and two voices whining and COM
planning. They were coming toward
him. Peter peeped out and 1t seemed
to him his heart was right up in his
throat. He wanted to run, but GU
riosity wouldn't let him. You see,
he wanted even more to see the Bear
family. for he knew those voices
were the voices of Boxer and Wool
Wool.
Sure enough, in moment Mother
Bear appeared, shuffling along in the
moonlight, and behind her shuffled
the half-grown cubs, whining and
complaining. Peter saw at once that
they were paying little attention to
anything but their own discomfort.
There were no Little Night Breezes
about to take his scent to the Won
derful noses of the Bears so all at
once Peter felt quite safe.
Straight to the opening that led
under the great windfall, Mother
Bear led the way. Then she sent the
cubs in. giving each hearty cuff
with big paw to hurry them along.
1t made them squeal and Peter could
hear them whimpering as they crept
into their bedroom. Peter chucllled
down inside without making a sound
sat in the moonlight. She was as
motionless as a stump of a tree. Jack
Frost was beginning to pinch Peter
before Mother Bear moved. Finally
she yawned sleepily two or three
times, then slowly turned and disap
peared under the great windfall. And
as she went Peter heard her say in
her deep, grumbly, rumbly voice, I
guess the time has come"
1t was some time before Peter
moved. and all the time he kept Won
oering what Mother Bear could have
meant Thine for what? Time for
what?" he kept saying over and over
to himself IT don't know of any
thing it is time for. No, sir. I don't
know of anything at all 1t is time
for Now what could she have meant
by that?'
He was still puzzling over this
when at last he hoped out from his
hiding place and sat up to look this
way and that way to make sure that
all was as safe as it seemed, And
then in a flash it came to Peter what
Mother Bear had meant. He jumped
bstraight up in the air in his excite
ment
Il know noww he exclaimed. II
know now She meant that 1T is time
for her to go to sleep for the win
ter. and that is what she has gone in
there for! And guess those twins
are going to spend the winter with
her. I wonder If Buster Bear has
gone to sleep too
copyright, 1921, by T. w. Burgess)
The next story: Peters Curiosity
NJ co. Iir11t