Evening star., 1921-08-08
lT1IILESt0RlEs
6rBEDTInTE
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS.
Peter Finds a Peep-HoIe.
Don't let impatience lead you to
Take chances a. the foolish do.

Peter Rabbit.
There was this difference between
heddy FOX h1ding In a clump Of ferns
behind the old hollow log Just within
bit hiding inside that same old hol-
low log: Teddy was sure that Peter
was inside that log, and Peter wasn't
sure Reddy was watching for him to
come out. He suspected it, but he
didn't absolutely know It,
II feel 1t in my bones that he is
somewhere around" thought Peter.
"He knows / am a long way from the
dear Old Briar Patch and he will do
his best to see that I don't get back
there. But why worry? There is no
use in worrying. Worrying is the worst
as long as | stay in this old log l will
be Safe. That Is enough. 1t will be
time enough to worry when I leave.
and that won't be soon. OF course, it
may be that Reddy did go straight
home to the Old Pasture, but l don't
believe it. l know that old sinner too
WELL
Anyway. if he is waiting and
watching for me he is kept away from
the Laughing Brook. where that poor
trap. This is funny old world. 1t
certainly is. ! thought 1 couldn't do
anything to help that poor young
Heron and guess that already I have
saved his life. Reddy Fox surely
would have found him had I not got
him to chase me and SO led him away.
And that young Heron doesn't know
it and never will know it. I wonder
If others have done things for me and
l haven't known it? 1t certainly is a
funny old world. Nobody. no matter
how hard he tries. can live all to him
self. 1t simply can't be done.
"Whoever set that cruel trap and
then forgot it probably set it for Billy
Mink. Yet because of it that poor
young Heron is suffering pain and
worrying. ] have had to run for my
life and now 1 don't dare go outside
this hollow log, Mrs. Peter is worry
ing because I don't come home to the
dear Old Briar Patch. and Reddy Fox
is disappointed in a dinner 1 guess he
was sure of. Yes, sir, 1t is funny old
world
Peter stopped thinking about the
funny old world to wriggle that wabbly
little nose Of his. A Merry Little Breeze
had just wandered past and had brought
just the faintest of smells. Peter grim
ned. "Reddy is somewhere near, just
as / thought" said he to himself. Il
can smell him. 1t is good thing for
some of US that Reddy gives off such
a strong smell. That Merry Little
:, Breeze did, did me a great at favor s.a;n and
somebody doing something for some
body else without knowing it. 1t is
just as I said before. a funny old
world. I wish 1 knew just where
Reddy is
Peter began to examine the inside of
that old log. 1t was open at only one
end. so, of course, that was the only
direction in which Peter could see out.
But presently. way back near the fur
ther end, Peter discovered tiny ray
of light That meant that there was
a tiny hole there. He scratch
ed at the soft, rotted wood
where that tiny ray OF light came in
and 1t crumbled away. The tiny ray
grew larger. Peter kept scratching.
Presently he had uncovered a little
knothole. 1t was little. but he could
peep out of it.
Peter couldn't see much out of that
little hole In fact. about all he could
see was a clump of ferns little way
off For a while he sat idly peeping
out while his thoughts were busy
about the funny old world and the
way peoples lives are all mixed to-
gether Suddenly those ferns moved
ever so little and sharp nose was
thrust out. Peter almost laughed
right out. He knew now just where
Reddy Fox was.