The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-24
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORIES
MRS. PETERS HAPPY CHRISTMAS
By THORNTON W. BURGESS

MRS. PETERS HAPPY CHRISTMAS Oh. the blessed joy of giving! . That's what makes life worth living
 Farmer Browns Boy
 It was Christmas morning Little Mrs. Peter Rabbit, she who used to be little Miss Fuzzytail, didn't know 1t. She knew nothing about Christ mas. This day of gladness wasn't day of gladness for her at all. You see, Mrs. Peter was all alone in the dear Old Briar- patch. Peter hadn't come home from the Green Forest He should have returned at break of day. But he hadn't. There had been no sign of him and Mrs. Peter was sure something dreadful had hap pneed to him.
 So she sat all alone in the dear Old Briarpatch looking across to the Green Forest. To timid ) little Mrs. Peter it looked dark and gloomy. II looked like a place where dreadful things could happen. She saw jolly bright, round MT. Sun ap- pear above the tops of the trees and climb higher and higher in the blue, blue sky, doing his best to take away the chill Jack Frost had left in the air. But Mir. Sun brought no warmth to the heart of little Mrs. Peter. Instead, the higher he climbed the more worried became little Mrs. Peter.
 Every one else was happy Tommy Tit the Chickadee stopped to tell her of the goodies he and Drummer the Woodpecker and Yank Tank the Nuthatch and Sammy Jay and Chat terer the Red Squirrel had found spread for them in the old Orchard by Farmer Browns Boy Tommy was so happy and so excited he al- most stuttered. But Mrs. Peter didn't half listen.
 Hardly had Tommy Tit flown away when Farmer Browns Boy himself appeared tramping across the Green Meadows. He was whistling and he was headed straight for the dear Old Briar-patch. Mrs. Peter hid in the very middle of 1t. Farmer Browns Boy was there for only few min utes and then tramped off toward the Smiling Pool, and he was still whistling merrily as if his errand made him very happy. It did, for he was on his way to leave some slices of carrot and an apple or two where Jerry Muskrat could find them.
 Mrs. Peter crept back to the edge of the dear Old Briar-p patch and there she found such feast as she had not seen for many a long day. There was half a cabbage, two or three apples, some slices of turnip, car rot or two and a little bundle of sweet clover hay. It was Farmer Browns Boys Christmas gift.
 But none of these things brought joy to little Mrs. Peter. She hardly glanced at them. Although it was several days since she had had a really good meal she had no appe- tite. She was too worried for that. Where was Peter? What could have happened to him
 And then. long after Farmer Browns Boy had gone, she saw a bobbing speck, away over toward the Green ForestA Mrs. Peter sat up straight that she might see better and a great hope sprang up in her heart. The speck grew larger. It was brownish- gray! Could 1t be- yes. it was Peterl He was coming perty-lipperty-lip as fast as he could run. With a bound little Mrs. Peter ran to meet him.
 That afternoon. side by side, they feasted on the good things left for them by Farmer Browns Boy, and between bites Peter told all about his adventures, how he had been nearly caught by Yowler the Bob Cat and how he had seen Mother Bear and the twins. Boxer and Woof- Woof, retire for the winter. and later had seen Buster Bear go to sleep. v
 Later. when they could eat no more. they sat side by side under a friendly bramble-bush. Little Mrs. Peter snuggled up to Peter. "I never was so happy in all my life" she whispered.
 Tt was a good feast and there Is a lot left over" said Peter, as us- ual thinking of his stomach.
 Tt isn't that; 1t Is having you home safe again." whispered little Mrs. Peter. "Oh, Peter, don't ever. ever go away again."
 And now you know why Mrs. Peter's Christmas was so happy. Copyright. 1921, by T. W. Burgess.)