The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-22
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORIES
THE DIsMAY OF PETER RABBIT Though you may be dismayed, hold
 fusf
To hope right to the very last.
By THORNTON W. BURGESS


 Peter Rabbit knew that Yowler the Bob Cat had gone. Why he had gone Peter didn't have the least idea It was enough for him that Fowler was no longer reaching for him with those great hooked, sharp claws of his. Peter drew a long breath of relief. Then he eased his position a little. You know he had been flat s- tening himself against the back of that tiny cave to keep out of reach of Yowler's claws, and he was stiff and uncomfortable. It was great relief to be able to move and sit comfortably. He had been scratched in several places and these scratches smarted But Peter was too thank full to be alive to think much about those scratches.
 "Yowler is a tricky fellow" thought Peter "and he probably is planning some other way to catch me. If he thinks I am going to be fooled into thinking that just because he has left it is safe for me to go he is greatly mistaken. Probably the old rascal is hiding somewhere outside ready to bounce on me the instant l come out. If that is what he is do- ing he'll hide one good long time, I can tell him that. It is queer,
 
 All this time Peter had quite for gotten Buster Bear and that he, Pe- ter, was in Busters house. He was too busy thinking about Fowler the Bob Cat to remember Buster Bear. So you can imagine the dismay he felt when at last he ventured to poke his head out of that tiny cave into the larger cave and saw Buster Bear sitting in the entrance. All he could .. s.. l., ,f- Il. Was no mistaking that back.
 Peter backed into the tiny cave again in hurry and once more little chills of fright chased each other up and down his backbone. He certainly would be trapped if Buster should come in and lie down on his bed. Perhaps he won't" thought Peter hopefully. Perhaps he'll go away again."
 But Buster didn't go away. He sat there in front of the entrance for a long time, so long that Peter won- dered if he had gone to sleep out there. He hadn't. By and by he yawned two or three times, then slowly turned and shuffled into his bedroom. At once he smelled Yowler and deep, angry growl rumbled way down in his throat. He knew that
  it made him very angry
 He sniffed around inside that cave and presently he caught the scent of Peter Rabbit. "Huh!" grunted Buster Bear, Huh! That pesky Cat must have chased Rabbit In here and caught him. I don't believe he would have dared come in here otherwise. It is a good thing for him that l didn't catch him here. He must have left just before I got here. A good thing for him it is that he did" Buster grumbled to himself way down deep in his throat for few ! minutes, fussed with his bed of twigs and dry leaves trying to get it to suit him, and finally, with a long sigh. lay down. 1t took him some l time to get comfortable. At least it appeared that way to Peter, for he shifted his position several times. And all the time he seemed to be | talking to himself in a sort of low | grumbly, rumbly growl deep in his | throat.
 Was Peter Rabbit scared? Well, what do you think about it? How would you have felt in Peters place | Copyright, 1921, by T. ". Burgess) The next story: Peter Tries to | Gain Courage"