Evening star., 1921-08-06
LI1IILESloRlEs
%BEDTImE
A Test of Patience.
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.
Impatience loses; patience wins.
1t sticks to what 1t once begins.


Reddy Fox felt very smart as he
lay in a clump of ferns back of the
old log in which Peter Rabbit had
found safety. "Peter Rabbit thinks
have gone to the Old Pasture. l
didn't look behind me once, for l
didn't want to arouse his suspicious,
but know just as well as if l had
thought Reddy. Then he grinned
1t was a crafty. sly, wicked grin.
That old log is open only on one
end SO Peter can see only in one
direction without coming out" con,
tinued Reddy to himself. Hell
wait until he is sure that 1 have had
plenty of time to reach the Old
Pasture. then out he will come or
don't know Peter Rabbit. l am
afraid Peters next race with me
won't have SO happy an ending-for
finish: he licked his lips as il he
already tasted that Rabbit dinner.
So Reddy lay hidden in a clump of
ferns behind the old log and was
very comfortable and his thoughts
his clever head that there could be
a doubt about the Rabbit dinner. 1t
was merely matter of being pa
tient. He could afford to be patient
Such a dinner was worth being pa
tient for.
Meanwhile inside that old hollow
slog Peter Rabbit was resting and
also doing some thinking. Reddy Fox
would have been surprised could he
have known Peters thoughts. He
would. indeed. And he wouldn't have
been quite SO sure of that dinner.
''Reddy trotted off quite as if he
to the Old Pasture. He was alto
gether too friendly in his talk and
he left too soon and in too much of
"a hurry. While he was in sight he
didn't once look back. He all but
caught me that time and the red
coated sinner isn't one to take a dis
appointment so pleasantly unless he
ought to by this time. and do.
HE wants me to think that he has
gone straight back to the Old Pas
ture. If that is what he wants me to
think the thing for me to do is to
think exactly the opposite. OF course.
guess, and my guess is that he is
somewhere close by where can't see
him from the open end of this log.
I wish there was a hole at the other
end. I do so. Well, can tell him
one thing, and that is, that If he
waits for me to como out he'll have
a long wait need a good sleep.
aAS :" eeS' ~AA sAA1S 40 sAo Si1iAS ~ eSS
it,
So Peter made himself comfortable
and went to sleep. Reddy Fox
wanted to take a nap, for he had
been out all night, but he was afraid
that IL he did Peter might slip out
and away and he know nothing about
1t. Had he known that Peter was
taking a nap he would have taken
one. But he didn't know it and so he
kept his eyes open watching that old
log.
Jolly, round. bright Mr.. Sun crept
higher and higher in the blue, blue
sky and the heat grew and grew un-
til even down there in the swamp
under the ferns and trees it became
hard to bear. Reddy began to pant
He wished he was back in his home
deep in the ground in the Old Pas
ture. It was always cool in there
Mosquitoes and flies tormented him.
But Rabbit dinner would be worth
all this and so he was patient.
Meanwhile Peter Rabbit had a
good nap. When he awoke he peeped
out. Everything seemed safe. But
Peter knew that very often things
are not as they seem. 'If it is a
matter of saving my life I can af-
ford to be patient" thought he. II
have got to know that Reddy Fox
has gone before I venture out. And
Peter settled himself for another nap.
downright, 1921, by T. W. BurRess.)