The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-07
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORY
OLD MIR. TEMPTATION KEEPS
By THORNTON W. BURGESS

Temptations always busy, by night
 as well as day,
 And he who stops to listen will
 surely have to pay
 Peter Rabbit.
 Slowly Peter Rabbit approached Farmer Browns garden. The Black Shadows had already crept out from the Purple Hills behind which iolIv round, red Mir. Sun had smilingly gone to bed. Over on the edge of the Green Forest Melody the Wood Thrush was pouring out his evening song Most of the other birds had already gone to bed. There were a few exceptions Hooty the Owl was awake, of course. Whip poor-win had just awakened and was calling over in the Green Forest Boomer the Nighthawk was hunting his din- her high in the air above Farmer Browns garden.
 Peter poked his head under the fence and gazed longlngly into that garden. It was too dark for him 10 see very well, but a wandering Little Night Breeze brought to him de- licious smells. For a long time he sat there, wishing he could see bet ter, but determined not to take a step beyond the fence.
 You are a silly fellow" whispered Old MT. Temptation. "The idea of coming as far as this and then going away without knowing anything more about that garden than you do now! You are not in the slightest danger. Nobody but Old MT. Toad IS In the garden now, and ther isn't reason in the world why you shouldn't go all through it."
 ra Ta- Will be all right to just walk around in there. I wonder where Old Mir. road Is? l wonder If he is over in the lettuce bed? I believe I'll Just run over and find out"
 50 Peter crept under the fence and started for the lettuce bed. On the way he passed several long rows of young cabbages. "A leaf of one of those would taste good" whispered Old MT. Temptation.
 T know it." replied Peter, "brt I'm not going to take one"
 Tt would do you good" continued Old Mir. Temptation. "You would feel a lot better for it. It is a long time since you have had anything but grass and sweet clover. One leaf wouldn't be missed No one world ever know it had been taken. Those leaves are just right for eating now. Never again will they be as tender and good"
 T know it." said Peter. T don't suppose one leaf would be missed. And now you mention it. I am tired of grass and clover"
 There's plant over there with SD many leaves that the loss of one won't matter in the least" whispered Old MT. Temptation. Why should Farmer Brown have all these cab bages and you not have even a taste? Just try one of those leaves. It will make you feel like a new Rabbit"
 Peter hesitated. Then he slowly hoped over to that particular plant. It was true that one leaf wouldn't oe missed. Peter stretched out his wabbly little nose for a smell. He didn't intend to take a bite. All he wanted was to smell of that cab- bage. But somehow he stretca,cd that wabbly little nose further than he meant to and 1t touched the edge of leaf. Peter just had to nibble the edge of it. My. how good it tasted! It seemed to Peter that never had he tasted anything so delicious. He kept on. .nibbling. The more he nibbled the more it seemed to him that he must have the whole leaf.
 Nibble. nibble. nibble. That leaf was half gone. Nibble, nibble. ni5- ble. That leaf was wholly gone. Still 1t seemed to Peter that he hadn't had more than a bite. If that leaf wouldn't be missed-and he was sure it wouldn't-a leaf from another plant wouldn't be missed. Peter