The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-10


 ''Nothing but wondering how I'm go- ing to get out again" replied Old Mir. Toad testify.
 moonlight, which was when Peter dis covered it, it looked very black and ever so deep.
 Now if Peter had fallen in he, would have had no one to blame but himself. He had no business in that garden. itl was nothing but idle curiosity which had taken him up to the top of that pile of sand on the edge of that big hole. You may be sure that Peter was fright ened. Of course he was very much frightened, and at first he thought he would get out of that garden as quick ly as he could before something else hap pened to him. So he started for the hole in the fence by which he had en- tered. Half way there he begun to get over his fright, and by the time he reached the hole in the fence his curio- sity, that dreadful curiosity which gets Peter into so many scrapes, was great CT than his fright.
 q wonder who made that big hole and what it is for" thought Peter. Tt is a funny thing to be in Farmer Browns garden. I wonder how deep it is. l wonder if I could have jumped out if l had fallen in. wonder if any one else knows about 1t. I wonder There Is no knowing how much more Peter would have wondered If just at that minute he hadn't heard a tiny scream. Peter pricked up his long ears and sat up to listen. But though he listened with all his might he heard nothing more.
 That sounded as if it came from the direction of that big hole," thought Peter. Cant it be Chat some one has fallen in? III believe I'll go back and have another look at that hole. If l am very careful there vii be no danger. I won't climb up on that pile ot sand again, because it might slin and slile under me just as it did before, but Ia go around to the other side. Then can creep up to the edge of that hole and peep into it and see better what it is like inside.s
 No sooner thought of than Peter was off, lipperty- y-lipperty-lip, back to that corner of the garden where the curious big hole was. As he drew near he moved slowly and very carefully, look ing before he leaped. So presently he came to the big hole which Farmer Browns Boy had dug. In the mO0n- light it looked like great round black shadow. Slowly and carefully Peter erept to the very edge and peeped over. It was deep, much too deep for him to have jumped out had he fallen in. And the sides were straight up and down. Peter noticed this right away. He. couldn't have jumped out, and he couldn't have climbed out to save his life.
 "Phew! That WAS a narrow es- cape !" exclaimed Peter right out loud.
 At the sound of his voice it seemed to Peter that something moved down there fin the darkness at the bottom of the big hole. He stared with all his might. After a little he began to see more clearly. You know Peter can see quite well at night as well as by day. There was a little spot down there darker than the rest of the bottom. He thought it moved. Yes, he was sure it moved.
 "Is anybody down there!" he asked.
 "Yes," replied very weak voice. aPE aEc, o,, ,,.., w... ,..,.,.,.. =. lou doing down there?' cried Peter.
 Nothing but wondering how I'm go- Elg to get out again." replied Old Mir. Toad testify.
 TBut how did you get thereY' per sisted Peter. rs
 "Tumbled down. How did you sup pose? I just fell into trouble" re- piled Old Mir. Toad more testify than ever.
 T should say you did," gasped Peter.
 Next Story: "Old Mir. Toad Tells How It Happened.