The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-03
Little Stories For Bedtime
By rHossroS W. BURGESS
Old Doctor Toad

Old Doctor Toad You can't tell much from a persons s
 looks,
 As doubtless you've often heard it told.
 An ugly shape and homely skin
 Will often cover heart of gold. CAN you think of any one more homely than Old Mir. Toad? He
 is so homely that some folks call him ugly looking, but never can quite agree with this. Perhaps this is be cause I know him so well. And he is just as gruff as he is homely. When he came puffing and wheezing in to , ths dear Old Brier Patch to where Pe- ter lay you would have thought to have heard him say that Peter had forced him to come all that long distance from Farmer Browns garden when all the time he had come wholly out of the goodness of his heart because Peter was sick. He was almost as tired as Spotty the Turtle, and he puffed and he wheezed and he wheezed and he puffed trying to get his breath, all the time not saying q word. When at last he did speak it was so gruffly that he sounded cross.
 "A pretty mess you've got into, Peter Rabbit '" he snapped. Always knew there was something wrong with your head. It's empty. That's what's the matter with it; it's empty. Anybody but silly worms ought to know better than to eat poisoned cabbage leaves. You ought to be sick. I'm not sorry | for you n bit, not bit" 1 Now this wasn't true, and Peter knew it. He knew that it was just Old MT. Toad never would have come Old Mir. Toad never would have some all this long way from Farmer Brown s garden but for one thing, and this was l that he was sorry for Peter. So Peter slyly winked at Mrs. Peter and said nothing.
 Serves you just right" Mr. Toad grumbled. No business to be up in that garden any way. Couldn't you find enough to eat at home! Never saw such a fellow for getting into trou- ble. How many of those cabbage leaves did you eat?"
 'OnIy three," replied Peter very meekly.
 Huh Three too many" snapped Old Mr. Toad. Poison ona every one of them, flor I saw it put on.'
 Now until Old Mir. Toad had men, toned it Peter hadn't even guessed what was the matter with him and neither had little Mrs. Rabbit They had thought his sickness was from over- eating. The truth hadn't once entered their heads.
 "Oh, Mir. Toad, do you really mean that Peter has been poisoned?" walled little Mrs. Peter.
 Old Mir. Toad stared at her. "Of course mean it" he snapped. Do you mean to tell me that you didn't know what ailed him."
 Little Mrs. Peter nodded through her tears. Peter himself had turned very pale The thought of poison frightened him terribly. He understood now why he had felt so terribly i'll, so much worse than he ever had felt before when he had eaten too much.
 "Oh, Mir Toad,-will Peter die?" sob- bed little Mrs. Peter.
 Die! Who said anything about dying? l didn't" Mir. Toad spoke sharply. Il suppose Peter will die some time, but it will take more than three cabbage leaves to kill him. y There was twinkle in Old Mir. Toad eyes. How do you feel, Peter?"
 My stomach feels all right now, but I cant use my hind legs replied Pe- ter and gave feeble kick or two to show how little use he had of them "Do-do you suppose I'll ever be able to run againY
 If you do as I tell you, you will.