New Britain herald., 1927-05-06
Times there are. so we are told, When it is proper to be bold.
 Peter Rabbit.

The trouble is with a great many people that they take the wrong time to be bold, or they are bold for wrong reasons. It isn't often that Peter Rabbit is bold. Naturally, he is a very tinlid fellow. But there are times when he doesn't reason well at all and he becomes bold when he shouldn't be bold. Usually those times are the times when he is most curious Curiosity is some- times a bad master.
 Now Peter had been consumed with curiosity ever since the circus had come to Green Meadows. Per haps he was no more curious than some of the other little people. but with most of the others fear was greater than curiosity. With Peter. however curiosity overcame fear and in the moonlight he kept getting nearer and nearer to the great tents. From the biggest tent came all kinds of noises for long time. Bands were playing and people were shout ing and clapping. But there was one other big tent where there seemed to he no people. It was the animal tent. You see. the people had vis- tied the animal tent before the circus began in the biz tent. but now the animal tent was quiet. save for the slight noises of some of the animals there.
 " Pcther headed toward that tent. Hc would hop a few steps. then sit np and look and listen. After mo- ment or two. he would hop few steps more. then sit up and look and listen. He was so interested and so curious that he never once thought 10 look out for Reddy Fox. or Old Man Coyote. or Hooty the Owl. As | matter of fact, he was quite safe from them. for they were keeping far away. You sec. with them curi- osity didn't overcome fear.
 Finally Peter was right close up 10 the big tent. Then he stopped and looked and listened for long. long time. Right in front of him
 
 under. "Go ahead and do it." whis- pered Curiosity.
 Don't you do it; it isn't safe" said Common Sense.
 "You'll never have another chance like this,' said Curiosity.
 You don't know what might hap pen 10 you" warned Common Sense.
 Those who are never bold never see or learn anything whispered Curiosity.
 The bold do not always live long, warned Common Sense.
 There arc some strange people fin there you ought to sce.' prompted Curiosity.
 ''T' vou ro inside you may never come ont again. said Common Sense.
 tnd all the time Peter sat staring ami staring at that big tent and working his wahhly little nose and stretching his big ears and feeling funny little chills running all over him. while he tried to make up his mind what 10 do. By and hy he popped q fow steps nearer. He lay down fat and pok"d his wabhly little nose under the edge Of the tent Eight in front of him was a wagon wheel He knew if was q wagon wheel for of course he had often seen wagon wheels at Farmer Browns farm. Somehow he felt better and boldor for seeing that wagon wheel. He poked his whole head under H. wasn't listening at all to Common Sense now. Little by little he crawlad under Nothing happened. He grew bolder. He Crawlei through fine wagon wheel sHd sat mp under the wagon. He hr1rd the breathing Of many ani- m7's but he fel. stra ngoly bold G'op"rirht 1927. hy T, W. Burgess)
 Tn. next story: Peter Meets My Lad the Elephant"