New Britain herald., 1928-03-14
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS
Great Excitement in the old orchard
The robin and the hluohird bring Assurance of approaching sprlnE.
 Old Mother Nature.

Gentle Sister South Wind had swept away the snow from the Green Meadows and the old orchard. Jack Frost still came Of nights, but he hurried away and hid every morn- ing when jolly, round. bright MT. Sun began his daily climb up in tn" blue. blue sky. Yes sir, Jack Frost hid then and he remained hidden all day. He didn't come out again until after the Black Shadows had taken possession Of the Green Meadows, the Old Orchard and the Green For est.
 So Peter Rabbit and all his friends Of the winter knew that sweet Mistress Spring would soon arrive and their hearts were filled with happiness. They knew that she was coming up from the Sunny south and they knew that just ahead of her would be certain fcathored mes sengers 10 bring them the news that she would soon arrive. So every morning Peter Rabbit spent a great deal of time just looking and listen ing lt was the same way with the other little people, especially the little people up in the old Orchard. They would stop in the middle of some thing they happened tc be dolng to look and listen. Why were they looking and listening They were looking and listening for tho return Of old friends who had been q long time away.
 It was Peter Rabbits long ears that first heard the sound that all had been listening for. He should have been at hoIUe m fine dear Old Briar- patch, but these days h" was 20 uneasy he couldn't stay ju any one place long. certainly not in the dear old Briar- patch, So on thie partlcu- lar morning, instead ot returning home as he should have done, he du- cid"d 10 spend tho day ou in, edge of inc Old Orchard. lir f,lr that It was perfectly safe there because. you know, he has some wonderful holes underneath the old @fouo wall So II was that Peter vas eliflr- nI'h his long cars pointed straight n.y. at tN. blue. blue sky ae hc Ns',u,j 'o 'h, chitter-chatt"r Of Tomtay TI tUr Chicbadee, Sammy Jay. ponr rn. Tree Sparrow, Sja-E thu Juur0, Spocklcs inc Staring, iINps Ja.r Squirrel. Chatt,rcr the H.d SuUrD and striped Fmpuuuk. Suddenly those long cars of hia caught -h' raiHtes,. softcst. sweetest of whistles A queer little tugIuE feeling wout all over Peter. He did hls N'rN bD@i to shu. out all the other sounds and strained hIs ears for that WtJ-tiu again. There it was l. was Iitt.a clearer this time. But just whore }' came from Peter couldn't fell for inc life Of him. r came from Joe where in particular. f sounded 3 II + might com" from q place gIjt' near and Il sounded as if # IGl2 | come from place far aw1y.
 Peter thump'I. Everybody stop ped talking 70 see what Peter Ha. humping for. "Iistan," cried Peter and there was excitement lu t' voice. "Listcn,'
 Everybody listened. They listened ana they ISl'Il'I. anu lL'I' "' great expectancy on all their faces But they listened in vain. "Poou'' exclaimed Sammy Jan 'I1'. imagines hes hearing '.rG- Hc'---
 Sammy didn't rnIsh Er.Ds .n1s beard if that time. In-tartjt fHrr was great excitement all fHr0uEa rHr old Orchard. Yes, slr, 'H,rr ".' great eAcIte mrni.
 "Winsome Blur]ird" cried ali 'u Rssher. "SiHsome Tlurtif1 Ha HnmA That means that sweet Ms