Evening star., 1932-09-19

~ ETER RABBIT sat on the bank
- of the Smiling Pool He
scratched long ear with long
i hindfoot. Then he scratched
the other ear with the other
long indfoot. From the END OF log
which was partly in the water Just IN
front of Peter a pair of small bright
eyes watched him. They were the eyes
OF Spotty the Turtle.
Strange things were happening all
around Peter. Ugly looking brown crea-
lures were climbing up stalks OF grasses
and rushes growing IN the water anu
after resting a while just above tne
water were bursting open and from
them we're coming forth beautiful. lacy
winged Dragon Flies one from each. 1t
was hard. very hard for Peter to believe
that Darner the Dragon Fly. which
some people call "Darning needle" had
ever had anything to do with one OF
those ugly creatures crawling around on
tia bottom of the Smiling Pool ana
a., Climbing the grasses to get out OF wa
tn. Yet Darner had actually peen one
Of them. Yesterday he had been living
in the mud under water. Iooay ne was
darting about over the Smlllng F0oI
and the Green Meadows, master OF the
air and as beautiful as he had formerly
sSpotty," said Peter, has this kind
r, thing ever happened here before?"
Don't ask silly questions, Peter re-
piled Spotty. "Of course, 1t has nap
pened before 1t happens every year
i at about this time
Then, why haven't seen 1t before?'
demanded Peter.
Ask me something easier, repleu
Spotty ''It has happened right under
YOUR nose, so to speak, time ana agaln.
i've watched it every year since was
a. little fellow" nv,
Just then Darner the Dragon F!y
darted across in front of Peter, his
wings shimmering in the sun. He was
master of the air. There was no DOUBT
about that. 1t was Joy to watch MIN
dart this way and that. Yes, 1t was
very. very difficult to believe that Darner
had ever been one of those ugly crea-
trres down on the bottom OF the Smll-
ing Pool.
Now. lust little way off sat Grand
father Frog on his big. green NY pau.
Crandfather Frog is accounted very
Gid and very wise by his neighbors OF
the Smiling Pool Just why those VINO
are old should be regarded as wise l
don't know, but so it is. Perhaps IL IS
because wisdom ought to attend age
as the result of experience. So Grano,
father Frog was regarded as old ana
Wise when, as a matter Of fact, he dlo
lust as many foolish things as any one
In the Smiling Pool.
Darner the Dragon Fly suddenly
darted over toward Grandfather Frog
and this drew Peters attention. Grand
father Frog was sitting motionleSs. His
great. goggly eyes were staring straight
ahead and there fitting in the sun
shine in a sort of dance on wings
was a foolish green fly. Grandfather
/ Frog was watching that foolish green
f1v. He was watching 1t so closely that
he appeared to have forgotten every
thing else. Peter watched both Grand
father Frog and the foolish green ny
and thought how foolish the latter was
not to keep away altogether from green
iilv pads on which hungry Frogs might
sit. So intent was Peter watching 10
see Grandfather Frog catch that 1901
ish green fly that for the moment ne
quite forgot Darner the Dragon Fly.
Nearer and nearer to Grandfather
Frog drew the foolish green ny. Grand
father frogs great, goggly eyes fairy
.perkled with graed and eagerne5s. He
was just ready to snap up that tQQllsn