The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-02-17
PETER RABBIT NEARLY
FALLS INTO THE PIT

n III
~ business in Farmer Browns gar
den. He knew it. He knew that the
delicious plants growing there were
not meant for him. For a long, long
time after he had been made so Ill
by eating cabbage leaves on which
poison had been put to kill bugs he
had kept away from that tempting
garden. In fact. for some time he
hadn't wanted to go near it. But time
changes ones feelings just as 1t changes
everything else 1t was so with Peter.
1t was so long since he had been so
III that he had half forgotten how ter
ribly he had felt.
So sometimes when he passed that
garden on his way to the Old Orchard
he would pause and stare at 1t long
ingly. He would sit up and work his
wabbly little nose. and the. delicious
odors which tickled it would make his
mouth water SO that sometimes he
would have to run his very hardest to
keep from yielding to the temptation
to visit that garden and try some Of
those plants growing there.
As time went on he got in the habit
of sitting a little longer each night
to stare through the fence into the
garden and to sniff the delicious
smells. Each night 1t was little hard
er to go on. The longer ne looked and
the more he smelled the less danger
there seemed. Until he had eaten that
poison. which hadn't been meant for
him at all, no harm had ever come
to him in that garden.
~ know enough now" thought
Peter, mot to eat poisoned leaves.
It is safe, perfectly safe. for me to
go there. wouldn't eat a thing.
just want to see what 1t is like over
there, and If things have changed
much since was there"
"Fie. Peter, fie!" whispered a small
voice inside. "You know very well
that you are safer outside that garden.
You know you couldn't resist stuffing
yourself with the things growing
there"
81 could, tool" protested Peter. 81
could go all through that garden and
not taste single thing"
"You couldn't do anything Of the
kind. You know you couldn't. Better
keep out of temptation. If I were you
wouldn't ever come so near the gar
den." whispered the small voice.
Peter scowled. He didn't like that
small voice. 1t was forever telling him
not to do things that he very much
wanted to do. I'm going over there
just once, so there!" declared Peter.
'If you go once and nothing hap
pens youth go every night, and then
something may happen. Keep away"
warned the little voice.
But Peter tried not to hear that
small voice. He hoped few steps
nearer the fence on the edge of the
garden. He looked and listened. 1t
was very, very quiet over in there.
Peter hoped few steps nearer. "rll
just stick my head inside and see how
it looks" said he to himself, "then
I'll go on to the Old Orchard"
So Peter poked his head through
an opening in the fence. My. how good
it did smell in there! Peters wabbly
little nose wabbled faster than ever.
"Cabbages" muttered Peter. "And
beets! Turnips, as l live! oh, my
goodness, certainly smell carrots !"
Peter really didn't know just when
his body did follow his head through
that opening in the fence. But it did,
for here he was right in the middle
of Farmer Browns garden. My, how
things had grown since he had been
there! He hoped this way and he
hoped that way. He took a nip here
and bite there. The little voice in
siderwas still now. 1t had given up.
So presently Peter came to the far
corner where Farmer Browns Boy
had dug that deep pit. Peter stared
at the great pile of sand on one side.
He didn't see the great hole; all he
saw was the pile of sand. snow what
can that be for?" thought Peter, and
went little nearer. At first he was
suspicious of It, After little he made
up his mind that 1t was perfectly
harmless. 1t was nothing but pile
of sand. He would climb up to the
top 1t would be splendid place from
which to look all over the garden.
Up Peter scrambled and sat down on
the very top. Then for the first time
he saw the black pit below him. He
stared down into 1t wondering what
it could be for. Suddenly the sand I'M
der him began to slide. Hastily Peter
turned to get back. The sand slid