Evening star., 1937-12-27

I Who wonders much, in time It's plain,
Old Mother Nature.
THUS is knowledge increased. Those
who wonder about things are the
ones who seek to learn the facts. #
people ceased to wonder about things
all progress in the world would cease
1t is to those who wonder and want
to know that all advancement Ia due
Thus wondering. which some call eu-
riosity. Ia At times most important.
1t was winter. The ground WAS
froeen hard. The Green Meadows
were brown instead Of green, or. At
times. white with snow. The bushes
ana the brambles in the dear Old
Briar Patch were bare Of leaves. 30
were the trees in the Green Forest
save those that remain green at ali
times, the spruces and hemlocks and
pines and cedars and certain others.
| Peter sat in the dear Old Briar
Patch. wondering. That is a favorite
occupation of his when he sits in the
dear Old Briar Patch. He was won.
dering about certain summer neigh
bors OF his. He was WONDERING where
they were, what had become OF them
There were many he didn't wonder
about at all, Reddy Fox. for instance;
Old Man Coyote. Shadow the Weasel
Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter, the Squir-
rel cousins, Lightfoot the Deer, Danny
Meadow Mouse, Whitefoot the Wood
Mouse and. over in the Green Forest,
his own cousin, Jumper the Hare. All
OF these were about a. active ~ in
summer some even more 50.
He knew that Paddy the Beaver was
spending the winter in his fine house
in his private pond, swimming about
under the Ice when he wanted exer.
else or to get food from his food pile.
He knew that Jerry Muskrat was liv-
Ing IN 4 somewhat similar manner in
the Smiling Pool. He knew that
Johnny Chuck was asleep for the win
ter, deep down in the ground below
the reach OF Jack Frost's pinching ffn-
gers. He knew that great big Buster
Bear and little Nimbleheels the Jump-
ing Mouse were also sleeping, but he
NANAA AiAoW JuoV WAlNlS. nc AucW LItdL
Bobby Coon was asleep in q certain
hollow tree, and that Striped Chip
hunk was asleep In secret home un-
der the Old Stone Wall He knew that
Jimmy Skunk slept when the weather
WAS bad and was likely to appear at
any time during Z mild SPELL
There had been q time when he had
0tnnNArAA AI
what became Of them when they dis
appeared, but this curiosity had been
satisfied. He still wondered about that
curious long sleep. He didn't UNDER
stand it. Few people do. Anyway
he knew what all these neighbors did
IN winter. what became of them. but
there were two about whom Peter still
wondered. He was thinking of one of
these as he sat there in the dear Old
Briar Patch this cold winter morning.
Il wonder" said he, where Miner
the Mole is."
What in the name Of Jack Frost
made you think Of him?" asked Mrs.
Peter.
THAT little ridge out there. You
remember, he made it by digging q
tunnel just under the grass roots and
pushing them up to make the roof of
his tunnel He did it just before Jack
Frost came, and that is the last aien
Of him have seen. A funny fellow
is Miner the Mole, living in the ground
the way he does. but what does he do
now, with the ground as hard AZ stone?
He can't dig in 1t. No one can. And
they say that Miner lives wholly on
worms and erubs that he finds In the
ground. He can't hnd any now" said
Peter.
Probably he sleeps like Johnny
Chuck" said Mrs. Peter.
II wonder" replied Peter.
tCopyrisht, 1877