Evening star., 1939-07-19
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

Peter Rabbit was all a-shake. II
was partly excitement, partly fear
and partly hope. You remember
how he had gone back to the dear
Old Brier Patch without a doubt
in his mind that little Nimbleheels
had been caught and carried away
to the Green Forest by, Hooty the
! Owl. You remember how sad Peter
was and how he had sighed anc
sighed again, and how thin, high
squeaky voice had asked If he was in
pain.
That voice made Peter jump. II
sounded exactly like the voice OF
little Nimbleheels. If Peter hadn't
been absolutely sure that by this
time Nimbleheels must be in the
stomach of Hooty the Owl he would
have said that this was the voice of
Nimbleheels. But how could it be
1t couldn't. His ears must have
fooled him or else-''Who are
you2" whispered Peter. Are you a
ghost?"
Il should say mott" exclaimed the
same thin, high, squeeky voice in
dignantly. There Is no ghost about
me! For goodness sake, what is the
matter with you. Peter Rabbitt?" Out
in front of Peter hoped Nimble-
heels.
Peter backed away hurriedly. Go
away" said he This isn't you
1t can't be. You were caught by
Hooty the Owl and carried away
for his dinner You can't be in his
stomach and here too, so this can't
be you. Go away, please"
pinch yourself and wake up
Peter squeaked Nimbleheels. Then
he began to laugh with all his
might. Peter froWned.
Il don't see anything to laugh at, u
said he rather GROSSLY, for he still
couldn't believe what his eyes saw.
Nimbleheels kept right on laugh
ing until he was quite out of breath.
II may not be myself" said he, but
I'm quite sure I'm not anybody else.
AS for Hooty the Owl, if his stom-
ach feels any fuller on my account
I'm willing to make him the same
kind of meal every day. Go over
and ask him. I'd like to know what
he says. Just touch me, Peter
You'll find I'm real enough"
Very cautiously Peter reached out
and touched Nimbleheels. Then his
face cleared and he began to laugh
himself. II never was more sure
of anything in all my life than I was
that you had been caught and car
ried away by Hooty,' said he when
he could stop laughing long enough.
You asked what was the matter
with me because I sighed so. I
was signing on your account, Nim-
bleheels. I was signing because my
heart was so sad at the thought that
YOU had been killed and that l
should never, never see you again,
When you spoke I thought my ears
must be playing tricks on me.
certainly did. How did you get
aWay?"
With the help of friendly Black
Shadow" replied Nimbleheels. But
for that I might be just where YOU
thought I was. I was getting very
tired, and two or three times Hooty
almost caught me. Then Just as I
jumped that Black Shadow swept
over us and Hootv couldn't see
where 7 landed ] jumped twice
more before the Black Shadow
passed over, and by that time I was
safe. Then I hurried over here to
the dear Old Brier Patch TO wait
for you. You were very wise not
to move when you sat out there in
the moonlight, Peter Rabbit. I
never could have sat like that right
in plain sight. I never could have
possibly"
That was nothing" replied Peter
modestly II learned when l was
very young that there are times to
run and times to freeze and sit tight
This was one of those times. Tell
me, Nimbleheels, doesn't such a long
tail bother you?"