Evening star., 1940-08-24
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

ny 1dOhN1ON w. bUNUESSs
Every day Old Mother West Wind
opened her big bag and shook out
on to the Green Meadows the Merry
Little Breezes who, as you know,
are her children. Every day for pure
Joy, the Merry Little Breezes whirled
about in mad little dances and then
scattered in all directions to play
the whole day long.
"As light our feet as thistledown.
Our hearts as sunny hours,
We dance along amid the throng
And kiss the smiling flowers"
So the Merry Little Breezes sang
and kissed the buttercups and
daisies and played hide and seek
among tn etall meadow grasses, for
these were happy, happy days on the
Green Meadows and in the Green
Forest. Farmer Browns Boy had
put away his dreadful gun, and so
long as he did not have that, the
little meadow and forest people
knew that they had nothing to fear
from him.
So all the little meadow and forest
people were just as happy as the
Merry Little Breezes and were cut
ting up all sorts Of pranks on the
Green Meadows and around the
Smiling Pool.
MY. but it does seem good to get
enough to eat once more!" exclaimed
Johnny Chuck as he rubbed noses
with Peter Rabbit in the Sweet
Glover Patch, where both ate and
ate and ate until it seemed as If
their little round tummies must
surely burst. You see, in the dread
full days when Farmer Browns Boy
had been tramping over the Green
Meadows with his gun hunting for
Reddy Fox, who had stolen his pet
chicken, Johnny Chuck had not
dared to 60 more than 10 feet from
his own doorstep. So Johnny had
grown thin, for he hadn't been able
to get enough to eat. Now he was
making up for it, And you know
Peter Rabbit always has a tre-
mendous appetite.
Down the Crooked Little Path
from the top of the hill came Jimmy
Skunk, his hands in his pockets.
He was coming very slowly, for it
takes something very unusual to
make Jimmy Skunk hurry. Peter
Rabbits eyes twinkled when he saw
Jimmy.
Watch me have some fun with
Jimmy Skunk" whispered Peter
Rabbit to Johnny Chuck
Peter limped away, for his foot
was still sore. and soon was out of
sight in the tall meadow grass. BY
and by Johnny Chuck caught a
glimpse of Peter hiding behind some
bushes that grew close to the
Crooked Little Path down the hill
where it is steepest. Just above was
a turn in the Crooked Little Path,
and this was the reason that Jimmy
Skunk didn't see Peter, too.
Down came Jimmy Skunk with his
hands in his pockets, humming to
himself. Suddenly a fat beetle ran
out Of the bushes and started down
the Crooked Little Path as if it had
very important affairs to attend to.
Now If there is anything in the
world that will make Jimmy Skunk
hurry it is fat beetle. Jimmy saw
this one and his mouth watered.
His hands came out of his pockets.
and he started after the fat beetle
without looking where he was STEP
ping. OF course he tripped over
the blackberry vine that Peter Rab-
bit was holding across the path.
Head first down the hill went Jimmy
Skunk, and turned half a dozen
somersaults before he reached the
bottom!
'Ha, ha, hal" shouted Peter Rab-
bit and Johnny Chuck.
Jimmy Skunk picked himself up
and grinned. I'll get even with
you," he said. Then Peter Rabbit
showed him where a dozen fat
beetles were hiding under a fiat
stone.