Evening star., 1942-02-28
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.


It is fun to play dodge when the
one who Is trying to catch you Is a
friend and 1t Is all a game. But to
play dodge when the one trying to
catch you Is doing 1t so as to have
you for his dinner is quite another
matter. 1t isn't fun then unless you
are sure that you can get away, but
it Is very exciting. Peter Rabbit is
one of the best dodgers on the Green
Meadows or in the Green Forest.
One Of the very first things Peter
learned when he was very little
fellow was how to dodge. Since
then he has had to dodge so often
in order to keep his skin whole that
none Of his neighbors can dodge Ike
him unless it Is his cousin. Jumper
the Hare, and it is doubtful if
Jumper can, because his legs are so
much longer and he can run so much
faster that he doesn't have to dodge
as Peter does.
But never had Peter had greater
need of knowing how to dodge than
now. You see, he had been having
a terrible fight with himself in the
Green Forest, trying to decide
whether to tell Buster Bear where
Busy Bee kept her store Of honey
and so make Buster his friend, or
whether to keep 1t to himself. If
he told, Buster would be sure to
make trouble for Busy Bee, for he is
very fond of honey. He wanted to
tell, for he was very, very anxious
to have Buster his friend, but little
voice inside, his better self. kept
urging him not to tell. First he
would listen to his own selfish de-
sire and then run little way to look
for Buster Bear. Then his better self
would make him stop and sit still.
So he would run a little way, then
sit down: run little farther and sit
down. All the time he was so busy
fighting with himself that he had no
eyes for anything else, and so he
didn't see Reddy Fox hiding behind
an old stump just ahead Of him. At
last Peter sat down within two jumps
of the old stump, and there he
fought it all out with himself, and
he decided that he wouldn't tell
Buster Bear. Yes, sir. Peter de-
cided not to do such mean thing
as to make trouble for Busy Bee, not
even to win Buster Bear for friend.
Now, 1t usually pays to do right.
It paid Peter this time, though he
didn't know it was going to. You
see, he sat still q long time just two
jumps from the old stump, behind
which Reddy Fox WAS hiding with
his mouth fairly watering at the
thought of what a good dinner Peter
would make. If he had decided to
60 on and tell Buster Bear, he would
have passed right close to that old
stump and-well-probably Reddy
Fox would have had q chance to find
out Just how good dinner Peter
would make. But when Peter finally
did make up his mind not to tell,
he started to turn back, for then,
of course, he didn't want to find
Buster Bear. Like a red flash, Reddy
was after him.
Now, you know. Peters eyes are
so placed that he can see behind
him without turning his head, and
the very second Reddy jumped. Peter
saw him and lodged sidewise, so
that Reddy missed him. But Reddy
is almost as quick as Peter, and in
flash he had turned and Peter had
to dodge again.
an get you this time!" snarled
Reddy.
You'll be smarter than you've
ever been before If you do," painted
Peter, dodging behind a tree.
Cav, cav, caw!" shouted Blacky
the Grow, who happened along Just
then. Go it, Peter!"
Peter went 1t. He twisted this way
and dodged that way. with Reddy
Fox right at his heels, and all the
time he wished with all his heart
for the dear Old Briar Patch. He
knew that unless he found some safe
hiding place soon, Reddy would tire
him out.
Cav, cav, cawl" shrieked Blacky
the Crow in great excitement. 1t
was great fun for Blacky. Cav,
cav, caw!"
At last Peter saw q great pile Of
brush. If he could get under that
he would be safe He lodged just
In the nick Of time, and then. draw
ing a long breath, he started for
that pile Of brush as fast As ever
he could.
Cav, cav, caw!" shouted Blacky
the Crow.