Evening star., 1942-03-05
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.


There's nothing 80 bad that 1T couldn't
Is saying as old as the hills.
Just ask. Peter Rabbit. he's proved that
And hen tell you a story of thrills.
You see, Peter has thrills almost
every day. He has grown so used
to them that a day that didn't
bring him at least one thrill, real,
shivery thrill, like reaching the dear
Old Briar Patch only one jump
ahead of Reddy Fox, would seem
as if there was something wrong
with it. But of all the thrills Peter
has had perhaps the greatest was
when he sat under the pile of
brush in the Green Forest, while
just outside were Reddy Fox
Granny Fox, Old Man Coyote, and
Redtal the Hawk. There he was
far from the dear, safe Old Briar
Patch and waiting and watching
were FOUR of the hungriest and
fercest of Peters enemies. 1t would
have been bad enough to have had
one waiting and watching, but here
were four! Peter was in a tight
place. Yes, sir, Peter Rabbit was
in as tight a place as ever he had
been in all his life.
But Peter isn't the kind to worry
until he has to. He was so thank
full to escape under the pile of brush
that he didn't waste any time Wor-
rying over how he was to get away
from there. He just worked his
way under the very thickest part
of the brush and there he sat trying
to get his breath, for he had lost
it in the last hard run for safety
with Reddy Fox at his heels.
Granny Fox he hadn't seen at all,
nor Old Man Coyote. 1t wasn't that
he knew that they were around.
He had heard the swish of Redtails
wings just as he wriggled under
the brush, and he knew what that
meant, for he had heard it before.
Presently Peter began to chuckle
You wouldn't suppose he could have
found anything to chuckle about
when he was in such a tight place,
would you? But he did. The fact
is, there was a quarrel going on
outside that heap of brush, and
Peter heard it. Reddy Fox was
calling Redtail the Hawk all the
bad names he could think of, and
Granny Fox was helping him.
If it hadn't been for you I'd
have caught him" snarled Reddy.
NO such thing" screamed Red
tail. You weren't within two jumps
of him. Besides, he didn't belong
to you. anyway. had just as much
right to him as you had"
IT tell you he's mine. and I'm
going to have him." snarled Reddy.
mo such thing!" retorted Redtail.
"He belongs to the one who catches
him, and that is going to be me"
"Robber!" Snarled Reddy.
Thief" screamed Redtail
Then Peter heard new voice. 1t
was very smooth and Peter knew it
right away. 1t was the voice of
olO wall SOyOtC' Slti oOOPPNN
chuckling and listened as hard as
ever he could, for he is more afraid
of Old Man Coyote than of all
three of the others together. He is
very crafty and has an oily tongue
has Old Man Coyote.
Friends" said he, and Peter
pricked up his ears, for he knew
that Reddy and Granny Fox hated
Old Man Coyote. Friends, what is
the use of quarreling over something
none of us has got?" he asked.
Peter Rabbit is safe now, but he
can't stay in this brush pile for
ever. Let us think of plan to get
him when he comes out. Instead of
fighting, why not try a plan which
will give one Of us a good rabbit
dinner What do you say?"
Reddy and Granny Fox looked
at Old Man Coyote suspiciously, but
as they were afraid of him anyway,
and as they could see nothing to
lose, they agreed. Redtail the Hawk
thought it over and at last he
agreed, too. And so plan was
made to catch poor Peter Rabbit.