Evening star., 1942-01-17
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.

By THORNTON w. BURGESS.
Kick your heels and tump and daneel
Hop and skip and gayly prance!
Sister south Winds come to stay.
And Mistress Spring is on the way!
Everybody said that Peter Rabbit
and Jumper the Hare had gone
crazy. OF course. 1t wasn't true.
They weren't really crazy. even II
they did act so. People always
say that Jumper the Hare Is mad
at this time of the year, but it isn't
so unless trying to show how happy
and full OF Joy you feel is madness.
That was the trouble with Jumper
and Peter this time. They were 50
full Of Joy that they just had to
do something, and because they
couldn't sing or shout-for you
know they have no voices for sing
ing and shouting-they just had to
do something to show how glad and
happy they were, and so, In the
moonlight, when they thought no
one saw them, they hoped and
skipped and jumped and danced,
and did all sorts Of foolish things.
But other people did see them.
Jimmy Skunk saw them and said,
How silly!" Bobby Coon, poking
his head out Of his hollow tree to
see II the last bit of snow had dis
appeared. yawned sleepily and said,
How foolish!"
But Peter and Jumper didn't
know this, and they wouldn't have
cared much anyway. They didn't
have room for anything but the
toy that filled their hearts, and
that Joy was because they knew
that Mistress Spring was on the
way. and she always brings the
glad time, the happy time, the
merry time, when the very air II
full of Joy and love, and it is. oh,
so good to be alive! They knew
that she was on the way because
Sister South Wind had arrived ana
told them 50, for Sister South Wind
had come to prepare the way for
her, to melt the snow and ice. and
to whisper to all the trees wnlcn
hs0 slept the long winter through
that it was time to wake. So they
forgot everything else IN the Joy
Of this good news. Peter forsot
all his trouble because his frlends
and neiphbors wouldn't believe the
story he had told them OF the
strange great tracks he hAd 1ouno
deep in the Green Forest. In fact,
he forgot all about those tracks
himself There was too much else
to think about. The Green Forest
and the Green Meadows. and the
Laughing Brook and the Smiling
pool would soon be waking up, ana
peter lust had to be on hand 10
greet each Of the sleepers. VINO mao
spent the long, hard, cold winter
warmly tucked in bed. and knowing
nothing about Jack Frost. or rouen
brother North Wind. or how haro
II had been sometimes to get some
thing to eat. ,,
So Peter hoped and skipped and
danced in the moonlight with
Jumper the Hare, and was happy:
mo more days Of hunting ana
hunting to find enough to eat!" he
cried. as he foolishlv tried to jump
over his own shadow. mo more
racing around to keep from freez-
ing to DEATH" And then. Just be-
cause he didn't have to. Peter
raced harder than ever. You know
It is a lot easier to do things when
you don't have to. 1t is fun then.
Just the same" added Peter,
II wouldn't sleep all winter the
way Johnny Chuck does, and
Grandfather Frog and Striped
Chipmunk and a lot Qf others Tor
anything. Think Of all they miss!
It's worth it even il We do have
hard times once in while. And
It's going to be such fun to see all
the sleepers wake up! Yes. sir,
I'm glad I don't sleep through the
winter. but I'm gladder still that
Mistress Spring Is on the way.
Hippity -hoppity skippity -skoppity,
couldn't keep still X would.
Skippity-skoppity. hippity-hopptty.
I'm slad, there no reason shouio.