Show THE BEDTIME STORY by THORNTON W BURGESS THE QUACKS GROW UNEASY RABBIT alle the PETER very hot weather of midsummer any more than you or I 1 do lie can not go to the seashore or the moun bains as we can and just think he has to wear a fur coat all the time of course in this respect peter Is not worse off than a lot of his neighbors in fact none of them likes the very hot weather so with the coming of the first cool days in september new life seemed to fill peter he loves the fall next to the spring he likes the fall best but for two things he thinks he might even like it the best of all the year those two things are the parting with old friends who are leaving for the far away sunny south land or who are preparing to sleep what arc you so glad about de banded mr quack all winter and the fact that the fall brings the dreadful hunting season when men with terrible guns delight in spreading terror and suffering over the green meadows through the green forest along the laughing brook around the smiling pool up in the old pasture and even deep lo 10 the great woods the fall Is a busy time for peter tou see there are so many friends to say good by to that he Is afraid that some bill slip away lefore he sees them the first of the cool das hart already come and peter knew by things be saw that it would not be long before many of his feathered friends started on their long journey everywhere Eiery where he saw them in flocks now instead of in pairs as he saw them in the spring they were making up parties for the long journey for they prefer to travel in this way it Is quite necessity necess iry because you know there are so many young birds for whom this will be the first time to make the long journey and they must be shown the way by the older birds then it always Is much pleasanter plea santer to travel with company A great party of blackbirds flying over the old brier patch reminded peter that it was quite likely thir certain other friends would soon be among others the quack family who had spent this summer in the pond of paddy the deaver so the farst chance he got peter hurried over to pond deep in the green forest lie was hilf afraid that aliey might have left already and he half hoped that they might decide to stay all winter when he got there he found mr and sirs quick and the ten young quacks now as bl as their father and mother still there oh I 1 m so glad 1 cried peter what are you so glad about demanded mr quack swimming in close to where peter was sitting on the bank that you are still here replied peter 1 I was arnld you might have gone away are you going to take that terrible journey again this year mr quack replied mr quack what else can I 1 do W hy stay here all winter the same as I 1 do replied peter and what would we do when all the water has turned to ice stupid demanded mr quack peter looked foolish 1 thought of that said he of course you have to go where the water doean doesn t freeze just the same I 1 think it Is dreadful that you have to take that terrible journey it wouldn t be so bid it it were not for the hunters with terrible guns replied mr quack we don t mind the journey it Is the terrible guns have you seen any hunters near old brier patch yet mr quack asked this anxiously ho replied peter this cool weather Is sure to bring them out replied mr quick uneasily I 1 we had started earlier but we have been so happy here this summer that I 1 cannot beir to leave until we have to that mr quack started nervously and stretched his head up to listen all the other ducks did ohp same thing it was only the snapping of a twig under buster bears feet and in a moment he appeared appe ired at once the ducks dropped their heads and began swimming about again for they did not fear buster bear but it was very clear that they were uneasy very uneasy indeed es pec lally mr and sirs quack the young kuicks quicks had hid no experience lh hunters but they were uneasy too the truth Is they were anxious to try their wings they were looking forward to that long journey as some thing very wonderful they were anxious to be on their way something as urging them to start for their beautiful southland it Is often bat way with the young they did not fear they did not enow 1332 ayt W burgess |