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Show wina FEBRUARY "Pilininry," wild Mother ItnliMt, "Is n mouth in which I Imvo nbsolutely , . no woiry nnd no " ti WKIK care. 1H the only, & rW' month I can say rY-'te'Jiril! ltlt ni,m,t, tho only one." f "Whatever do you inoiin?" asked Mrs. Squirrel. "I would be glad to henr." Mrs. Squirrel sat up In, n treo and Mrs. Babbit was down below. She had only her usual fur tout on and though It was 'Cold Day, lint n coltl u,,y no u,d ltr 8he said not 8cem t0 fccl Pleasantly. very cold. M r s. 'Squirrel kept Jumping from treo to ireo to keep warm but she alwujs came back to hear nnj thing Mrs. Itubblt was say-log. say-log. And when she heard Mrs. Babbit make such nn ustonlshtng and amazing amaz-ing remark she decided tlmt though It was a cold day she would be kept warm by hearing such Interesting talk. Sho loved gossiping and chattering nnd talking, did Mrs. Squirrel, and Mrs. Bnbblt loved It Just us much. Mrs. Itubblt was a llttlo bit more curious curi-ous as a rule than Mrs. Squirrel, but this time Mrs. Squirrel was ns curious as any creature could possibly be. "I really don't understand you," said Mrs. Squirrel. "Won't you plense explain V sho continued con-tinued after a pause, for Mrs. Babbit had said nothing. "I don't see what there Is to explain," ex-plain," said Mrs. Bnbblt. "I was Just repeating a fact. February Is the only month of the year which I can call a month free of worry. The other months I hnve worries nnd many of them, but In February not' n one I" Mrs. Babbit wiggled her nosej flnpped her ears, and looked at Mrs. Squirrel. "Cold day, Isn't It?" she said pleasantly. pleas-antly. "t don't care whether it Is cold or not. I want to hear what you have to say," said Mrs. Squirrel.. "I have said all I had to jay," answered an-swered Mrs. Babbit. "I would like to hear you talk now. Tell mo the gossip, gos-sip, I'm pining to hear some." "I haven't a bit to tell you," said Mrs. Squirrel, who was much disappointed disap-pointed Mrs. Babbit took so long In explaining herself. "I want to hear why February is the only month In which you have no worries." "Now I really shouldn't have said that," Mr. .Rabbit answered. ".No. I really shouldn't have said that at all. Its not kind and motherly for me to call the darlings worries. No, its not nice of me to do that, and I don't mean it" "You don't mean what)" asked Mrs. Squirrel, who was all mixed up. "I don't mean that the darlings arc worries," answered Mrs. Bnbblt. "What darlings!" asked Mrs. Squirrel. Squir-rel. "Do you mean the little rabbits?" "I do," said Mrs. Babbit. "Don't they worry you In February?" asked Mrs. Squirrel. "Or do the 'darlings' promise you one month In .which they really will be darllngs.and not 'worries?' " , '"ton do them a great Injustice," said 3Irs. Babbit "They never mean to be worries, and 'they -are always darlings." "Aren't you getting a trifle confused?" con-fused?" asked Mrs. Squirrel, in rather a scolding voice. She waa annoyed that still she didn't understand what Mrs. Rabbit had meant ' "Not confused in the least," aatd Mrs. Rabbit cheerfully. "You're confused con-fused la your mind you can't Sju Tj understand me. . 1 W Pm bright enough rr J j(A to see that" J'VVVol "Well, wont you ft frS yJt nave the good- if m So ness to explain T" fll asked Mrs. Squlr- SjV..- -Tes, I will," F' ZZ'SEjiC said Mrs. Rabbit Jr "I only wanted to -jp"" 'aj make you good " and curious and Mrs. Squirrel to prove that rab- Qasped. bits aren't the only creatures In existence hereabouts." "I don't mind Insults," said Mrs. Squirrel, "If you will only continue." ; "In February,"" said Mrs. Rabbit, "no beautiful little rabbit children come to me. They come all tbe other montha of the year. Yes, every month, dear little rabbit children come to me and they come In numbers from one to a dozen. Row precious they are I But In February I never Invite any, for I think I need a month in which I need not worry. They are darlings but they do require so much attention nnd often worry me dreadfully," Mrs. Squirrel gasped as she heard Mrs. Babbit's story and as soon as Mrs. Rabbit was through she went off to tell all her squirrel friends how Mrs. Rabbit Invited the rabbit babies to come every month except February! |