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Show STORY FOPv THE LITTLE FOLKS By THORNTON W. BURGESS PZTER SURPRISES HIS FRIENDS THE Merry l-ittle Breezes of Old Mother Westwind were tired of playing alone. "Let's go to play with Striped Chipmunk!" cried one. No sooner was it proposed than away they raced across the Green Meadows up to the old stone wall on the edge of the old Orchard nearest to the Green Forest. It did not take them long to find Striped Chipmunk. He was racing along the old wall as if his life depended on It. "Come play with us!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes, dancing around Striped Chipmunk. "Too busy. Too much to do," mumbled mum-bled Striped Chipmunk, for his cheeks were stuffed with nuts so that he could hardly speak at all. With that he whisked out of sight between the Paddy the Beaver Was Hard at Work Cutting a Supply of Wood on the Shore of His Pond. stones of the old wall. Presently he was out again scampering back toward the Green Forest. The Merry Little Breezes raced along with him, teasing him to play, but he merely snapped his bright eyes at them and repeated that he was too busy ; and this was all they could get out of him. The same thing happened when they tried to get Chatterer the Red Squirrel Squir-rel to play and again when they hunted hunt-ed up Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel. Johnny Chuck couldn't stop stuffing himself long enough to play. He said that it was almost time for him to go to sleep for the winter, and he simply must get a little more fat to take him through. Bobby Coon and Unc' Billy Possum were asleep In their hollow trees. Prickly Porky the Porcupine Por-cupine never would plav, anyway, so It was of no use to look for him. Paddy the Beaver was hard at work cutting a supply of wood on the shore of his pond deep in the Green Forest and sinking it near his house, where he could get it In the winter when the pond was frozen over. lie said that this was no time for playing and refused re-fused to stop working even to talk. Jerry Muskrat down In the Smiling Pool was just as busy. Even the birds which had not already started for the faraway Southland were too busy making mak-ing up parties for the long journey. "There isn't anyone who will play with us," said one of the Merry Little Lit-tle Breezes disconsolately. "Yes, there is!" cried another. "Who?" shouted all the others. "Peter Rabbit," was the reply. "Peter "Pe-ter never works. He always is ready to play." So the Merry Little Breezes raced over to the dear Old Briar Patch to look for Peter. But Peter wasn't there. Mrs. Peter said that he had gone over to the Green Forest. Back to the Green Forest raced the Merry Little Breezes. They know all of Peter's Pe-ter's favorite places over there and they hadn't a doubt that they would find him. Straight to a certain bramble-tangle they hurried to Peter. "Hello, Peter!" they shouted gleefully. glee-fully. "Come play with us!" "Can't," replied Peter. "I'm too busy." The Merry Little Breezes looked at one another as if they couldn't believe their own ears. Whenever before had Peter Rabbit been too busy to play? "That's a joke!" they cried, and laughed merrily. "Come on, Peter '. It's a splendid day for a romp. We'll play hide-and-seek and tag and anything any-thing else you want to." "It's a splendid day to work, too,' replied Peter, "and I've too much to do to play." Peter was trugging at a big bramble which he had cut off to get it out of one of his private little paths. Once more the Little Breezes couldn't believe their own ears. Peter Pe-ter Babbit working! Whoever heard of such a thing? "You don't really mean that," ventured ven-tured one of the Little Breezes. "I certainly do," retorted Peter. "I've cleared all the brambles out of my paths in the dear Old Brier Patch, and now I've got to clear them out of my private paths over here so that when I need to use them in a hurry there will be nothing in the way. Besides, Be-sides, I'm going to cut a few new paths. You know there is nothing like being prepared. You ought to do a little work yourselves. You've no idea how interesting it is and how it makes the time fly." With this Peter turned his back on the Merry Little Breezes and began to cut another bramble. The Merry Little Breezes looked at one another, then with one accord they raced away to spread the news that . Peter Babbit was working and refused to play, for thoy knew it would be the most surprising thing Peter's friends had heard for many a day. (. 1932. byT. W. Burgess.) WNU Service. |