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Show : BURf7:SS BEDTIME Simij PETKR MEE7TS AX TTNTOTOWN. f By Thornton W. Burgees. " ben you meet strangers by the way Pray be polite, but do not stay. Peter Rabbit J R was Juat after the Black Shadow j had crept out from the Purple Hills l across the Qreen Meadows that Peter i Rabbit took it Into his head to visit J the Smiling Pool. I was r.tmlnir. bur Peter didn t mind that. It was n-wral da) s since Peter had been r-r there and he wanted to cet rill the latest news He was In something some-thing of a hurry and the result was that as he r.yi llpperty-llpperty lip In- almost bumped Into some one. Just in time, he saw some one Just aneau or him and Jumped over bis head As soon as he could he Stopped and turned. His first thought was that this was j his old friend Old Mr. Toad Cer-j Cer-j talply In tho dusk it looked verv much like him. But Peter' had left Old Mr. To. id i.i th-.- Smiling Pool and I knew that Old Mr. Toad was in Hi-; I Ih-Lidt of siavtng there a long time. ; Besides, ho cpuld hear Old Mr. Toad's voice over In the Smiling Pool that ver minute. But this was a Toad. There couldn't be any doubt about It. "It must b? ' one of Old Mr. Toads children! grown up and coming back to bis' birthplace," thought Peter. Just then the stranger started to pass him. He paid no attention to I Peter but hopped alone I tie short hops, quite as If he didn't see Peter at all. He passed so closo that Peter had a good look? at him. Peter blinked. There was something very odd about the stranger. At first Petei coilldn't think what it was, but after a second good look ho under- Stood. The stranger was not so cov-! ered with warts as Is old Mr. Toad ! in fact, he was comparatively smooth. I lis head w as even wider than old Mr. Toad's and his eyes popped out a little further, If anything. "Why! YVhyee.'" exclaimed Petor. "You aren't Old Mr Toad at all!" The stranger stopped abruptly "Who says I'm not u Toad ." he demanded de-manded gruffly. ' T mnnn n- r . ...I 1 1 , ii ., , are i,,,t my old friend Old .Mr. Toad. whom I have known for so lonx Some people call him just common Mr. i Toad." "Well, I hop. don't I?" said the stranger. i Peter had to admit that the Btrang-I Btrang-I er did hop. There was no doubt that j he was a Toad, but It was quite clear to Peter that he was an unknown ii TT far as h Peter, was concerned, '"ho are you anyway?" Peter ask d, rather impolitely. "I don't know that it is any bui- .lu-t rJicn tin- fttranger Blurted lo pass hint ness of yours who I am." replied tho other crossly. "It is nobody's business busi-ness who I am or what I do Peter chuckled. They don't teach politeness where you came from, do they?" said he. "Neither do they leach meddling with other people's affairs." replica the unknpwn. "Oh, excuse mo," said Peter. "1 rtnri't wrinr In mpn'rlln ,vl,li a t fairs. I am sure I lust wanted to get acquainted. Of course, if you feel this way about it I will go right alou f about my own business " "That will be a -very oud thing to do." replied the stranger ungraciously. ungra-ciously. There was nothing for Peter to do but to keep on toward the Smiling Pool. It was quite clear that the unknown un-known had no desire to be friendly. So Peter kept on. Once or twice he looked back anil saw the stranger bopping along slowly, but in a very determined way. "I hop-- I can find Old Mr Toad," thought Peter "Probably he rAic j i w ho this queer fellow I iuistj UB one oi ins n-iiiiiu'.i. r i c ijjiniy doesn't look like a Frog, so hesnust be a Toad. But he certainly is a quertr fellow." Then Peter hurried faster than ever. llpperty-llpporty-lip, llpperty-llpperty-! lp (Copyright, 1922, by T W. B urges.-- ) The next story: "Cousin Spade-foot." |