Show A STORY FOR BEDTIME by THORNTON W BURGESS PETER RABBIT MEETS LIGHTFOOT peteil HT E it RABBIT was on his way ebach 1 back from the pond of paddy the beaver deep in the green forest lie ile had just seen mr air and mrs quack and their ten young quacks start on their long terrible journey to the far away southland farewells are always rather sad and this particular farewell had left peter with a lump in his throat a queer choky fee feeling ling if I 1 were sure that they would return next spring it be so bad he be muttered its those terrible guns I 1 know what it Is to have J as 5 7 5 I 1 1 I 1 hope they will get through all right said he to watch out for them farmer crowns browns boy used to hunt me with one of them but he be any more and he wont let anybody else near the old brier patch with one or over here in the green forest but even when he did hunt me it anything like what the quacks have to go through if I 1 kept my eyes open I 1 could tell when a hunter was coming and could hide in a hole if I 1 wanted to I 1 never had to worry about my meals but with the quacks it Is a thousand times worse got to eat while making that long journey and they can eat cat only v where there Is the right kind of food hunters with terrible guns know where those places are and hide there until the ducks come and the ducks have no way of knowing whether the hunters are there or not that hunting its its P well what Is it what are you talking to yourself about peter rabbit peter looked up with a start to und find the soft beautiful eyes of lightfoot the deer gazing down at him over tile the top or of a little hemlock tree its awful declared peter its worse than unfair it give them any chance at all 1 I suppose it must be so if you say so replied lightfoot but suppose you tell me what all this awfulness Is about peter grinned then he began at the beginning and told lightfoot all about mr air and mrs airs quack and the awful dangers they must face on their long journey to the far away southland and back again in the spring all because of the heartless hunters with terrible guns lightfoot listened and his great soft eyes were filled w with ith pity for the troubles of the quack family 1 I hope they will get through all right said he and I 1 hope they will get back in the spring it Is bad enough to be hunted by men at one time of the year as no one knows better than I 1 do but to be hunted in the spring as well as in the fall Is more than twice as bad men are strange creatures I 1 do not understand them at all none of the of the green forest would think of doing such terrible things I 1 suppose Is it quite right to hunt others in order to get enough to eat though I 1 am thankful to say that I 1 have never had to do that but to hunt others just for the fun of hunting Is something I 1 cannot understand at all and yet that Is what men seem to do it for I 1 guess the trouble Is they never have been hunted them themselves selve and dont know how it feels sometimes I 1 think ill hunt one some day to teach him a lesson what are you laughing at peter at the idea of you hunting a man replied peter your heart Is right lightfoot but you are too timid and gentle to frighten any one alg as you are I 1 fear you with a single swift bound lightfoot sprang out in front of peter lie ile stamped his sharp hoofs lowered lit his hand handsome ome head until the sharp points of hl his horns pointed straight at peter lifted the hair along the back bach of his and made a motion as if to plunge at peter his eyes which peter had always thought so soft and gentle seemed to flash fire ohl cried peter in a faint fright ened sounding voice and leaped to one side before it entered his foolish little head that lightfoot was just pre tending lending III I 1 I 1 know you could look so terribly fleice stammered veter peter those horns look really dangerous when you point them that way ft ay why why what la Is that hanging to them it looks like bits of old fur have you been tearing coat lightfoot peters eyes were avide with wonder and suspicion Q 1932 by ayt T W 13 beresa service |