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Show Children's Bedtime Story By THORNTON W. BURGESS PETER TRIES A LITTLE WORK "Work," says Striped Chipmunk, "gives a zest to play." "Work a little, play a little, for a happy day." A GOOD example is like the measles some one Is sure to catch it.' This time Peter Rabbit had caught it. He had caught it from busy Striped Chipmunk. And of all the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows Peter Rabbit Rab-bit is the very last one that you would have expected to catch anything any-thing like that. Not that Peter doesn't like to follow a good example exam-ple when he sees one. He was actually ac-tually filled with a desre to work! Now, you know Peter is happy-go-lucky. He was born that way. He doesn't like work any kind of work. He prefers to spend ali his time eating, sleeping and playing. He never could understand how Johnny Chuck could work so hard digging a house; he would use an old deserted de-serted house. He never could see why Chatterer the Red Squirrel wanted to nearly run his legs off just to store up a lot of nuts for the winter; he would eat what he could find each day and take what came. But after he had watched Striped Chipmunk scurry back and forth, back and forth, gathering brown Peter couldn't understand what Sammy Jay was laughing at as he flew away. nuts and filling his storehouse, Peter Pe-ter grew strangely thoughtful. He didn't know of anyone who loved to play more, or who was merrier, than Striped Chipmunk, and yet here was Striped Chipmunk working work-ing as if he thought it the finest thing in the world. Peter watched, and as he watched he grew thoughtful. The longer he watched the more thoughtful he grew. Fnally he went home, still thinking. It would be very nice, very nice, indeed, to have a fine storehouse full of good things to eat wherr the weather grew cold and the snow so deep that getting about was hard work. But Peter knew that he never could store up food that way. Still, the more he thought of the way Striped Chipmunk was working the more he felt a longing for work, too, and then an idea came to him he would cut a lot of paths through that bramble-tangle on the edge of the Green Forest, and then he would not have to run for his life to the dear Old Briar Patch every time Reddy Fox or Old Man Coyote chased him. Right away Peter started for the bramble-tangle on the edge of the Green Forest. When he got there he began to cut the brambles and vines off close to the ground where he wanted to make a path. Some he pulled out of the way, and others he cut again higher up. .For a little he worked with great enthusiasm. It was fun to feel that he was doing as others were, working for the future. fu-ture. So he cut and he cut, and he pulled and he pulled, until he had an opening in the bramble-tangle big enough to get into. Then he stopped to rest. Work was so dreadfully tiresome! Presently he cut a few more, and then he stopped again for a little longer rest. "It will be a splendid thing to have these paths cut all through here by the time winter comes." thought Peter, and sat still to think about it. You see, it was easier to think about it when he was perfectly per-fectly still, and so, because it was such a pleasant thing to think about, he sat still for a very long time. Sammy Jay saw him sitting there with his eyes closed. "Hi, Peter Rabbit! What are you asieep for at this time of day?" "I'm not asleep!" exclaimed Peter, Pe-ter, indignantly. "I'm working! I'd have you know that I am making ready for wnter, Sammy Jay!" And then, as he once more settled set-tled down,, to think of all that he was going' to do instead of going right to work to do it, Peter couldn't understand what Sammy Jay was laughing at as he flew away. (Associated Newspapers WNU Service.) |