Part 5 (1/2)

XVI

Peter Rabbit's Hard Journey

Peter Rabbit sat in the old stone wall along one side of Farht and leave the world in darkness until jolly, round, red Mr Sun should kick off his rosy bed-clothes and begin his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky In the winter, Mr Sun is a late sleeper, and Peter knew that there would be two or three hours after Mrs

Moon put out her light when it would be quite dark And Peter also knew that by this tiht his dinner So would old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox Bowser the Hound would be too sleepy to be on the watch It would be the very safest tiet to his home in the dear Old Briar-patch

So Peter waited and waited Twice Bowser the Hound, who had chased him into the old wall, caet at hiave it up And all the tireat pain You see, that shi+ny as drawn so tight that it cut into his flesh and hurt dreadfully, and to the other end of the as fastened a piece of wood, part of the stake to which the snare had been naw and break off

It was on account of this that Peter aiting for Mrs Moon to put out her light He knew that with that stake dragging after hio very slowly, and he could not run any er than he actually had to So he waited and waited, and by and by, sure enough, Mrs Moon put out her light

Peter waited a little longer, listening with all hiswas still Then Peter crept out of the old stone wall

Right away trouble began The stake dragging at the end of the wire fast to his leg caught a the stones and pulled Peter up short My, how it did hurt! It made the tears co back, he worked until he got the stake free Then he started on oncethe stake after him

Very slowly across the orchard and under the fence on the other side crept Peter Rabbit, his leg so stiff and sore that he could hardly touch it to the snow, and all the tirow heavier and harder to drag every o out across the open fields, for fear so, and he would have no place to hide So he crept along close to the fences where bushes grow, and thisstake was forever catching in the bushes with a yank at the sore leg which brought Peter up short with a squeal of pain

This was bad enough, but all the time Peter was filled with a dreadful fear that Hooty the Owl or Granny FoxHe had to stop to rest very, very often, and then he would listen and listen Over and over again he said to hi peach orchard for when I knew I had no business there? Why couldn't I have been content with all the good things that were mine in the Green Forest and on the Green Meadows? Oh dear! Oh dear!”

Just as jolly, round, red Mr Sun began to light up the Green Meadows, Peter Rabbit reached the dear Old Briar-patch Danny Meadow Mouse was sitting on the edge of it anxiously watching for hi one of his little private paths He got in hi the braht where he was, too tired and worn out to move

[Illustration]

XVII

Danny Meadow Mouse Becoh the dear Old Briar-patch, where he had lived with Peter Rabbit ever since he had squirht at the feet of Peter Rabbit Danny limped because he was still lame and sore from Hooty's terrible claws, but he didn't let himself think much about that, because he was so thankful to be alive at all So he li up seed which had fallen on the snow, and so all winter to the wild rose bushes The seeds in these were very nice indeed, and Danny always felt especially good after a rown very fond of Peter Rabbit, for Peter had been very, very good to him Danny felt that he never, never could repay all of Peter's kindness It had been very good of Peter to offer to share the Old Briar-patch with Danny because Danny was so far froet back there But Peter had done ood care, during the first few days after Danny's escape fros to eat while Danny was too weak and sore to get things for hiood indeed to him!

But now, as Danny limped around, he was not happy No, Sir, he was not happy The truth is, Danny Meadow Mouse orried It was a different kind of worry from any he had known before You see, for the first ti about so about Peter Rabbit Peter had been gone froht and a whole day He often was gone all night, but never all day too Danny was sure that soed Peter not to go up to Far peach orchard

He had felt in his bones that it was not safe, that sohed at him and bravely started off! Why hadn't he come home?

As he limped around, Danny talked to hiood things that are sent, Andforth to roaht since Peter Rabbit had gone away

Danny Meadow Mouse couldn't sleep at all Round and round through the Old Briar-patch he lie of it to wait and watch At last, just as jolly, round, red Mr

Sun sent his first long rays of light across the Green Meadows, Danny saw so toward the Old Briar-patch He rubbed his eyes and looked again It was--no, it couldn't be--yes, it was Peter Rabbit! But as the matter with him?

Always before Peter had come ho, actually crawling! Danny Meadow Mouse didn't knohat towas following hi after hi one of his little private paths into the Old Briar-patch The thing dragging behind caught in the bra in the snow, too tired and worn out to move Then Danny sahat the trouble was A as fast to one of Peter's long hind legs, and to the other end of the as fastened part of a stake Peter had been caught in a snare! Danny hurried over to Peter and tears stood in his eyes

”Poor Peter Rabbit! Oh, I'm so sorry, Peter!” he whispered

XVIII

Danny Meadow Mouse Returns a Kindness