Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 3, Number 5, DeMotte, Jasper County, 15 June 1933 — THE CHILDREN’S EVENING TALE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE CHILDREN’S EVENING TALE

By THORNTON W. BURGESS

SHORT-TAIL EXPLAINS THINGS

THERE are times when Peter Rabbit can he as patient as anyone I know. Just let Peter think there is a chance to see something or hear about something he doesn’t know about, and his curiosity will give him patience enough to keep him sitting round half the day. So, though Short-Tail the Shrew was gone what seemed like a long time, Peter waited patiently right where Short-Tail had left him. Peter did a lot of wondering about ShortTail. It was clear, from what ShortTail had said, that he stored up food for the winter, though a snail certain-

ly seemed a queer thing to store up. Thinking about these things, Peter was full of questions when Short-Tail returned. “Your storehouse must be quite a distance from here,” said he. “What kind of a place is it in?” Short-Tail grinned. “I wouldn’t answer that question for some folks.” said he, “but I don’t mind answering it for you, because you might hunt for the rest of your life and not find it. I have some little tunnels in the ground and off of these I have some little storehouses. In one of these I

am putting all the snails I can find. You have no idea how good they taste in the middle of winter, when a fellow has to run his legs off to get enough to eat.” Short-Tail smacked his lips. “I should think such a little fellow as you would have to sleep all winter or else freeze to death,” said Peter. "Danny Meadow Mouse doesn’t sleep, and he doesn’t freeze, does he?” retorted Short-Tail, rather sharply. "No sir. I’m just as active in winter as I am in summer. In fact, I am a little more active, if anything, because it is harder work to find enough to eat, and I have to find a lot because food makes heat, you know, and without plenty of food I certainly would freeze.” “But why haven’t I seen you in winter?” persisted Peter, looking quite as puzzled as he felt. “Because you haven’t used your eyes, that’s all," retorted Short-Tail. “I’ve seen you more times than I can remember, and occasionally you’ve seen me, but like a great many other people, you’ve caught just a glimpse of me and thought I was a Mouse. You’ve seen my tracks in the snow lots of times, and you’ve thought they were the tracks of a Mouse. Of course

I try to keep out of sight as much as possible. I have to do a great deal of my hunting among the leaves under the snow, because that is where most of the insects that sleep all winter are to be found. Then I find a lot in the rotted centers of old stumps. I just love to dig around in those." “And is that all you have to eat, the sleeping bugs and things you can find under the leaves and in old stumps?” exclaimed Peter. “I should think you would have to hustle." “No," confessed Short-Tail, “that Isn’t all. If Reddy Fox or Shadow the Weasel, or any other of the hunters about here make a kill I usually know it and have many a good feast on the scraps which they leave, and by picking the bones. Then, I eat beechnuts and some seeds. In fact, I can eat almost anything when I have to. I’ve never starved yet. and I don’t intend to in the future. Excuse me. I’m getting hungry again. I’ll be back again soon.” With this, Short-Tail darted away. Watching him, Peter had an uncomfortable feeling that in his movements he was very much like Shadow the Weasel. ©, 1933, by T. W. Burgess.--WNU Service.

"But Why Haven't I Seen You in Winter?” Persisted Peter.