Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 3, Number 6, DeMotte, Jasper County, 22 June 1933 — CCHILDREN’S STORY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CHILDREN’S STORY

By THORNTON W. BURGESS

WHEN A LONG NOSE IS USEFUL

"SHORT-TAIL certainly is a funny little fellow,” thought Peter, as he waited for Short-Tail to return. “The shape of his body is a whole lot like that of Miner the Mole, and just getting glimpses of him, as I did, I don't wonder I thought he was a Mole. But now that I have seen more of him he reminds me of other people, too. I don’t wonder he is often taken for a Mouse by people who don’t use their eyes as they should. And then the quickness with which he moves, appears and disappears, and the fierceness with which he hunts remind me of Shadow the Weasel. He certainly is a funny little fellow. For one thing, he has got a funny nose. I must ask him about that nose.” “Who has got a funny nose?” demanded a sharp squeaky voice. “Who has got a funny nose? If you mean me, I would have you to know that there is nothing funny about my nose. No sir, there isn’t a thing funny about my nose. It would be a funny nose if it were not just as it is. What do you find funny about it, Peter Rabbit? I want to know what you find funny about it. Don’t you know that it isn’t polite and it isn’t kind to talk about people’s looks behind their backs? You ought to know that.” All this was poured out by Short-

Tail the Shrew before Peter could recover from his surprise at ShortTail’s sudden reappearance, seemingly from nowhere. “Why--wh--where’d you come from, and how did you know what I was thinking?” sputtered Peter. ‘I came out of this little hole,” chuckled Short-Tail, pulling aside some leaves to show a little round hole that quite evidently was the entrance to a tunnel. “I find the tunnels of Miner the Mole quite useful when I want to keep out of sight. As for knowing what you were thinking, how could I help it when you were talking out loud to yourself? Now what is funny about my nose?” “Well,” replied Peter, looking a little foolish at having been overheard, “I don’t suppose it is really funny, but it is such a different nose from the noses I am used to that it seems funny to me. In the first place, why is it so long?” Short-Tail wriggled his nose thoughtfully. “I never have thought

of it as being long, but perhaps it is,” said he. “I can tell you one thing and that is that it isn’t a particle too long for my needs. You people with big eyes may not need long noses, but my nose is as good as eyes to me. As a matter of fact, my eyes don’t amount to much, but if anyone has got a better nose than I have I don’t know who it is. Eyes don’t amount to much, but a good nose is the most necessary thing in the world.” Even while he was talking, ShortTail was poking about among the leaves and turning them over with his nose, for it is quite impossible for Short-Tail to keep still. Suddenly with his nose to the ground, just as Bowser the Hound runs when he is following Reddy Fox, Short-Tall started straight for a piece of bark lying on the ground. As he disappeared beneath it a fat beetle ran out from the other side. Then Short-Tail appeared and Peter could see that he was following that beetle by means of his nose and not with his eyes. “That is what a long nose is good for,” chuckled Short-Tail, as that beetle disappeared down his throat. ©, 1933, by T. W. Burgess.--WNU Service.

Peter Could See That He Was Following That Beetle by Means of His Nose.