07

Peter Rabbit Saves the Columbine

Thornton W. Burgess

The very last sentence in this story says “Why, oh, why, do people want to destroy such beautiful things? ” What do you suppose the beautiful things are?

PETER AND HUMMER VISIT THE COLUMBINE

Peter Rabbit had spent a happy night frisking about in the Old Pasture. Just as he was ready to start for his home in the Briar Patch, early in the morning, he heard a humming sound.

Peter looked up, frightened. He was afraid it was his enemy, Redtail the Hawk, But no, it was only his friend, Hummer the Humming-bird, who now swooped down so close to Peter' s head that the rabbit ducked,

“What are you trying to do? ” he cried angrily.

“Just trying to show my happiness, ” answered Hummer.“Isn' t spring a beautiful time of year? I always love to visit the Old Pasture when the columbine is in bloom.”

Peter pricked up his long ears. “Columbine? Columbine? ”he said. “I suppose that is a flower. You never seem to be much interested in anything but flowers.”

Z-z-zoom—z-z-zoom—came Hummer close to one of Peter' s long ears. “Of course the columbine is a flower! ”he cried. “It is one of the most beautiful of all spring flowers. Only a few moments ago I found the first one I have seen this year.”

“Of course I know the columbine! ” Peter cried. “It is so long since I saw it last spring that for a few minutes I could not remember it. But I remember it now, and I know just where it is.”

With a quick hop Peter started up one of the paths that led to the other end of the Old Pasture. Lipperty-lipperty-lip he ran, while Hummer dartedon ahead. In a few minutes Peter came to a long, low pile of rocks. He hopped up on one of the rocks, and looked all about.

There, close beside him, were several nodding blossoms. On the outside, these lovely flowers were scarlet, but inside they were yellow. Their slender stems had beautiful light-green leaves.

Hummer darted from flower to flower, sticking his long bill into each, and Peter knew that these blossoms were as sweet as they were beautiful.

A little briar bush was growing right near where Peter had found the columbine. Here he could sit and be safe, and at the same time look at the nodding blossoms. From time to time he dozed off. Between little naps he watched the lovely columbine blossoms.

HOW PETER FOOLED THE CHILDREN

It was about the middle of the morning when Peter heard the merry laughter and shouting of children. From the sound he knew that the children were at the other end of the Old Pasture. When their voices told him that they were coming close to where he was sitting, he thought he would find out who they were and what they were doing.

Peeping out from beneath the briars, Peter saw two boys and a girl. In their hands were flowers, and Peter saw that the children were looking for more flowers. He heard the little girl give a cry of delight when she found a patch of beautiful arbutus. From where Peter sat, he saw her pull it up, roots and all, and then break off some of the roots.

Peter was very angry. He knew that the little girl was just thoughtless, but soon there would be no arbutus left, if everyone were thoughtless. Later he saw one of the boys do just what the little girl had done.

Then he noticed that some of the flowers in their hands were badly wilted. Peter knew how lovely the growing flowers had been, and he could not understand why the children should want these sickly, wilted blossoms. But they seemed to want them and to want more, too, for they were hunting everywhere.

Then, Peter suddenly remembered the columbine blossoms. The children would be sure to find them, and take not only the blossoms, but the whole plants. He must do something about it, and do it quickly. But what could he do?

All of a sudden Peter remembered how often he had been chased by boys. “I' ll have to use my long legs to save the columbine, ” he said.

Quickly he jumped out into one of the windingpaths, and up this path he hopped. Just ahead of him he saw one of the boys. Peter stopped. Then he thumped the ground with his long hind feet. The boy heard the thump and turned. Of course he saw Peter at once. Right then and there he forgot all about the flowers. “A rabbit! ” he shouted. “Here' s a rabbit! ”

Then the other little boy and the little girl came running. Peter hopped into the bushes at one side and, a little later, ran out of them. Away he went down the path, and hopped into a briar bush. After him raced the children. They saw him in the bush and tried to drive him out. When he saw a good chance, away he went again, lipperty-lip, for another briar bush.

The excited children followed, but Peter wasn' t at all afraid. It was just a game to him, a game he had often played before. And so, little by little, the rabbit led the children far away from where the columbine was growing. Then, when they were quite tired out, Peter hopped back to the little briar bush to watch the columbine blossoms. “Of course you don' t know it, ”he said to them, “but I saved you with my long heels. Why, oh, why, do people want to destroy such beautiful things? ”