see it clearly

The First Messenger

By Thornton W. Burgess

Peter Rabbit was late that morning in getting over to the dear Old Brier Patch. In fact, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had been out of bed some time when Peter left the Green Forest and started across the Green Meadows towards the dear Old Brier Patch. He had gone only a little way when he heard something that made him stop short, sit up as straight as he could and prick up his long ears. What was it? Why, Peter wasn't sure of himself what it was. He thought, he just thought, that he had heard a whistle. But he wasn't sure of it, and the only way to make sure was to sit still and listen.

Now one of the hardest things in the world is to sit still when you are excited. Yes, Sir, it surely is one of the hardest things in the world to do. Peter Rabbit found it so. You see Peter was excited, very much excited. But somehow he managed to sit still. He listened and listened and he looked and looked and looked. By and by he heard it again. It was a whistle, and Peter kicked up his heels and then turned a somersault for very joy. Then he sat up very straight again and looked this way and looked that way for the whistler.

"It's too good to be true! It certainly is too good to be true, and I really can't believe it until I see the whistler! Somebody may be fooling me. Maybe it's that smart Sammy Jay! Peter looked about very suspiciously as he said this. But all the time he knew right down in his heart that no one could fool him with that whistle.

It was such a soft, beautiful whistle. It seemed to come from here, from there, from everywhere all at once. It sounded a long, long way off and yet Peter knew that the whistler might be right close at hand. Then again it sounded as if it were close by, and all the time Peter knew that just as likely as not the whistler was a long way off. It really was of no use at all to try and find the whistler by his whistle.

So pretty soon Peter gave it up and instead began to look through the top of every tree within sight. But the whistler wasn't in a tree top. Then Peter remembered something. Eagerly he looked along the nearest old rail fence. Ha! there on the top of one of the fence posts was a tiny patch of the most beautiful blue. It was even more beautiful than Sammy Jay's beautiful coat. Peter's heart gave a great leap of joy and he started in the direction of the old fence post as fast as his long legs would take him.

"Hello, Winsome!" cried Peter when, quite out of breath, he reached the fence post.

Winsome Bluebird, for it was he, looked down from the fence post and smiled at Peter Rabbit. "Hello yourself, Peter Rabbit!" he cried cheerily.

"Oh Winsome, I'm so glad to see you!" exclaimed Peter. "Have you really come to stay? Have you come far? Is anybody with you? Where did you spend the winter? Tell me all the news! How beautiful your coat is."

Winsome Bluebird laughed. "You're just the same old Peter; you haven't changed a bit," he said. "But I haven't time to talk now. You see I must spread the news all over the Green Meadows and through the Green Forest that close behind me comes gentle Sister South Wind and with her is Mistress Spring. Do you know, Peter Rabbit, I think it is one of the most beautiful things in the world to be the messenger of good news. You don't know how happy it makes me feel. Now I must hurry on for all the world is waiting for me. Goodbye, Peter Rabbit!" Winsome spread his blue wings, whistled softly and was gone.