see it clearly

Peter Rabbit's Curiosity

By Thornton W. Burgess

Oh, that curiosity of Peter Rabbit! Was there anything like it? It gave Peter no peace at all. No sooner had he found out about one thing than he was just bubbling over with desire to know about something else. It got him into all kinds of trouble. There was the time that he found a queer looking box setting just outside one of his runways. It had a door and the door was open in a most inviting way. Inside, way in the back, was a bit of carrot fastened to a stick. It was a queer place for a carrot to be. Peter didn't want it, not the least little bit, for his stomach was full. But he was curious about that bit of carrot. It looked like a real carrot, but who ever heard of carrot in such a place as that? He must find out if it was real carrot.

So Peter stole inside the box with the inviting door and nibbled the carrot just out of curiosity and nothing more. Bang! The door had closed and do what he would Peter could not open it. So all day he sat in the dark, in a miserable little heap, so frightened that he could hardly breathe with any comfort. Then he had heard heavy footsteps coming nearer and nearer and he shivered and quivered with fright. Nearer they came. Something hit the box and knocked it over and broke the fast closed door so that Peter was able to crawl out. Peter dodged into the Old Brier Patch where he felt safe. Pretty soon his curiosity had led him to peep out. There lay the box in which he had been caught and Peter knew then that it was a trap. And there was one of Farmer Brown's cows who had accidentally kicked the trap over and so set Peter free. Ever since then Peter has had a warm place in his heart for cows.

Then there was the time Peter had seen Reddy Fox carefully bury something in a sandy spot out on the Green Meadows. Of course it didn't concern Peter's business what Reddy Fox might choose to bury out on the Green Meadows. But Peter couldn't rest until he had found out. So no sooner was Reddy Fox out of sight than away went Peter Rabbit, lipperty, lilpperty-lip, straight over to where Reddy had been at work. It was a long way from the safe Old Brier patch and Peter should have known better than to run such a risk. Hardly had he reached the spot where Reddy Fox had been at work than, happening to loop up, whom should he see but old Granny Fox stealing up to him through the grass. Peter forgot all his curiosity He just started for the Old Brier Patch as fast as his long legs would take him, and it seemed to him that with every jump he could feel the claws of old Granny Fox on the white patch on the seat of his trousers.

But Peter never seemed to learn and was just as curious as ever. As soon as his curiosity was satisfied about one thing there was something else he just had to know about and he's just that way today. Ol' Mistah Buzzard had no sooner finished telling how Mistah Mocking Bird had come by his wonderful voice than Peter was all ready with another question.

"If you please, Mistah Buzzard, will you tell us why your head is red?" asked Peter Rabbit.