PETER'S BIT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17075, 31 August 1917, Page 7

PETER'S BIT.

A STORY TO TELL THE LITTLE

ONES UNDER FIVE

By LILIAN FAIRBROTHER RAMSEY

Once there was a little boy called Peter, and lie. .said "I must do my bit. because it's war-time." So he went out and dug up his little garden and rakea it smooth. Then he sowed some mustard and cress. Down flew a robin from a rose-bush near by. "Go away, Bobbie !" said Peter. "You are not to come and eat up my seeds that I've planted for Mummie."

"No," said the Robin. "But I must do my bit because it's war-time, and 1 see a fat ?lug that will eat up nil your lnus.ard nad cress if I don't gobble him up." So he ate up the. fat slug and then he went and perched on the rose-bush, again and sang Icudly.

"■Did he do it? Did he do it?" asked a thrush from the top of the elm tree.

"Go away, speckly breast!" said Peter. " You are not to come and eat up my seeds that I've planted for Mummie !■"■

"Not a bitj not a bit!" sang the thrush. "But it's war-time and 1 must do my bit. There's a snail down there that will eat up all your seeds if I don't gobble him up." So the thrush flew dow nand seized the snail in his beak, and found a big stone near by. Then he banged the snail on it until the shell broke; and he ate Up what was inside. Then he flew back into the eim singing: he do it? Did he do it? Yes he did; yes he did!"

By and by along came a hen, clucking as she walked.

"Go away, Henny-penny!" said Peter. "You are not to come scratching up my seeds that I've planted for Mummie."

_ "No," said the lien. "But it's wartime and I must do my hit. I see a blade of grass coming up in your garden and it will choke all your nice seeds i'l I <lon!fr eat it." So the hen ate the blade of grass and then she went and sat in a little bos with bay at the bottom, and presently she called out: "Cluck! .Cluck! Come and see what I've got!'-'- And when Peter went to look, there was a nice brown egg all ready for breakfast the next morning. "Miaou! Miaou!" said Pussy, coming up the garden path and humping her back as she walked.

"'Go away, Pussy!" said Peter. "You are not to come scratching up the seeds that I've planted for Mummie." "No," said Pussie. "But" it's wartime and I must do my hit. "I'll just come and lie on the grass near by in the sunshine, and then those mischievous sparrows. won't dare to come scratching \\p your garden."

"Ho ! Ho !" laughed the sun. "Everyone seems to be. doing liis bit because it's wartime; I mustn't be out of this !"

So he shone as hard as he could, and in the night little warm showers came and did their hit, and after a few days Peter was able to take a pair of scis.'■ors and cut a nice basketful of mustard and cress, which he carried indoors to his own dear Mummie and gave it to her with a kiss.

"Because it's war-time, Mummie,:' he said. "So you see I had to do mv hit,"