PETER, THE PALE BLUE BUNNY.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 41, 20 March 1930, Page 4

PETER, THE PALE BLUE BUNNY.

Peter, the pale blue bunny, sat on the mantelpiece and looked at himself in the mirror.

''Whoever heard of a pale blue bunny?" he grumbled. "Brown —or white-—or even black-if you like! But blue! Ugh!" And- he wriggled in disgust.

'Now that afternoon Billy, his little master went for a picnic in Bluebell Wood, arid Peter went too. The wood was on one side of Coney Hill r which means, of course, that there were plenty of rabbits aTETout. -

When" Billy saw the bluebells all over the woodland floor, like a fairy sea, he dropped Peter on to a round flat tree stump that happened to be near and set off joyfully to gather them, Presently he wandered right away^and Peter was left alone, for, of course Nanny went with Billy, r

Peter sat on the tree stump and looked longingly across the bluebells to Coney Hill, where some gay young rabbits were frisking in the sunshine.

'' And I'm blue!" he thought. "How stupid! If only I were brown too, I'd go and play with them—l really- would."

And then the rabbits began to come nearer . . .nearer . . .nearer. Presently they were through the hedge and into the wood.

. Then they saw Peter on the tree stump. A blue rabbit sitting among bluebells! They simply stopped—and stared. Peter was just beginning to cry when a little wind seemed to shake the bluebells:—and they began to toss and ring. And out came the fairies!

Out they trooped, gay arid airy, in blue-petalled garments and gauzy wings. They joined hands in a wide ring round- Peter and danced to him merrily, singing funny" little songs all together just as the words came into their fairy^heads. This is one of them: Ring a ding ding! The bluebells sing— A darling blue bunny For a Bluebell King." -

As they sang Peter began to g'mw with happiness. The more the fairies sang the happier he gu«n\ Till at last, when Billy cumc back, he. was fairly standing on his head with joy.

"Oh!" said Billy. "Peter's nearly fallen off the stump, Nanny?' _ And he flew to pick him up, hugging his dear rabbit and a tremendous bunch of bliiebells at the same time.

.'" Perhaps he saw tbe fairies,'' laughed Nanny. :

But neither of -them guessed that Peter had been made a Bluebell King. Which was the wonderful truth. - "• '