The Burgess Bird Boole for Children 



of sweet clover and other green things to eat, and 

 Peter had never been so much as tempted to sample 

 the bark of those young trees. But now things 

 were very different, and it was very seldom that 

 Peter knew what it was to have a full stomach. 

 He kept thinking of that young orchard. He knew 

 that if he were wise he would keep away from there. 

 But the more he thought of it the more it seemed to 

 him that he just must have some of that tender 

 young bark. So just at dusk one evening, Peter 

 started for the young orchard. 



Peter got there in safety and his eyes sparkled as 

 he hopped over to the nearest young tree. But 

 when he reached it, Peter had a dreadful disap- 

 pointment. All around the trunk of that young 

 tree was wire netting. Peter couldn't get even a 

 nibble of that bark. He tried the next tree with 

 no better result. Then he hurried on from tree to 

 tree, always with the same result. You see Farmer 

 Brown knew all about Peter's liking for the bark 

 of young fruit trees, and he had been wise enough to 

 protect his young orchard. 



At last Peter gave up and hopped over to the 

 Old Orchard. As he passed a certain big tree he 

 was startled by a voice. "What's the matter, 

 Peter ?" said the voice. " You don't look happy. " 



Peter stopped short and stared up in the big 

 apple-tree. Look as he would he couldn't see 

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