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Burgess. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} /* page numbers */ + +.linenum { + position: absolute; + top: auto; + left: 4%; +} /* poetry number */ + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +.sidenote { + width: 20%; + padding-bottom: .5em; + padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; + padding-right: .5em; + margin-left: 1em; + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; + color: black; + background: #eeeeee; + border: dashed 1px; +} + +.bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + +.bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + +.bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + +.br {border-right: solid 2px;} + +.bbox {border: solid 2px;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.u {text-decoration: underline;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +.figleft { + float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 1em; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +.figright { + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1em; + margin-bottom: + 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +/* Footnotes */ +.footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + +.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + +.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +/* Poetry */ +.poem { + margin-left:10%; + margin-right:10%; + text-align: left; +} + +.poem br {display: none;} + +.poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + +.poem span.i0 { + display: block; + margin-left: 0em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i2 { + display: block; + margin-left: 2em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i4 { + display: block; + margin-left: 4em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Mother West Wind's Animal Friends, by Thornton W. Burgess + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license + + +Title: Mother West Wind's Animal Friends + +Author: Thornton W. Burgess + +Illustrator: George Kerr + +Release Date: May 15, 2012 [EBook #39706] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS *** + + + + +Produced by K Nordquist, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h3>BURGESS TRADE QUADDIES MARK</h3> + +<h1>MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS</h1> + +<h2>BY THORNTON W. BURGESS</h2> + +<h3>Author of "Old Mother West Wind," and "Mother West Wind's Children"</h3> + +<h3><i>Illustrated by George Kerr</i></h3> + +<p class="center">BOSTON<br /> +LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY<br /> +1920</p> + +<p class="center"><i>Copyright, 1912</i>,<br /> +<span class="smcap">By Little, Brown, and Company</span></p> + +<p class="center"><i>All rights reserved</i></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p class="center">IN TENDER, LOVING, REVERENT MEMORY OF MY MOTHER,<br /> +WHO LOVED LITTLE CHILDREN AND WAS BELOVED<br /> +OF THEM, AND TO WHOM I OWE A DEBT<br /> +OF AFFECTION AND OF GRATITUDE<br /> +BEYOND MY POWER TO PAY</p> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="illus1" id="illus1"></a> +<img src="images/illus1.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<h3>Suddenly he met Mr. Panther. <span class="smcap">Frontispiece.</span></h3> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<table summary="contents"> +<tr><td align="right">CHAPTER </td><td></td><td align="right">PAGE</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">I. </td><td><a href="#I"><span class="smcap">The Merry Little Breezes Save the Green Meadows</span> </a></td><td align="right">1</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">II. </td><td><a href="#II"><span class="smcap">The Stranger in the Green Forest</span> </a></td><td align="right">13</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">III. </td><td><a href="#III"><span class="smcap">How Prickly Porky Got His Quills</span> </a></td><td align="right">29</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">IV. </td><td><a href="#IV"><span class="smcap">Peter Rabbit's Egg Rolling</span> </a></td><td align="right">47</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">V. </td><td><a href="#V"><span class="smcap">How Johnny Chuck Ran Away</span> </a></td><td align="right">63</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">VI. </td><td><a href="#VI"><span class="smcap">Peter Rabbit's Run for Life</span> </a></td><td align="right">77</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">VII. </td><td><a href="#VII"><span class="smcap">A Joker Fooled</span> </a></td><td align="right">93</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">VIII. </td><td><a href="#VIII"><span class="smcap">The Fuss in the Big Pine</span> </a></td><td align="right">109</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">IX. </td><td><a href="#IX"><span class="smcap">Johnny Chuck Finds a Use for His Back Door</span> </a></td><td align="right">123</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">X. </td><td><a href="#X"><span class="smcap">Billy Mink Goes Dinnerless</span> </a></td><td align="right">135</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XI. </td><td><a href="#XI"><span class="smcap">Grandfather Frog's Journey</span> </a></td><td align="right">149</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XII. </td><td><a href="#XII"><span class="smcap">Why Blacky the Crow Wears Mourning</span> </a></td><td align="right">161</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XIII. </td><td><a href="#XIII"><span class="smcap">Striped Chipmunk Fools Peter Rabbit</span> </a></td><td align="right">177</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XIV. </td><td><a href="#XIV"><span class="smcap">Jerry Muskrat's New House</span> </a></td><td align="right">195</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XV. </td><td><a href="#XV"><span class="smcap">Peter Rabbit's Big Cousin</span> </a></td><td align="right">211</td></tr> +</table> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + +<table summary="illustrations"> +<tr><td><a href="#illus1"><span class="smcap">Suddenly he met Mr. Panther</span> </a></td><td align="right"><i>Frontispiece</i></td></tr> +<tr><td><a href="#illus2"><span class="smcap">Reddy strutted out in front of him. "Who are you?" he demanded</span> </a></td><td align="right"><span class="smcap">Page</span> 21</td></tr> +<tr><td><a href="#illus3"><span class="smcap">"Please, please wait for me, Peter Rabbit," panted Johnny Chuck</span></a></td><td align="right">69</td></tr> +<tr><td><a href="#illus4"><span class="smcap">"Come on with us to the Big River, fishing," called Billy Mink</span></a></td><td align="right">138</td></tr> +<tr><td><a href="#illus5"><span class="smcap">Peter was so surprised that he nearly fell backward</span></a></td><td align="right">189</td></tr> +<tr><td><a href="#illus6"><span class="smcap">"I'm going to build a house," replied Jerry Muskrat</span> </a></td><td align="right">200</td></tr> +</table> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS</h2> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="I" id="I"></a>I</h2> + +<h3>THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES SAVE THE GREEN MEADOWS</h3> + + +<p>Old Mother West Wind's family is very big, very big indeed. There are +dozens and dozens of Merry Little Breezes, all children of Old Mother +West Wind. Every morning she comes down from the Purple Hills and +tumbles them out of a great bag on to the Green Meadows. Every night she +gathers them into the great bag and, putting it over her shoulder, takes +them to their home behind the Purple Hills.</p> + +<p>One morning, just as usual, Old Mother West Wind turned the Merry Little +Breezes out to play on the Green Meadows. Then she hurried away to fill +the sails of the ships and blow them across the great ocean. The Merry +Little Breezes hopped and skipped over the Green Meadows looking for +some one to play with. It was then that one of them discovered +something—something very dreadful.</p> + +<p>It was a fire! Yes, Sir, it was a fire in the meadow grass! Some one had +dropped a lighted match, and now little red flames were running through +the grass in all directions. The Merry Little Breeze hastened to tell +all the other Little Breezes and all rushed over as fast as they could +to see for themselves.</p> + +<p>They saw how the little red flames were turning to smoke and ashes +everything they touched, and how black and ugly, with nothing alive +there, became that part of the Green Meadows where the little flames +ran. It was dreadful! Then one of them noticed that the little red +flames were running in the direction of Johnny Chuck's new house. Would +the little red flames burn up Johnny Chuck, as they burned up the grass +and the flowers?</p> + +<p>"Hi!" cried the Merry Little Breeze, "We must warn Johnny Chuck and all +the other little meadow people!"</p> + +<p>So he caught up a capful of smoke and raced off as fast as he could go +to Johnny Chuck's house. Then each of the Merry Little Breezes caught up +a capful of smoke and started to warn one of the little meadow people or +forest folks.</p> + +<p>So pretty soon jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, looking down from the blue +sky, saw Johnny Chuck, Jimmy Skunk, Peter Rabbit, Striped Chipmunk, +Danny Meadow Mouse, Reddy Fox, Bobby Coon, Happy Jack Squirrel, +Chatterer the Red Squirrel, Jumper the Hare and old Mr. Toad all +hurrying as fast as they could to the Smiling Pool where live Billy Mink +and Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat and Spotty the Turtle and +Grandfather Frog. There they would be quite safe from the little red +flames.</p> + +<p>"Oh," gasped Johnny Chuck, puffing very hard, for you know he is round +and fat and roly-poly and it was hard work for him to run, "what will +become of my nice new house and what will there be left to eat?"</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breeze who had brought him the warning in a capful of +smoke thought for a minute. Then he called all the other Little Breezes +to him.</p> + +<p>"We must get Farmer Brown's help or we will have no beautiful Green +Meadows to play on," said the Merry Little Breeze.</p> + +<p>So together they rushed back to where the little red flames had grown +into great, angry, red flames that were licking up everything in their +way. The Merry Little Breezes gathered a great cloud of smoke and, +lifting all together, they carried it over and dropped it in Farmer +Brown's dooryard. Then one of them blew a little of the smoke in at an +open window, near which Farmer Brown was eating breakfast. Farmer Brown +coughed and strangled and sprang from his chair.</p> + +<p>"Phew!" cried Farmer Brown, "I smell smoke! There must be a fire on the +meadows."</p> + +<p>Then he shouted for his boy and for his hired man and the three, with +shovels in their hands, started for the Green Meadows to try to put the +fire out.</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breezes sighed with relief and followed to the fire. +But when they saw how fierce and angry the red flames had become they +knew that Farmer Brown and his boy and his hired man would not be able +to put the fire out. Choking with smoke, they hurried over to tell the +dreadful news to the little meadow people and forest folks gathered at +the Smiling Pool.</p> + +<p>"Chug-a-rum! Why don't you help put the fire out?" asked Grandfather +Frog.</p> + +<p>"We warned Farmer Brown and his boy and his hired man; what more can we +do?" asked one of the Merry Little Breezes.</p> + +<p>"Go find and drive up a rain cloud," replied Grandfather Frog.</p> + +<p>"Splendid!" cried all the little meadow people and forest folks. "Hurry! +hurry! Oh, do hurry!"</p> + +<p>So the Merry Little Breezes scattered in all directions to hunt for a +rain cloud.</p> + +<p>"It is a good thing that Old Mother West Wind has such a big family," +said Grandfather Frog, "for one of them is sure to find a wandering rain +cloud somewhere."</p> + +<p>Then all the little meadow people and forest folks sat down around the +Smiling Pool to wait. They watched the smoke roll up until it hid the +face of jolly, round, red Mr. Sun. Their hearts almost stood still with +fear as they saw the fierce, angry, red flames leap into the air and +climb tall trees on the edge of the Green Forest.</p> + +<p>Splash! Something struck in the Smiling Pool right beside Grandfather +Frog's big, green, lily-pad.</p> + +<p>Spat! Something hit Johnny Chuck right on the end of his funny little, +black nose.</p> + +<p>They were drops of water.</p> + +<p>"Hurrah!" cried Johnny Chuck, whirling about. Sure enough, they were +drops of water—rain drops. And there, coming just as fast as the Merry +Little Breezes could push it, and they were pushing very hard, very hard +indeed, was a great, black, rain cloud, spilling down rain as it came.</p> + +<p>When it was just over the fire, the great, black, rain cloud split wide +open, and the water poured down so that the fierce, angry, red flames +were drowned in a few minutes.</p> + +<p>"Phew!" said Farmer Brown, mopping his face with his handkerchief, "that +was warm work! That shower came up just in time and it is lucky it did."</p> + +<p>But you know and I know and all the little meadow people and forest +folks know that it wasn't luck at all, but the quick work and hard work +of Old Mother West Wind's big family of Merry Little Breezes, which +saved the Green Meadows. And this, too, is one reason why Peter Rabbit +and Johnny Chuck and Bobby Coon and all the other little meadow and +forest people love the Merry Little Breezes who play every day on the +Green Meadows.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="II" id="II"></a>II</h2> + +<h3>THE STRANGER IN THE GREEN FOREST</h3> + + +<p>Old Mother West Wind, hurrying down from the Purple Hills with her Merry +Little Breezes, discovered the newcomer in the Green Forest on the edge +of the Green Meadows. Of course the Merry Little Breezes saw him, too, +and as soon as Old Mother West Wind had turned them loose on the Green +Meadows they started out to spread the news.</p> + +<p>As they hurried along the Crooked Little Path up the hill, they met +Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Reddy Fox," cried the Merry Little Breezes, so excited that all +talked together, "there's a stranger in the Green Forest!"</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox sat down and grinned at the Merry Little Breezes. The grin of +Reddy Fox is not pleasant. It irritates and exasperates. It made the +Merry Little Breezes feel very uncomfortable.</p> + +<p>"You don't say so," drawled Reddy Fox. "Do you mean to say that you've +just discovered him? Why, your news is so old that it is stale; it is no +news at all. I thought you had something really new to tell me."</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breezes were disappointed. Their faces fell. They had +thought it would be such fun to carry the news through the Green Forest +and over the Green Meadows, and now the very first one they met knew all +about it.</p> + +<p>"Who is he, Reddy Fox?" asked one of the Merry Little Breezes.</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox pretended not to hear. "I must be going," said he, rising and +stretching. "I have an engagement with Billy Mink down at the Smiling +Pool."</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox started down the Crooked Little Path while the Merry Little +Breezes hurried up the Crooked Little Path to tell the news to Jimmy +Skunk, who was looking for beetles for his breakfast.</p> + +<p>Now Reddy Fox had not told the truth. He had known nothing whatever of +the stranger in the Green Forest. In fact he had been as surprised as +the Merry Little Breezes could have wished, but he would not show it. +And he had told another untruth, for he had no intention of going down +to the Smiling Pool. No, indeed! He just waited until the Merry Little +Breezes were out of sight, then he slipped into the Green Forest to look +for the stranger seen by the Merry Little Breezes.</p> + +<p>Now Reddy Fox does nothing openly. Instead of walking through the Green +Forest like a gentleman, he sneaked along under the bushes and crept +from tree to tree, all the time looking for the stranger of whom the +Merry Little Breezes had told him. All around through the Green Forest +sneaked Reddy Fox, but nothing of the stranger could he see. It didn't +occur to him to look anywhere but on the ground.</p> + +<p>"I don't believe there is a stranger here," said Reddy to himself.</p> + +<p>Just then he noticed some scraps of bark around the foot of a tall +maple. Looking up to see where it came from he saw—what do you think? +Why, the stranger who had come to the Green Forest. Reddy Fox dodged +back out of sight, for he wanted to find out all he could about the +stranger before the stranger saw him.</p> + +<p>Reddy sat down behind a big stump and rubbed his eyes. He could hardly +believe what he saw. There at the top of the tall maple, stripping the +branches of their bark and eating it, was the stranger, sure enough. He +was big, much bigger than Reddy. Could he be a relative of Happy Jack +Squirrel? He didn't look a bit, not the least little bit like Happy +Jack. And he moved slowly, very slowly, indeed, while Happy Jack and his +cousins move quickly. Reddy decided that the stranger could not be +related to Happy Jack.</p> + +<p>The longer Reddy looked the more he was puzzled. Also, Reddy began to +feel just a little bit jealous. You see all the little meadow people and +forest folks are afraid of Reddy Fox, but this stranger was so big that +Reddy began to feel something very like fear in his own heart.</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breezes had told the news to Jimmy Skunk and then +hurried over the Green Meadows telling every one they met of the +stranger in the Green Forest—Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter, Johnny +Chuck, Peter Rabbit, Happy Jack Squirrel, Danny Meadow Mouse, Striped +Chipmunk, old Mr. Toad, Grandfather Frog, Sammy Jay, Blacky the Crow, +and each as soon as he heard the news started for the Green Forest to +welcome the newcomer. Even Grandfather Frog left his beloved big, green +lily-pad and started for the Green Forest.</p> + +<p>So it was that when finally the stranger decided that he had eaten +enough bark for his breakfast, and climbed slowly down the tall maple, +he found all the little meadow people and forest folks sitting in a big +circle waiting for him. The stranger was anything but handsome, but +his size filled them with respect. The nearer he got to the ground the +bigger he looked. Down he came, and Reddy Fox, noting how slow and +clumsy in his movements was the stranger, decided that there was nothing +to fear.</p> + +<p>If the stranger was slow and clumsy in the tree, he was clumsier still +on the ground. His eyes were small and dull. His coat was rough, long +and almost black. His legs were short and stout. His tail was rather +short and broad. Altogether he was anything but handsome. But when the +little meadow people and forest folks saw his huge front teeth they +regarded him with greater respect than ever, all but Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>Reddy strutted out in front of him. "Who are you?" he demanded.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="illus2" id="illus2"></a> +<img src="images/illus2.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<h3>Reddy strutted out in front of him. "Who are you?" he demanded.</h3> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p>The stranger paid no attention to Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>"What business have you in our Green Forest?" demanded Reddy, showing +all his teeth.</p> + +<p>The stranger just grunted and appeared not to see Reddy Fox. Reddy +swelled himself out until every hair stood on end and he looked twice as +big as he really is. He strutted back and forth in front of the +stranger.</p> + +<p>"Don't you know that I'm afraid of nothing and nobody?" snarled Reddy +Fox.</p> + +<p>The stranger refused to give him so much as a glance. He just grunted +and kept right on about his business. All the little meadow people and +forest folks began to giggle and then to laugh. Reddy knew that they +were laughing at him and he grew very angry, for no one likes to be +laughed at, least of all Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>"You're a pig!" taunted Reddy. "You're afraid to fight. I bet you're +afraid of Danny Meadow Mouse!"</p> + +<p>Still the stranger just grunted and paid no further attention to Reddy +Fox.</p> + +<p>Now, with all his boasting Reddy Fox had kept at a safe distance from +the stranger. Happy Jack Squirrel had noticed this. "If you're so brave, +why don't you drive him out, Reddy Fox?" asked Happy Jack, skipping +behind a tree. "You don't dare to!"</p> + +<p>Reddy turned and glared at Happy Jack. "I'm not afraid!" he shouted. +"I'm not afraid of anything nor anybody!"</p> + +<p>But though he spoke so bravely it was noticed that he went no nearer the +stranger.</p> + +<p>Now it happened that that morning Bowser the Hound took it into his head +to take a walk in the Green Forest. Blacky the Crow, sitting on the +tip-top of a big pine, was the first to see him coming. From pure love +of mischief Blacky waited until Bowser was close to the circle around +the stranger. Then he gave the alarm.</p> + +<p>"Here's Bowser the Hound! Run!" screamed Blacky the Crow. Then he +laughed so that he had to hold his sides to see the fright down below. +Reddy Fox forgot that he was afraid of nothing and nobody. He was the +first one out of sight, running so fast that his feet seemed hardly to +touch the ground. Peter Rabbit turned a back somersault and suddenly +remembered that he had important business down on the Green Meadows. +Johnny Chuck dodged into a convenient hole. Billy Mink ran into a hollow +tree. Striped Chipmunk hid in an old stump.</p> + +<p>Happy Jack Squirrel climbed the nearest tree. In a twinkling the +stranger was alone, facing Bowser the Hound.</p> + +<p>Bowser stopped and looked at the stranger in sheer surprise. Then the +hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he growled a deep, ugly +growl. Still the stranger did not run. Bowser didn't know just what to +make of it. Never before had he had such an experience. Could it be that +the stranger was not afraid of him? Bowser walked around the stranger, +growling fiercely. As he walked the stranger turned, so as always to +face him. It was perplexing and very provoking. It really seemed as if +the stranger had no fear of him.</p> + +<p>"Bow, wow, wow!" cried Bowser the Hound in his deepest voice, and sprang +at the stranger.</p> + +<p>Then something happened, so surprising that Blacky the Crow lost his +balance on the top of the pine where he was watching. The instant that +Bowser sprang, the stranger rolled himself into a tight round ball and +out of the long hair of his coat sprang hundreds of sharp little +yellowish white barbed spears. The stranger looked for all the world +like a huge black and yellow chestnut burr.</p> + +<p>Bowser the Hound was as surprised as Blacky the Crow. He stopped short +and his eyes looked as if they would pop out of his head. He looked so +puzzled and so funny that Happy Jack Squirrel laughed aloud.</p> + +<p>The stranger did not move. Bowser backed away and began to circle around +again, sniffing and snuffing. Once in a while he barked. Still the +stranger did not move. For all the sign of life he made he might in +truth have been a giant chestnut burr.</p> + +<p>Bowser sat down and looked at him. Then he walked around to the other +side and sat down. "What a queer thing," thought Bowser. "What a very +queer thing."</p> + +<p>Bowser took a step nearer. Then he took another step. Nothing happened.</p> + +<p>Finally Bowser reached out, and with his nose gingerly touched the +prickly ball. Slap! The stranger's tail had struck Bowser full in the +face.</p> + +<p>Bowser yelled with pain and rolled over and over on the ground. Sticking +in his tender lips were a dozen sharp little spears, and claw and rub at +them as he would, Bowser could not get them out. Every time he touched +them he yelped with pain. Finally he gave it up and started for home +with his tail between his legs like a whipped puppy, and with every step +he yelped.</p> + +<p>When he had disappeared and his yelps had died away in the distance, +the stranger unrolled, the sharp little spears disappeared in the long +hair of his coat and, just as if nothing at all had happened, the +stranger walked slowly over to a tall maple and began to climb it.</p> + +<p>And this is how Prickly Porky the Porcupine came to the Green Forest, +and won the respect and admiration of all the little meadow people and +forest folks, including Reddy Fox. Since that day no one has tried to +meddle with Prickly Porky or his business.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="III" id="III"></a>III</h2> + +<h3>HOW PRICKLY PORKY GOT HIS QUILLS</h3> + + +<p>The newcomer in the Green Forest was a source of great interest to the +Merry Little Breezes. Ever since they had seen him turn himself into a +huge prickly ball, like a giant chestnut burr, and with a slap of his +tail send Bowser the Hound yelping home with his lips stuck full of +little barbed spears, they had visited the Green Forest every day to +watch Prickly Porky.</p> + +<p>He was not very social. Indeed, he was not social at all, but attended +strictly to his own business, which consisted chiefly of stripping bark +from the trees and eating it. Never had the Merry Little Breezes seen +such an appetite! Already that part of the Green Forest where he had +chosen to live had many bare stark trees, killed that Prickly Porky the +Porcupine might live. You see a tree cannot live without bark, and +Prickly Porky had stripped them clean to fill his stomach.</p> + +<p>But if Prickly Porky was not social he was not unfriendly. He seemed to +enjoy having the Merry Little Breezes about, and did not in the least +mind having them rumple up the long hair of his coat to feel the sharp +little barbed spears underneath. Some of these were so loose that they +dropped out. Peter Rabbit's curiosity led him to examine some of these +among bits of bark at the foot of a tree. Peter wished that he had left +them alone. One of the sharp little barbs pierced his tender skin and +Peter could not get it out. He had to ask Johnny Chuck to do it for +him, and it had hurt dreadfully.</p> + +<p>After that the little meadow people and forest folks held Prickly Porky +in greater respect than ever and left him severely alone, which was just +what he seemed to want.</p> + +<p>One morning the Merry Little Breezes failed to find Prickly Porky in the +Green Forest. Could he have left as mysteriously as he had come? They +hurried down to the Smiling Pool to tell Grandfather Frog. Bursting +through the bulrushes on the edge of the Smiling Pool, they nearly upset +Jerry Muskrat, who was sitting on an old log intently watching something +out in the middle of the Smiling Pool. It was Prickly Porky. Some of the +sharp little barbed spears were standing on end; altogether he was the +queerest sight the Smiling Pool had seen for a long time.</p> + +<p>He was swimming easily and you may be sure no one tried to bother him. +Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink sat on the Big Rock and for once they +had forgotten to play tricks. When Prickly Porky headed towards the Big +Rock, Little Joe Otter suddenly remembered that he had business down the +Laughing Brook, and Billy Mink recalled that Mother Mink had forbidden +him to play at the Smiling Pool. Prickly Porky had the Smiling Pool +quite to himself.</p> + +<p>When he had swum to his heart's content he climbed out, shook himself +and slowly ambled up the Lone Little Path to the Green Forest. The Merry +Little Breezes watched him out of sight. Then they danced over to the +big green lily-pad on which sat Grandfather Frog. The Merry Little +Breezes are great favorites with Grandfather Frog. As usual they brought +him some foolish green flies. Grandfather Frog's eyes twinkled as he +snapped up the last foolish green fly.</p> + +<p>"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog, "and now I suppose you want a +story." And he folded his hands across his white and yellow waistcoat.</p> + +<p>"If you please!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes. "If you please, do +tell us how it is that Prickly Porky has spears on his back!"</p> + +<p>Grandfather settled himself comfortably. "Chug-a-rum!" said he. "Once +upon a time when the world was young, Mr. Porcupine, the grandfather a +thousand times removed of Prickly Porky, whom you all know, lived in the +Green Forest where old King Bear ruled. Mr. Porcupine was a slow clumsy +fellow, just as his grandson a thousand times removed is to-day. He was +so slow moving, and when he tried to hurry tumbled over himself so +much, that he had hard work to get enough to eat. Always some one +reached the berry patch before he did. The beetles and the bugs were so +spry that seldom could he catch them. Hunger was in his stomach, and +little else most of the time. Mr. Porcupine grew thin and thinner and +still more thin. His long, shaggy coat looked twice too big for him. +Because he was so hungry he could sleep little, and night as well as day +he roamed the forest, thinking of nothing but his empty stomach, and +looking for something to put in it. So he learned to see by night as +well as by day.</p> + +<p>"One day he could not find a single berry and not a beetle or a bug +could he catch. He was so hungry that he sat down with his back against +a big black birch, and clasping both hands over his lean stomach, he +wept. There Sister South Wind found him, and her heart was moved to +pity, for she knew that his wits were as slow as his body. Softly she +stole up behind him.</p> + +<p>"'Try the bark of the black birch; it's sweet and good,' whispered +Sister South Wind. Then she hurried on her way.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Porcupine still sat with his hands clasped over his lean stomach, +for it took a long time for his slow wit to understand what Sister South +Wind meant. 'Bark, bark, try bark,' said Mr. Porcupine over and over to +himself. He rolled his dull little eyes up at the big black birch. 'I +believe I will try it,' said Mr. Porcupine at last.</p> + +<p>"Slowly he turned and began to gnaw the bark of the big black birch. It +was tough, but it tasted good. Clumsily he began to climb, tearing off a +mouthful of bark here and there as he climbed. The higher he got the +tenderer and sweeter the bark became. Finally he reached the top of the +tree, and there on the small branches the bark was so tender and so +sweet that he ate and ate and ate until for the first time in many days +Mr. Porcupine had a full stomach. That night he curled up in a hollow +log and slept all the night through, dreaming of great forests of black +birch and all he wanted to eat.</p> + +<p>"The next day he hunted for and found another black birch, and climbing +to the top, he ate and ate until his stomach was full. From that time on +Mr. Porcupine ceased to hunt for berries or beetles or bugs. He grew +stout and stouter. He filled his shaggy coat until it was so tight it +threatened to burst.</p> + +<p>"Now while Mr. Porcupine was so thin and lean he had no enemies, but +when he grew stout and then fat, Mr. Panther and Mr. Fisher and Mr. +Bobcat and even old King Bear began to cast longing eyes upon him, for +times were hard and they were hungry. Mr. Porcupine began to grow +afraid. By night he hid in hollow trees and by day he went abroad to eat +only when he was sure that no one bigger than himself was about. And +because he no longer dared to move about as before, he no longer +depended upon the black birch alone, but learned to eat and to like all +kinds of bark.</p> + +<p>"One day he had made his breakfast on the bark of a honey-locust. When +he came down the tree he brought with him a strip of bark, and attached +to it were some of the long thorns with which the honey-locust seeks to +protect itself. When he reached the ground whom should he find waiting +for him but Mr. Panther. Mr. Panther was very lean and very hungry, for +hunting had been poor and the times were hard.</p> + +<p>"'Good morning, Mr. Porcupine,' said Mr. Panther, with a wicked grin. +'How fat you are!'</p> + +<p>"'Good morning, Mr. Panther,' said Mr. Porcupine politely, but his long +hair stood on end with fright, as he looked into Mr. Panther's cruel +yellow eyes.</p> + +<p>"'I say, how fat you are,' said Mr. Panther, licking his chops and +showing all his long teeth. 'What do you find to eat these hard times?'</p> + +<p>"'Bark, Mr. Panther, just bark,' said Mr. Porcupine, while his teeth +chattered with fear. 'It really is very nice and sweet. Won't you try a +piece, Mr. Panther?' Mr. Porcupine held out the strip of locust bark +which he had brought down the tree for his lunch.</p> + +<p>"Now Mr. Panther had never tried bark, but he thought to himself that +if it made Mr. Porcupine so fat it must be good. He would try the piece +of bark first and eat Mr. Porcupine afterward. So he reached out and +snapped up the strip of bark.</p> + +<p>"Now the locust thorns were long and they were sharp. They pierced Mr. +Panther's tender lips and his tongue. They stuck in the roof of his +mouth. Mr. Panther spat and yelled with pain and rage and clawed +frantically at his mouth. He rolled over and over trying to get rid of +the thorns. Mr. Porcupine didn't stay to watch him. For once in his life +he hurried. By the time Mr. Panther was rid of the last thorn, Mr. +Porcupine was nowhere to be seen. He was safely hidden inside a hollow +log.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Porcupine didn't sleep that night. He just lay and thought and +thought and thought. The next morning, very early, before any one else +was astir, he started out to call on old Mother Nature.</p> + +<p>"'Good morning, Mr. Porcupine, what brings you out so early?' asked old +Mother Nature.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Porcupine bowed very low. 'If you please, Mother Nature, I want you +to help me,' said he.</p> + +<p>"Then he told her all about his meeting with Mr. Panther and how +helpless he was when he met his enemies, and he begged her to give him +stout claws and a big mouth full of long teeth that he might protect +himself.</p> + +<p>"Old Mother Nature thought a few minutes. 'Mr. Porcupine,' said she, +'you have always minded your own business. You do not know how to fight. +If I should give you a big mouth full of long teeth you would not know +how to use them. You move too slowly. Instead, I will give you a +thousand little spurs. They shall be hidden in the long hair of your +coat and only when you are in danger shall you use them. Go back to the +Green Forest, and the next time you meet Mr. Panther or Mr. Fisher or +Mr. Bobcat or old King Bear roll yourself into a ball and the thousand +little spears will protect you. Now go!'</p> + +<p>"Mr. Porcupine thanked old Mother Nature and started back for the Green +Forest. Once he stopped to smooth down his long, rough coat. Sure +enough, there, under the long hair, he felt a thousand little spears. He +went along happily until suddenly he met Mr. Panther. Yes, Sir, he met +Mr. Panther.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Panther was feeling very ugly, for his mouth was sore. He grinned +wickedly when he saw Mr. Porcupine and stepped right out in front of +him, all the time licking his lips. Mr. Porcupine trembled all over, +but he remembered what old Mother Nature had told him. In a flash he had +rolled up into a tight ball. Sure enough, the thousand little spears +sprang out of his long coat, and he looked like a huge chestnut burr.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Panther was so surprised he didn't know just what to do. He reached +out a paw and touched Mr. Porcupine. Mr. Porcupine was nervous. He +switched his tail around and it struck Mr. Panther's paw. Mr. Panther +yelled, for there were spears on Mr. Porcupine's tail and they were +worse than the locust thorns. He backed away hurriedly and limped off up +the Lone Little Path, growling horribly. Mr. Porcupine waited until Mr. +Panther was out of sight, then he unrolled, and slowly and happily he +walked back to his home in the Green Forest.</p> + +<p>"And since that long-ago day when the world was young, the Porcupines +have feared nothing and have attended strictly to their own business. +And that is how they happen to have a thousand little barbed spears, +which are called quills," concluded Grandfather Frog.</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breezes drew a long breath. "Thank you, Grandfather +Frog, thank you ever so much!" they cried all together. "We are going +back now to tell Prickly Porky that we know all about his little spears +and how he happens to have them."</p> + +<p>But first they blew a dozen fat, foolish, green flies over to +Grandfather Frog.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="IV" id="IV"></a>IV</h2> + +<h3>PETER RABBIT'S EGG ROLLING</h3> + + +<p>It was spring. Drummer the Woodpecker was beating the long roll on the +hollow limb of the old hickory, that all the world might know. Old +Mother West Wind, hurrying down from the Purple Hills across the Green +Meadows, stopped long enough to kiss the smiling little bluets that +crowded along the Lone Little Path. All up and down the Laughing Brook +were shy violets turning joyful faces up to jolly, round, red Mr. Sun. +Johnny Chuck was sitting on his doorstep, stretching one short leg and +then another, to get the kinks out, after his long, long winter sleep. +Very beautiful, very beautiful indeed, were the Green Meadows, and very +happy were all the little meadow people—all but Peter Rabbit, who sat +at the top of the Crooked Little Path that winds down the hill. No, Sir, +Peter Rabbit, happy-go-lucky Peter, who usually carries the lightest +heart on the Green Meadows, was not happy. Indeed, he was very unhappy. +As he sat there at the top of the Crooked Little Path and looked down on +the Green Meadows, he saw nothing beautiful at all because, why, because +his big soft eyes were full of tears. Splash! A big tear fell at his +feet in the Crooked Little Path. Splash! That was another tear. Splash! +splash!</p> + +<p>"My gracious! My gracious! What <i>is</i> the matter, Peter Rabbit?" asked a +gruff voice close to one of Peter's long ears.</p> + +<p>Peter jumped. Then he winked the tears back and looked around. There +sat old Mr. Toad. He looked very solemn, very solemn indeed. He was +wearing a shabby old suit, the very one he had slept in all winter. +Peter forgot his troubles long enough to wonder if old Mr. Toad would +swallow his old clothes when he got a new suit.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter, Peter Rabbit, what's the matter?" repeated old Mr. +Toad.</p> + +<p>Peter looked a little foolish. He hesitated, coughed, looked this way +and looked that way, hitched his trousers up, and then, why then he +found his tongue and told old Mr. Toad all his troubles.</p> + +<p>"You see," said Peter Rabbit, "it's almost Easter and I haven't found a +single egg."</p> + +<p>"An egg!" exclaimed old Mr. Toad. "Bless my stars! What do you want of +an egg, Peter Rabbit? You don't eat eggs."</p> + +<p>"I don't want just one egg, oh, no, no indeed! I want a lot of eggs," +said Peter. "You see, Mr. Toad, I was going to have an Easter egg +rolling, and here it is almost Easter and not an egg to be found!" +Peter's eyes filled with tears again.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Toad rolled one eye up at jolly, round, red Mr. Sun and winked. +"Have you seen Mrs. Grouse and Mrs. Pheasant?" asked old Mr. Toad.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Peter Rabbit, "and they won't have any eggs until after +Easter."</p> + +<p>"Have you been to see Mrs. Quack?" asked old Mr. Toad.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Peter Rabbit, "and she says she can't spare a single one."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Toad looked very thoughtful. He scratched the tip of his nose +with his left hind foot. Then he winked once more at jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun. "Have you been to see Jimmy Skunk?" he inquired.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit's big eyes opened very wide. "Jimmy Skunk!" he exclaimed. +"Jimmy Skunk! What does Jimmy Skunk have to do with eggs?"</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Toad chuckled deep down in his throat. He chuckled and chuckled +until he shook all over.</p> + +<p>"Jimmy Skunk knows more about eggs than all the other little meadow +people put together," said old Mr. Toad. "You take my advice, Peter +Rabbit, and ask Jimmy Skunk to help you get the eggs for your Easter egg +rolling."</p> + +<p>Then old Mr. Toad picked up his cane and started down the Crooked Little +Path to the Green Meadows. There he found the Merry Little Breezes +stealing kisses from the bashful little wind flowers. Old Mr. Toad +puffed out his throat and pretended that he disapproved, disapproved +very much indeed, but at the same time he rolled one eye up at jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun and winked.</p> + +<p>"Haven't you anything better to do than make bashful little flowers hang +their heads?" asked old Mr. Toad gruffly.</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breezes stopped their dancing and gathered about old +Mr. Toad. "What's the matter with you this morning, Mr. Toad?" asked one +of them. "Do you want us to go find a breakfast for you?"</p> + +<p>"No," replied old Mr. Toad sourly. "I am quite able to get breakfast for +myself. But Peter Rabbit is up on the hill crying because he cannot find +any eggs."</p> + +<p>"Crying because he cannot find any eggs! Now what does Peter Rabbit +want of eggs?" cried the Merry Little Breezes all together.</p> + +<p>"Supposing you go ask him," replied old Mr. Toad tartly, once more +picking up his cane and starting for the Smiling Pool to call on his +cousin, Grandfather Frog.</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breezes stared after him for a few minutes, then they +started in a mad race up the Crooked Little Path to find Peter Rabbit. +He wasn't at the top of the Crooked Little Path. They looked everywhere, +but not so much as the tip of one of his long ears could they see. +Finally they met him just coming away from Jimmy Skunk's house. Peter +was hopping, skipping, jumping up in the air and kicking his long heels +as only Peter can. There was no trace of tears in his big, soft eyes. +Plainly Peter Rabbit was in good spirits, in the very best of spirits. +When he saw the Merry Little Breezes he jumped twice as high as he had +jumped before, then sat up very straight.</p> + +<p>"Hello!" said Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Hello yourself," replied the Merry Little Breezes. "Tell us what under +the sun you want of eggs, Peter Rabbit, and we'll try to find some for +you."</p> + +<p>Peter's eyes sparkled. "I'm going to have an Easter egg rolling," said +he, "but you needn't look for any eggs, for I am going to have all I +want; Jimmy Skunk has promised to get them for me."</p> + +<p>"What is an Easter egg rolling?" asked the Merry Little Breezes.</p> + +<p>Peter looked very mysterious. "Wait and see," he replied. Then a sudden +thought popped into his head. "Will you do something for me?" he asked.</p> + +<p>Of course the Merry Little Breezes were delighted to do anything they +could for Peter Rabbit, and told him so. So in a few minutes Peter had +them scattering in every direction with invitations to all the little +people of the Green Meadows and all the little folks of the Green Forest +to attend his egg rolling on Easter morning.</p> + +<p>Very, very early on Easter morning Old Mother West Wind hurried down +from the Purple Hills and swept all the rain clouds out of the sky. +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun climbed up in the sky, smiling his broadest. +All the little song birds sang their sweetest, and some who really +cannot sing at all tried to just because they were so happy. Across the +beautiful Green Meadows came all the little meadow people and forest +folks to the smooth, grassy bank where the big hickory grows. Peter +Rabbit was there waiting for them. He had brushed his clothes until you +would hardly have known him. He felt very much excited and very +important and very, very happy, for this was to be the very first egg +rolling the Green Meadows had ever known, and it was all his very own.</p> + +<p>Hidden behind the old hickory, tucked under pieces of bark, scattered +among the bluets and wind flowers were big eggs, little eggs and +middle-sized eggs, for Jimmy Skunk had been true to his promise. Where +they came from Jimmy wouldn't tell. Perhaps if old Gray Goose and Mrs. +Quack could have been there, they would have understood why it took so +long to fill their nests. Perhaps if Farmer Brown's boy had happened +along, he would have guessed why he had to hunt so long in the barn and +under the henhouse to get enough eggs for breakfast. But Jimmy Skunk +held his tongue and just smiled to see how happy Peter Rabbit was.</p> + +<p>First came Peter's cousin, Jumper the Hare. Then up from the Smiling +Pool came Jerry Muskrat, Little Joe Otter, Billy Mink, Grandfather Frog +and Spotty the Turtle. Johnny Chuck, Danny Meadow Mouse, and old Mr. +Toad came together. Of course Reddy Fox was on hand promptly. Striped +Chipmunk came dancing out from the home no one has been able to find. +Out from the Green Forest trotted Bobby Coon, Happy Jack Squirrel and +Chatterer the Red Squirrel. Behind them shuffled Prickly Porky. Last of +all came Jimmy Skunk, who never hurries, and Jimmy wore his very best +suit of black and white. Up in the old hickory sat Blacky the Crow, +Sammy Jay and Drummer the Woodpecker, to watch the fun.</p> + +<p>When all had arrived, Peter Rabbit started them to hunting for the eggs. +Everybody got in the way of everybody else. Even old Mr. Toad caught the +excitement and hopped this way and hopped that way hunting for eggs. +Danny Meadow Mouse found a goose egg bigger than himself and had to get +help to bring it in. Bobby Coon stubbed his toes and fell down with an +egg under each arm. Such a looking sight as he was! He had to go down to +the Smiling Pool to wash.</p> + +<p>By and by, when all the eggs had been found, Peter Rabbit sent a big +goose egg rolling down the grassy bank and then raced after it to bring +it back and roll it down again. In a few minutes the green grassy bank +was covered with eggs—big eggs, little eggs, all kinds of eggs. Some +were nearly round and rolled swiftly to the bottom. Some were sharp +pointed at one end and rolled crookedly and sometimes turned end over +end. A big egg knocked Johnny Chuck's legs from under him and, because +Johnny Chuck is round and roly-poly, he just rolled over and over after +the egg clear to the bottom of the green grassy bank. And it was such +fun that he scrambled up and did it all over again.</p> + +<p>Then Bobby Coon tried it. Pretty soon every one was trying it, even +Reddy Fox, who seldom forgets his dignity. For once Blacky the Crow and +Sammy Jay almost wished that they hadn't got wings, so that they might +join in the fun.</p> + +<p>But the greatest fun of all was when Prickly Porky decided that he, too, +would join in the rolling. He tucked his head down in his vest and made +himself into a perfectly round ball. Now when he did this, all his +hidden spears stood out straight, until he looked like a great, giant, +chestnut burr, and every one hurried to get out of his way. Over and +over, faster and faster, he rolled down the green, grassy bank until he +landed—where do you think? Why right in the midst of a lot of eggs +that had been left when the other little people had scampered out of his +way.</p> + +<p>Now, having his head tucked into his vest, Prickly Porky couldn't see +where he was going, so when he reached the bottom and hopped to his feet +he didn't know what to make of the shout that went up from all the +little meadow people. So foolish Prickly Porky lost his temper because +he was being laughed at, and started off up the Lone Little Path to his +home in the Green Forest. And what do you think? Why, stuck fast in a +row on the spears on his back, Prickly Porky carried off six of Peter +Rabbit's Easter eggs, and didn't know it.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="V" id="V"></a>V</h2> + +<h3>HOW JOHNNY CHUCK RAN AWAY</h3> + + +<p>Johnny Chuck stood on the doorstep of his house and watched old Mrs. +Chuck start down the Lone Little Path across the Green Meadows towards +Farmer Brown's garden. She had her market basket on her arm, and Johnny +knew that when she returned it would be full of the things he liked +best. But not even the thought of these could chase away the frown that +darkened Johnny Chuck's face. He had never been to Farmer Brown's garden +and he had begged very hard to go that morning with old Mrs. Chuck. But +she had said "No. It isn't safe for such a little chap as you." And +when Mrs. Chuck said "No," Johnny knew that she meant it, and that it +was of no use at all to beg.</p> + +<p>So he stood with his hands in his pockets and scowled and scowled as he +thought of old Mrs. Chuck's very last words: "Now, Johnny, don't you +dare put a foot outside of the yard until I get back."</p> + +<p>Pretty soon along came Peter Rabbit. Peter was trying to jump over his +own shadow. When he saw Johnny Chuck he stopped abruptly. Then he looked +up at the blue sky and winked at jolly, round, red Mr. Sun. "Looks +mighty showery 'round here," he remarked to no one in particular.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck smiled in spite of himself. Then he told Peter Rabbit how +he had got to stay at home and mind the house and couldn't put his foot +outside the yard. Now Peter hasn't had the best bringing up in the +world, for his mother has such a big family that she is kept busy just +getting them something to eat. So Peter has been allowed to bring +himself up and do just about as he pleases.</p> + +<p>"How long will your mother be gone?" asked Peter.</p> + +<p>"Most all the morning," said Johnny Chuck mournfully.</p> + +<p>Peter hopped a couple of steps nearer. "Say, Johnny," he whispered, "how +is she going to know whether you stay in the yard all the time or not, +so long as you are here when she gets home? I know where there's the +dandiest sweet-clover patch. We can go over there and back easy before +old Mrs. Chuck gets home, and she won't know anything about it. Come +on!"</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck's mouth watered at the thought of the sweet-clover, but +still he hesitated, for Johnny Chuck had been taught to mind.</p> + +<p>"'Fraid cat! 'Fraid cat! Tied to your mother's apron strings!" jeered +Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"I ain't either!" cried Johnny Chuck. And then, just to prove it, he +thrust his hands into his pockets and swaggered out into the Lone Little +Path.</p> + +<p>"Where's your old clover patch?" asked he.</p> + +<p>"I'll show you," said Peter Rabbit, and off he started, +lipperty-lipperty-lip, so fast that Johnny Chuck lost his breath trying +to make his short legs keep up. And all the time Johnny's conscience was +pricking him.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit left the Lone Little Path across the Green Meadows for some +secret little paths of his own. His long legs took him over the ground +very fast. Johnny Chuck, running behind him, grew tired and hot, for +Johnny's legs are short and he is fat and roly-poly. At times all he +could see was the white patch on the seat of Peter Rabbit's pants. He +began to wish that he had minded old Mrs. Chuck and stayed at home. It +was too late to go back now, for he didn't know the way.</p> + +<p>"Wait up, Peter Rabbit!" he called.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit just flirted his tail and ran faster.</p> + +<p>"Please, please wait for me, Peter Rabbit," panted Johnny Chuck, and +began to cry. Yes, Sir, he began to cry. You see he was so hot and +tired, and then he was so afraid that he would lose sight of Peter +Rabbit. If he did he would surely be lost, and then what should he do? +The very thought made him run just a little faster.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="illus3" id="illus3"></a> +<img src="images/illus3.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<h3>"Please, please wait for me, Peter Rabbit," panted Johnny Chuck.</h3> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p>Now Peter Rabbit is really one of the best-hearted little fellows in +the world, just happy-go-lucky and careless. So when finally he looked +back and saw Johnny Chuck way, way behind, with the tears running down +his cheeks, and how hot and tired he looked, Peter sat down and waited. +Pretty soon Johnny Chuck came up, puffing and blowing, and threw himself +flat on the ground.</p> + +<p>"Please, Peter Rabbit, is it very much farther to the sweet-clover +patch?" he panted, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands.</p> + +<p>"No," replied Peter Rabbit, "just a little way more. We'll rest here a +few minutes and then I won't run so fast."</p> + +<p>So Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck lay down in the grass to rest while +Johnny Chuck recovered his breath. Every minute or two Peter would sit +up very straight, prick up his long ears and look this way and look +that way as if he expected to see something unusual. It made Johnny +Chuck nervous.</p> + +<p>"What do you keep doing that for, Peter Rabbit?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Oh, nothin'," replied Peter Rabbit. But he kept right on doing it just +the same. Then suddenly, after one of these looks abroad, he crouched +down very flat and whispered in Johnny Chuck's ear in great excitement.</p> + +<p>"Old Whitetail is down here and he's headed this way. We'd better be +moving," he said.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck felt a chill of fear. "Who is Old Whitetail?" he asked, as +he prepared to follow Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Don't you know?" asked Peter in surprise. "Say, you are green! Why, +he's Mr. Marsh Hawk, and if he once gets the chance he'll gobble you up, +skin, bones and all. There's an old stone wall just a little way from +here, and the sooner we get there the better!"</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit led the way, and if he had run fast before it was nothing +to the way he ran now. A great fear made Johnny Chuck forget that he was +tired, and he ran as he had never run before in all his short life. Just +as he dived head-first into a hole between two big stones, a shadow +swept over the grass and something sharp tore a gap in the seat of his +pants and made him squeal with fright and pain. But he wriggled in +beside Peter Rabbit and was safe, while Mr. Marsh Hawk flew off with a +scream of rage and disappointment.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck had never been so frightened in all his short life. He made +himself as small as possible and crept as far as he could underneath a +friendly stone in the old wall. His pants were torn and his leg smarted +dreadfully where one of Mr. Marsh Hawk's cruel, sharp claws had +scratched him. How he did wish that he had minded old Mrs. Chuck and +stayed in his own yard, as she had told him to.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit looked at the tear in Johnny Chuck's pants. "Pooh!" said +Peter Rabbit, "don't mind a little thing like that."</p> + +<p>"But I'm afraid to go home with my pants torn," said Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>"Don't go home," replied Peter Rabbit. "I don't unless I feel like it. +You stay away a long time and then your mother will be so glad to see +you that she won't ever think of the pants."</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck looked doubtful, but before he could say anything Peter +Rabbit stuck his head out to see if the way was clear. It was, and +Peter's long legs followed his head. "Come on, Johnny Chuck," he +shouted. "I'm going over to the sweet-clover patch."</p> + +<p>But Johnny Chuck was afraid. He was almost sure that Old Whitetail was +waiting just outside to gobble him up. It was a long time before he +would put so much as the tip of his wee black nose out. But without +Peter Rabbit it grew lonesomer and lonesomer in under the old stone +wall. Besides, he was afraid that he would lose Peter Rabbit, and then +he would be lost indeed, for he didn't know the way home.</p> + +<p>Finally Johnny Chuck ventured to peep out. There was jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun smiling down just as if he was used to seeing little runaway +chucks every day. Johnny looked and looked for Peter Rabbit, but it was +a long time before he saw him, and when he did all he saw were Peter +Rabbit's funny long ears above the tops of the waving grass, for Peter +Rabbit was hidden in the sweet-clover patch, eating away for dear life.</p> + +<p>It was only a little distance, but Johnny Chuck had had such a fright +that he tried three times before he grew brave enough to scurry through +the tall grass and join Peter Rabbit. My, how good that sweet-clover did +taste! Johnny Chuck forgot all about Old Whitetail. He forgot all about +his torn pants. He forgot that he had run away and didn't know the way +home. He just ate and ate and ate until his stomach was so full he +couldn't stuff another piece of sweet-clover into it.</p> + +<p>Suddenly Peter Rabbit grabbed him by a sleeve and pulled him down flat.</p> + +<p>"Sh-h-h," said Peter Rabbit, "don't move."</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck's heart almost stopped beating. What new danger could there +be now? In a minute he heard a queer noise. Peeping between the stems +of sweet-clover he saw—what do you think? Why, old Mrs. Chuck cutting +sweet-clover to put in the basket of vegetables she was taking home from +Farmer Brown's garden.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck gave a great sigh of relief, but he kept very still for he +did not want her to find him there after she had told him not to put +foot outside his own dooryard. "You wait here," whispered Peter Rabbit, +and crept off through the clover. Pretty soon Johnny Chuck saw Peter +Rabbit steal up behind old Mrs. Chuck and pull four big lettuce leaves +out of her basket.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="VI" id="VI"></a>VI</h2> + +<h3>PETER RABBIT'S RUN FOR LIFE</h3> + + +<p>"I wish I hadn't run away," said Johnny Chuck dolefully, as he and Peter +Rabbit peeped out from the sweet-clover patch and watched old Mrs. Chuck +start for home with her market basket on her arm.</p> + +<p>"You ought to think yourself lucky that your mother didn't find you here +in the sweet-clover patch. If it hadn't been for me she would have," +said Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck's face grew longer and longer. His pants were torn, his leg +was stiff and sore where old Mr. Marsh Hawk had scratched him that +morning, but worse still his conscience pricked him. Yes, Sir, Johnny +Chuck's conscience was pricking him hard, very hard indeed, because he +had run away from home with Peter Rabbit after old Mrs. Chuck had told +him not to leave the yard while she was away. Now he didn't know the way +home.</p> + +<p>"Peter Rabbit, I want to go home," said Johnny Chuck suddenly. "Isn't +there a short cut so that I can get home before my mother does?"</p> + +<p>"No, there isn't," said Peter Rabbit. "And if there was what good would +it do you? Old Mrs. Chuck would see that tear in your pants and then +you'd catch it!"</p> + +<p>"I don't care. Please won't you show me the way home, Peter Rabbit?" +begged Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit yawned lazily as he replied: "What's the use of going now? +You'll catch it anyway, so you might as well stay and have all fun you +can. Say, I know a dandy old house up on the hill. Jimmy Skunk used to +live there, but no one lives in it now. Let's go up and see it. It's a +dandy place."</p> + +<p>Now right down in his heart Johnny Chuck knew that he ought to go home, +but he couldn't go unless Peter Rabbit would show him the way, and then +he did want to see that old house. Perhaps Peter Rabbit was right (in +his heart he knew that he wasn't) and he had better have all the fun he +could. So Johnny Chuck followed Peter Rabbit up the hill to the old +house of Jimmy Skunk.</p> + +<p>Cobwebs covered the doorway. Johnny Chuck was going to brush them away, +but Peter Rabbit stopped him. "Let's see if there isn't a back door," +said he. "Then we can use that, and if Bowser the Hound or Farmer +Brown's boy comes along and finds this door they'll think no one ever +lives here any more and you'll be safer than if you were right in your +own home."</p> + +<p>So they hunted and hunted, and by and by Johnny Chuck found the back +door way off at one side and cunningly hidden under a tangle of grass. +Inside was a long dark hall and at the end of that a nice big room. It +was very dirty, and Johnny Chuck, who is very neat, at once began to +clean house and soon had it spick and span. Suddenly they heard a voice +outside the front door.</p> + +<p>"Doesn't look as if anybody lives here, but seems as if I smell young +rabbit and—yes, I'm sure I smell young chuck, too. Guess I'll have a +look inside."</p> + +<p>"It's old Granny Fox," whispered Peter Rabbit, trembling with fright.</p> + +<p>Then Peter Rabbit did a very brave thing. He remembered that Johnny +Chuck could not run very fast and that if it hadn't been for him, Johnny +Chuck would be safe at home. "You stay right here," whispered Peter +Rabbit. Then he slipped out the back door. Half-way down the hill he +stopped and shouted:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"Old Granny Fox<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Is slower than an ox!"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Then he started for the old brier patch as fast as his long legs could +take him, and after him ran Granny Fox.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit was running for his life. There was no doubt about it. +Right behind him, grinding her long white teeth, her eyes snapping, ran +old Granny Fox. Peter Rabbit did not like to think what would happen to +him if she should catch him.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit was used to running for his life. He had to do it at least +once every day. But usually he was near a safe hiding place and he +rather enjoyed the excitement. This time, however, the only place of +safety he could think of was the friendly old brier patch, and that was +a long way off.</p> + +<p>Back at the old house on the hill, where Granny Fox had discovered Peter +Rabbit, was little Johnny Chuck, trembling with fright. He crept to the +back door of the old house to watch. He saw Granny Fox getting nearer +and nearer to Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! She'll catch Peter Rabbit! She'll catch Peter +Rabbit!" wailed Johnny Chuck, wringing his hands in despair.</p> + +<p>It certainly looked as if Granny Fox would. She was right at Peter +Rabbit's heels. Poor, happy-go-lucky, little Peter Rabbit! Two more +jumps and Granny Fox would have him! Johnny Chuck shut his eyes tight, +for he didn't want to see.</p> + +<p>But Peter Rabbit had no intention of being caught so easily. While he +had seemed to be running his very hardest, really he was not. And all +the time he was watching Granny Fox, for Peter Rabbit's big eyes are so +placed that he can see behind him without turning his head. So he knew +when Granny Fox was near enough to catch him in one more jump. Then +Peter Rabbit dodged. Yes, Sir, Peter Rabbit dodged like a flash, and +away he went in another direction lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as he +could go.</p> + +<p>Old Granny Fox had been so sure that in another minute she would have +tender young rabbit for her dinner that she had begun to smile and her +mouth actually watered. She did not see where she was going. All she saw +was the white patch on the seat of Peter Rabbit's trousers bobbing up +and down right in front of her nose.</p> + +<p>When Peter Rabbit dodged, something surprising happened. Johnny Chuck, +who had opened his eyes to see if all was over, jumped up and shouted +for joy, and did a funny little dance in the doorway of the old house on +the hill. Peter had dodged right in front of a wire fence, a fence with +ugly, sharp barbs, and right smack into it ran Granny Fox! It scratched +her face and tore her bright red cloak. It threw her back flat on the +ground, with all the wind knocked out of her body.</p> + +<p>When finally she had gotten her breath and scrambled to her feet, Peter +Rabbit was almost over to the friendly old brier patch. He stopped and +sat up very straight. Then he put his hands on his hips and shouted:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"Run, Granny, run!<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Here comes a man who's got a gun!"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Granny Fox started nervously and looked this way and looked that way. +There was no one in sight. Then she shook a fist at Peter Rabbit and +started to limp off home.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck gave a great sigh of relief. "My," said he, "I wish I was +as smart as Peter Rabbit!"</p> + +<p>"You will be if you live long enough," said a voice right behind him. It +was old Mr. Toad.</p> + +<p>Mr. Toad and Johnny Chuck sat in the doorway of the old house on the +hill and watched old Granny Fox limp off home. "I wonder what it would +seem like not to be afraid of anything in the whole world," said Johnny +Chuck.</p> + +<p>"People who mind their own business and don't get into mischief don't +need to be afraid of anything," said Mr. Toad.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck remembered how safe he had always felt at home with old +Mrs. Chuck and how many times and how badly he had been frightened since +he ran away that morning. "I guess perhaps you are right, Mr. Toad," +said Johnny Chuck doubtfully.</p> + +<p>"Of course I'm right," replied Mr. Toad. "Of course I'm right. Look at +me; I attend strictly to my own affairs and no one ever bothers me."</p> + +<p>"That's because you are so homely that no one wants you for a dinner +when he can find anything else," said Peter Rabbit, who had come up from +the friendly old brier patch.</p> + +<p>"Better be homely than to need eyes in the back of my head to keep my +skin whole," retorted Mr. Toad. "Now I don't know what it is to be +afraid."</p> + +<p>"Not of old Granny Fox?" asked Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>"No," said Mr. Toad.</p> + +<p>"Nor Bowser the Hound?"</p> + +<p>"No," said Mr. Toad. "He's a friend of mine." Then Mr. Toad swelled +himself up very big. "I'm not afraid of anything under the sun," boasted +Mr. Toad.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit looked at Johnny Chuck and slowly winked one eye. "I guess +I'll go up the hill and have a look around," said Peter Rabbit, hitching +up his trousers. So Peter Rabbit went off up the hill, while Mr. Toad +smoothed down his dingy white waistcoat and told Johnny Chuck what a +foolish thing fear is.</p> + +<p>By and by there was a queer rustling in the grass back of them. Mr. Toad +hopped around awkwardly. "What was that?" he whispered.</p> + +<p>"Just the wind in the grass, I guess," said Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>For a while all was still and Mr. Toad settled himself comfortably and +began to talk once more. "No, Sir," said Mr. Toad, "I'm not afraid of +anything."</p> + +<p>Just then there was another rustle in the grass, a little nearer than +before. Mr. Toad certainly was nervous. He stretched up on the tips of +his toes and looked in the direction of the sound. Then Mr. Toad turned +pale. Yes, Sir, Mr. Toad actually turned pale! His big, bulging eyes +looked as if they would pop out of his head.</p> + +<p>"I—I must be going," said Mr. Toad hastily. "I quite forgot an +important engagement down on the Green Meadows. If Mr. Blacksnake should +happen to call, don't mention that you have seen me, will you, Johnny +Chuck?"</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck looked over in the grass. Something long and slim and black +was wriggling through it. When he turned about again, Mr. Toad was +half-way down the hill, going with such big hops that three times he +fell flat on his face, and when he picked himself up he didn't even stop +to brush off his clothes.</p> + +<p>"I wonder what it seems like not to be afraid of anything in the world?" +said a voice right behind Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>There stood Peter Rabbit laughing so that he had to hold his sides, and +in one hand was the end of an old leather strap which he had fooled Mr. +Toad into thinking was Mr. Blacksnake.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="VII" id="VII"></a>VII</h2> + +<h3>A JOKER FOOLED</h3> + + +<p>Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck sat in the doorway of Jimmy Skunk's +deserted old house on the hill and looked down across the Green Meadows. +Every few minutes Peter Rabbit would chuckle as he thought of how he had +fooled Mr. Toad into thinking that an old leather strap was Mr. +Blacksnake.</p> + +<p>"Is Mr. Blacksnake so very dangerous?" asked Johnny Chuck, who had seen +very little of the world.</p> + +<p>"Not for you or me," replied Peter Rabbit, "because we've grown too big +for him to swallow. But he would like nothing better than to catch Mr. +Toad for his dinner. But if you ever meet Mr. Blacksnake, be polite to +him. He is very quick tempered, is Mr. Blacksnake, but if you don't +bother him he'll not bother you. My goodness, I wonder what's going on +down there in the alders!"</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck looked over to the alder thicket. He saw Sammy Jay, Blacky +the Crow and Mrs. Redwing sitting in the alders. They were calling back +and forth, apparently very much excited. Peter Rabbit looked this way +and that way to see if the coast was clear.</p> + +<p>"Come on, Johnny Chuck, let's go down and see what the trouble is," said +he, for you know Peter Rabbit has a great deal of curiosity.</p> + +<p>So down to the alder thicket skipped Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck as +fast as they could go. Half-way there they were joined by Danny Meadow +Mouse, for he too had heard the fuss and wanted to know what it all +meant.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" asked Peter Rabbit of Sammy Jay, but Sammy was too +excited to answer and simply pointed down into the middle of the alder +thicket. So the three of them, one behind the other, very softly crept +in among the alders. A great commotion was going on among the dead +leaves. Danny Meadow Mouse gave one look, then he turned as pale as did +Mr. Toad when Peter Rabbit fooled him with the old leather strap. "This +is no place for me!" exclaimed Danny Meadow Mouse, and started for home +as fast as he could run.</p> + +<p>Partly under an old log lay Mr. Blacksnake. There seemed to be something +the matter with him. He looked sick, and threshed and struggled till he +made the leaves fly. Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow and Mrs. Redwing +called all sorts of insulting things to him, but he paid no attention to +them. Once Mrs. Redwing darted down and pecked him sharply. But Mr. +Blacksnake seemed quite helpless.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter with him?" asked Johnny Chuck in a whisper.</p> + +<p>"Nothing. Wait and you'll see. Sammy Jay and Mrs. Redwing better watch +out or they'll be sorry," replied Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>Just then Mr. Blacksnake wedged his head in under the old log and began +to push and wriggle harder than ever. Then Johnny Chuck gasped. Mr. +Blacksnake was crawling out of his clothes! Yes, Sir, his old suit was +coming off wrong side out, just like a glove, and underneath he wore a +splendid new suit of shiny black!</p> + +<p>"It's time for us to be moving," whispered Peter Rabbit. "After Mr. +Blacksnake has changed his clothes he is pretty short tempered. Just +hear him hiss at Mrs. Redwing and Sammy Jay!"</p> + +<p>They tiptoed out of the alder thicket and started back for the old house +on the hill. Peter Rabbit suddenly giggled out loud. "To-morrow," said +Peter Rabbit "we'll come back and get Mr. Blacksnake's old suit and have +some fun with Danny Meadow Mouse."</p> + +<p>The next morning Danny Meadow Mouse sat on his doorstep nodding. He was +dreaming that his tail was long like the tails of all his cousins. One +of Old Mother West Wind's Merry Little Breezes stole up and whispered in +his ear. Danny Meadow Mouse was awake, wide awake in an instant. "So +Peter Rabbit is going to play a joke on me and scare me into fits!" said +Danny Meadow Mouse.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the Merry Little Breeze, "for I overheard him telling +Johnny Chuck all about it."</p> + +<p>Danny Meadow Mouse began to laugh softly to himself. "Will you do +something for me?" he asked the Merry Little Breeze.</p> + +<p>"Sure," replied the Merry Little Breeze.</p> + +<p>"Then go find Cresty the Fly-catcher and tell him that I want to see +him," said Danny Meadow Mouse.</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breeze hurried away, and pretty soon back he came with +Cresty the Fly-catcher.</p> + +<p>Now all this time Peter Rabbit had been very busy planning his joke on +Danny Meadow Mouse. He and Johnny Chuck had gone down to the alder +thicket, where they had seen Mr. Blacksnake change his clothes, and they +had found his old suit just as he had left it.</p> + +<p>"We'll take this up and stretch it out behind a big tussock of grass +near the home of Danny Meadow Mouse," chuckled Peter Rabbit. "Then I'll +invite Danny Meadow Mouse to take a walk, and when we come by the +tussock of grass he will think he sees Mr. Blacksnake himself all ready +to swallow him. Then we'll see some fun."</p> + +<p>So they carried Mr. Blacksnake's old suit of clothes and hid it behind +the big tussock of grass, and arranged it to look as much like Mr. +Blacksnake as they could. Then Johnny Chuck went back to the old house +on the hill to watch the fun, while Peter Rabbit went to call on Danny +Meadow Mouse.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Peter Rabbit," said Danny Meadow Mouse politely.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Danny Meadow Mouse," replied Peter Rabbit. "Don't you +want to take a walk with me this fine morning?"</p> + +<p>"I'll be delighted to go," said Danny Meadow Mouse, reaching for his +hat.</p> + +<p>So they started out to walk and presently they came to the big tussock +of grass.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit stopped. "Excuse me, while I tie up my shoe. You go ahead +and I'll join you in a minute," said Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>So Danny Meadow Mouse went ahead. As soon as his back was turned Peter +Rabbit clapped both hands over his mouth to keep from laughing, for you +see he expected to see Danny Meadow Mouse come flying back in great +fright the minute he turned the big tussock and saw Mr. Blacksnake's old +suit.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit waited and waited, but no Danny Meadow Mouse. What did it +mean? Peter stopped laughing and peeped around the big tussock. There +sat Danny Meadow Mouse with both hands clapped over his mouth, and +laughing till the tears rolled down his cheeks, and Mr. Blacksnake's old +suit was nowhere to be seen.</p> + +<p>"He laughs best who laughs last," said Danny Meadow Mouse to himself, +late that afternoon, as he sat on his doorstep and chuckled softly.</p> + +<p>When he had first heard from a Merry Little Breeze that Peter Rabbit and +Johnny Chuck were planning to play a joke on him and scare him into fits +with a suit of Mr. Blacksnake's old clothes, he had tried very hard to +think of some way to turn the joke on the jokers. Then he had remembered +Cresty the Fly-catcher and had sent for him.</p> + +<p>Now Cresty the Fly-catcher is a handsome fellow. In fact he is quite the +gentleman, and does not look at all like one who would be at all +interested in any one's old clothes. But he is. He is never satisfied +until he has lined the hollow in the old apple-tree, which is his home, +with the old clothes of Mr. Snake.</p> + +<p>So when Danny Meadow Mouse sent for him and whispered in his ear Cresty +the Fly-catcher smiled broadly and winked knowingly. "I certainly will +be there, Danny Meadow Mouse, I certainly will be there," said he. And +he was there. He had hidden in a tree close by the big tussock of grass, +behind which Peter Rabbit had planned to place Mr. Blacksnake's old suit +so as to scare Danny Meadow Mouse. His eyes had sparkled when he saw +what a fine big suit it was. "My, but this will save me a lot of +trouble," said he to himself. "It's the finest old suit I've ever seen."</p> + +<p>The minute Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck had turned their backs down +dropped Cresty the Fly-catcher, picked up Mr. Blacksnake's old suit, +and taking it with him, once more hid in the tree. Presently back came +Peter Rabbit with Danny Meadow Mouse. You know what had happened then.</p> + +<p>Cresty the Fly-catcher had nearly dropped his prize, it tickled him so +to see Peter Rabbit on one side of the big tussock laughing fit to kill +himself at the scare he thought Danny Meadow Mouse would get when he +first saw Mr. Blacksnake's old suit, and on the other side of the big +tussock Danny Meadow Mouse laughing fit to kill himself over the +surprise Peter Rabbit would get when he found that Mr. Blacksnake's old +clothes had disappeared.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon Peter Rabbit had stopped laughing and peeped around the big +tussock. There sat Danny Meadow Mouse laughing fit to kill himself, but +not a trace of the old suit which was to have given him such a scare. +Peter couldn't believe his own eyes, for he had left it there not three +minutes before. Of course it wouldn't do to say anything about it, so he +had hurried around the big tussock as if he was merely trying to catch +up.</p> + +<p>"What are you laughing at, Danny Meadow Mouse?" asked Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"I was thinking what a joke it would be if we could only find an old +suit of Mr. Blacksnake's and fool old Mr. Toad into thinking that it was +Mr. Blacksnake himself," replied Danny Meadow Mouse. "What are you +looking for, Peter Rabbit? Have you lost something?"</p> + +<p>"No," said Peter Rabbit. "I thought I heard footsteps, and I was looking +to see if it could be Reddy Fox creeping through the grass."</p> + +<p>Danny Meadow Mouse had stopped laughing. "Excuse me, Peter Rabbit," +said he hurriedly, "I've just remembered an important engagement." And +off he started for home as fast as he could go.</p> + +<p>And to this day Peter Rabbit doesn't know what became of Mr. +Blacksnake's old clothes.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a>VIII</h2> + +<h3>THE FUSS IN THE BIG PINE</h3> + + +<p>Peter Rabbit hopped down the Crooked Little Path to the Lone Little Path +and down the Lone Little Path to the home of Johnny Chuck. Johnny Chuck +sat on his doorstep dreaming. They were very pleasant dreams, very +pleasant dreams indeed. They were such pleasant dreams that for once +Johnny Chuck forgot to put his funny little ears on guard. So Johnny +Chuck sat on his doorstep dreaming and heard nothing.</p> + +<p>Lipperty-lipperty-lip down the Lone Little Path came Peter Rabbit. He +saw Johnny Chuck and he stopped long enough to pluck a long stem of +grass. Then very, very softly he stole up behind Johnny Chuck. Reaching +out with the long stem of grass, he tickled one of Johnny Chuck's ears.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck slapped at his ear with a little black hand, for he thought +a fly was bothering him, just as Peter Rabbit meant that he should. +Peter tickled the other ear. Johnny Chuck shook his head and slapped at +this with the other little black hand. Peter almost giggled. He sat +still a few minutes, then tickled Johnny Chuck again. Johnny slapped +three or four times at the imaginary fly. This time Peter clapped both +hands over his mouth to keep from laughing.</p> + +<p>Once more he tickled Johnny Chuck. This time Johnny jumped clear off his +doorstep. Peter laughed before he could clap his hands over his mouth. +Of course Johnny Chuck heard him and whirled about. When he saw Peter +Rabbit and the long stem of grass he laughed, too.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Peter Rabbit! You fooled me that time. Where'd you come from?" +asked Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>"Down the Lone Little Path from the Crooked Little Path and down the +Crooked Little Path from the top of the Hill," replied Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>Then they sat down side by side on Johnny Chuck's doorstep to watch +Reddy Fox hunting for his dinner on the Green Meadows.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they heard Blacky the Crow cawing very loudly. They could +see him on the tip-top of a big pine in the Green Forest on the edge of +the Green Meadows.</p> + +<p>"Caw, caw, caw," shouted Blacky the Crow, at the top of his lungs.</p> + +<p>In a few minutes they saw all of Blacky's aunts and uncles and cousins +flying over to join Blacky at the big pine in the midst of the Green +Forest. Soon there was a big crowd of crows around the big pine, all +talking at once. Such a racket! Such a dreadful racket! Every few +minutes one of them would fly into the big pine and yell at the top of +his lungs. Then all would caw together. Another would fly into the big +pine and they would do it all over again.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit began to get interested, for you know Peter has a very +great deal of curiosity.</p> + +<p>"Now I wonder what Blacky the Crow and his aunts and his uncles and his +cousins are making such a fuss about," said Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"I'm sure I don't know," replied Johnny Chuck. "They seem to be having a +good time, anyway. My gracious, how noisy they are!"</p> + +<p>Just then along came Sammy Jay, who is, as you know, first cousin to +Blacky the Crow. He was coming from the direction of the big pine.</p> + +<p>"Sammy! Oh, Sammy Jay! What is all that fuss about over in the big +pine?" shouted Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>Sammy Jay stopped and carefully brushed his handsome blue coat, for +Sammy Jay is something of a dandy. He appeared not to have heard Peter +Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Sammy Jay, are you deaf?" inquired Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>Now of course Sammy Jay had seen Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck all the +time, but he looked up as if very much surprised to find them there.</p> + +<p>"Oh, hello, Peter Rabbit!" said Sammy Jay. "Did you speak to me?"</p> + +<p>"No, oh, no," replied Peter Rabbit in disgust. "I was talking to +myself, just thinking out loud. I was wondering how many nuts a Jay +could steal if he had the chance."</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck chuckled and Sammy Jay looked foolish. He couldn't find a +word to say, for he knew that all the little meadow people knew how he +once was caught stealing Happy Jack's store of nuts.</p> + +<p>"I asked what all that fuss over in the big pine is about," continued +Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh," said Sammy Jay, "my cousin, Blacky the Crow, found Hooty the Owl +asleep over there, and now he and his aunts and his uncles and his +cousins are having no end of fun with him. You know Hooty the Owl cannot +see in the daytime very well, and they can do almost anything to him +that they want to. It's great sport."</p> + +<p>"I don't see any sport in making other people uncomfortable," said +Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>"Nor I," said Peter Rabbit. "I'd be ashamed to own a cousin like Blacky +the Crow. I like people who mind their own affairs and leave other +people alone."</p> + +<p>Sammy Jay ran out his tongue at Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"You are a nice one to talk about minding other folk's affairs!" jeered +Sammy Jay.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"Peter Rabbit's ears are long;<br /></span> +<span class="i2">I wonder why! I wonder why!<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Because to hear what others say<br /></span> +<span class="i2">He's bound to try! he's bound to try."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>It was Peter Rabbit's turn to look discomfited.</p> + +<p>"Anyway, I don't try to bully and torment others and I don't steal," he +retorted.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"Sammy Jay's a handsome chap<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And wears a coat of blue.<br /></span> +<span class="i0">I wonder if it's really his<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Or if he stole <i>that</i>, too."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Just then Johnny Chuck's sharp eyes caught sight of something stealing +along the edge of the Green Meadows toward the Green Forest and the big +pine.</p> + +<p>"There's Farmer Brown's boy with a gun," cried Johnny Chuck. "There's +going to be trouble at the big pine if Blacky the Crow doesn't watch +out. That's what comes of being so noisy."</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit and Sammy Jay stopped quarreling to look. Sure enough, +there was Farmer Brown's boy with his gun. He had heard Blacky the Crow +and his aunts and his uncles and his cousins and he had hurried to get +his gun, hoping to take them by surprise.</p> + +<p>But Blacky the Crow has sharp eyes, too. Indeed, there are none +sharper. Then, too, he is a mischief-maker. Mischief-makers are always +on the watch lest they get caught in their mischief. So Blacky the Crow, +sitting on the tip-top of the big pine, kept one eye out for trouble +while he enjoyed the tormenting of Hooty the Owl by his aunts and his +uncles and his cousins. He had seen Farmer Brown's boy even before +Johnny Chuck had. But he couldn't bear to spoil the fun of tormenting +Hooty the Owl, so he waited just as long as he dared. Then he gave the +signal.</p> + +<p>"Caw, caw, caw, caw!" shouted Blacky at the top of his lungs.</p> + +<p>"Caw, caw, caw, caw!" replied all his aunts and uncles and cousins, +rising into the air in a black cloud. Then, with Blacky in the lead, +they flew over on to the Green Meadows, laughing and talking noisily as +they went.</p> + +<p>Farmer Brown's boy did not try to follow them, for he knew that it was +of not the least bit of use. But he was curious to learn what the crows +had been making such a fuss about, so he kept on towards the big pine.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck watched him go. Suddenly he remembered Hooty the Owl, and +that Hooty cannot see well in the daytime. Very likely Hooty would think +that the crows had become tired of tormenting him and had gone off of +their own accord. Farmer Brown's boy would find him there and +then—Johnny Chuck shuddered as he thought of what might happen to Hooty +the Owl.</p> + +<p>"Run, Peter Rabbit, run as fast as you can down on the Green Meadows +where the Merry Little Breezes are at play and send one of them to tell +Hooty the Owl that Farmer Brown's boy is coming with a gun to the big +pine! Hurry, Peter, hurry!" cried Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>Peter did not need to be told twice. He saw the danger of Hooty the Owl, +and he started down the Lone Little Path on to the Green Meadows so fast +that in a few minutes all Johnny Chuck and Sammy Jay could see of him +was a little spot of white, which was the patch on the seat of Peter's +pants, bobbing through the grass on the Green Meadows.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck would have gone himself, but he is round and fat and +roly-poly and cannot run fast, while Peter Rabbit's legs are long and +meant for running. In a few minutes Johnny Chuck saw one of the Merry +Little Breezes start for the big pine as fast as he could go. Johnny +gave a great sigh of relief.</p> + +<p>Farmer Brown's boy kept on to the big pine. When he got there he found +no one there, for Hooty the Owl had heeded the warning of the Merry +Little Breeze and had flown into the deepest, darkest part of the Green +Forest, where not even the sharp eyes of Blacky the Crow were likely to +find him.</p> + +<p>And back on his doorstep Johnny Chuck chuckled to himself, for he was +happy, was Johnny Chuck, happy because he possessed the best thing in +the world, which is contentment.</p> + +<p>And this is all I am going to tell you about the fuss in the big +pine.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="IX" id="IX"></a>IX</h2> + +<h3>JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS A USE FOR HIS BACK DOOR</h3> + + +<p>Johnny Chuck sat in his doorway looking over the Green Meadows. He felt +very fine. He had had a good breakfast in the sweet-clover patch. He had +had a good nap on his own doorstep. By and by he saw the Merry Little +Breezes of old Mother West Wind hurrying in his direction. They seemed +in a very great hurry. They didn't stop to kiss the buttercups or tease +the daisies. Johnny pricked up his small ears and watched them hurry up +the hill.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Johnny Chuck," panted the first Merry Little Breeze to +reach him, "have you heard the news?"</p> + +<p>"What news?" asked Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>"The news about old Mother Chuck," replied the Merry Little Breezes.</p> + +<p>Johnny shook his head.</p> + +<p>"No," said he. "What is it?"</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breezes grew very, very sober.</p> + +<p>"It is bad news," they replied.</p> + +<p>"What is it? Tell me quick!" begged Johnny.</p> + +<p>Just then Reddy Fox came hopping and skipping down the Lone Little Path.</p> + +<p>"Hi, Johnny Chuck, have you heard the news?"</p> + +<p>"No," said Johnny Chuck, "do tell me quick!"</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox grinned maliciously, for Reddy likes to torment others. "It's +about old Mrs. Chuck," said Reddy.</p> + +<p>"I know that already," replied Johnny, "but, please, what is it?"</p> + +<p>"Farmer Brown's boy has caught old Mrs. Chuck, and now I wouldn't wonder +but what he will come up here and catch you," replied Reddy, turning a +somersault.</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck grew pale. He had not seen Mother Chuck to speak to since +he ran away from home. Now he was glad that he had run away, and yet +sorry, oh, so sorry that anything had happened to Mrs. Chuck. Two big +tears came into his eyes and ran down his funny little black nose. The +Merry Little Breezes saw this, and one of them hurried over and +whispered in Johnny Chuck's ear.</p> + +<p>"Don't cry, Johnny Chuck," whispered the Merry Little Breeze. "Old +Mother Chuck got away, and Farmer Brown's boy is still wondering how she +did it."</p> + +<p>Johnny's heart gave a great throb of relief. "I don't believe that +Farmer Brown's boy will catch me," said Johnny Chuck, "for my house has +two back doors."</p> + +<p>Johnny Chuck awoke very early the next morning. He stretched and yawned +and then just lay quietly enjoying himself for a few minutes. His +bedchamber, way down underground, was snug and warm and very, very +comfortable. By and by, Johnny Chuck heard a noise up by his front door.</p> + +<p>"I wonder what is going on out there," said Johnny Chuck to himself, and +jumping up, he tiptoed softly up the long hall until he had almost +reached his doorway. Then he heard a voice which he had heard before, +and it made little shivers run all over him. It was the voice of Granny +Fox.</p> + +<p>"So this is where that fat little Chuck has made his home," said Granny +Fox.</p> + +<p>"Yes," replied another voice, "this is where Johnny Chuck lives, for I +saw him here yesterday."</p> + +<p>Johnny pricked up his ears, for that was the voice of Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>"Do you think he is in here now?" inquired Granny Fox.</p> + +<p>"I am sure of it," replied Reddy, "for I have been watching ever since +jolly, round, red Mr. Sun threw his nightcap off this morning, and +Johnny Chuck has not put his nose out yet."</p> + +<p>"Good," said Granny Fox, "I think fat Chuck will taste good for +breakfast."</p> + +<p>Johnny felt the cold shivers run over him again as he heard Granny Fox +and Reddy Fox smack their lips. Then Granny Fox spoke again:</p> + +<p>"You lie down behind that bunch of grass over there, Reddy, and I will +lie down behind the old apple-tree. When he comes out, you just jump +into his doorway and I will catch him before he can say Jack Robinson."</p> + +<p>Johnny waited and listened and listened, but all was as still as still +could be. Then Johnny Chuck tiptoed back along the hall to his bedroom +and sat down to think. He felt sure that Granny Fox and Reddy were +waiting for him, just as he had heard them plan.</p> + +<p>"However am I going to know when they leave?" said Johnny Chuck to +himself. Then he remembered the back doors which he had taken such care +to make, and which Peter Rabbit had laughed at him for taking the +trouble to make. He had hidden one so cunningly in the long grass and +had so carefully removed all sand from around it that he felt quite sure +that no one had found it.</p> + +<p>Very softly Johnny Chuck crept along the back passageway. Very, very +cautiously he stuck his little black nose out the doorway and sniffed. +Yes, he could smell foxes, but he knew that they were not at his back +door. Little by little he crept out until he could peep through the +grass. There lay Reddy Fox behind a big clump of grass, his eyes fixed +on Johnny Chuck's front door, and there behind the apple-tree lay Granny +Fox taking her ease, but all ready to jump when Reddy should give the +word. Johnny Chuck almost giggled out loud as he saw how eagerly Reddy +Fox was watching for him. Then Johnny Chuck had an idea that made him +giggle harder. His black eyes snapped and he chuckled to himself.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon along came Bumble the Bee, looking for honey. He came +bustling and humming through the tall grass and settled on a dandelion +right on the doorstep of Johnny Chuck's back door.</p> + +<p>"Good morning," grumbled Bumble the Bee.</p> + +<p>Johnny put a hand on his lips and beckoned Bumble to come inside.</p> + +<p>Now Bumble the Bee is a gruff and rough fellow, but he is a good fellow, +too, when you know him. Johnny Chuck had many times told him of places +where the flowers grew thick and sweet, so when Johnny beckoned to him, +Bumble came at once.</p> + +<p>"Will you do something for me, Bumble?" whispered Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>"Of course, I will," replied Bumble, in his gruff voice. "What is it?"</p> + +<p>Then Johnny Chuck told Bumble the Bee how Granny and Reddy Fox were +waiting for him to come out for his breakfast and how they had planned +to gobble him up for their own breakfast. Bumble the Bee grew very +indignant.</p> + +<p>"What do you want me to do, Johnny Chuck?" he asked. "If I can help you, +just tell me how."</p> + +<p>Johnny whispered something to Bumble the Bee, and Bumble laughed right +out loud. Then he buzzed up out of the doorway, and Johnny crept up to +watch. Straight over to where Reddy Fox was squatting behind the clump +of grass flew Bumble the Bee, so swiftly that Johnny could hardly see +him. Suddenly Reddy gave a yelp and sprang into the air. Johnny Chuck +clapped both hands over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud, for +you see Bumble the Bee had stuck his sharp little lance into one of the +ears of Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>Granny Fox looked up and scowled. "Keep still," she whispered.</p> + +<p>Just then Reddy yelped louder than before, for Bumble had stung him in +the other ear.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" snapped Granny Fox.</p> + +<p>"I don't know," cried Reddy Fox, hanging on to both ears.</p> + +<p>"You are—" began Granny Fox, but Johnny Chuck never knew what she was +going to say Reddy Fox was, for you see just then Bumble the Bee thrust +his sharp little lance into one of her ears, and before she could turn +around he had done the same thing to the other ear.</p> + +<p>Granny Fox didn't wait for any more. She started off as fast as she +could go, with Reddy Fox after her, and every few steps they rubbed +their ears and shook their heads as if they thought they could shake out +the pain.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="X" id="X"></a>X</h2> + +<h3>BILLY MINK GOES DINNERLESS</h3> + + +<p>Down the Laughing Brook came Billy Mink. He was feeling very good that +morning, was Billy Mink, pleased with the world in general and with +himself in particular. When he reached the Smiling Pool he swam out to +the Big Rock. Little Joe Otter was already there, and not far away, +lazily floating, with his head and back out of water, was Jerry Muskrat.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Billy Mink," cried Little Joe Otter.</p> + +<p>"Hello yourself," replied Billy Mink, with a grin.</p> + +<p>"Where are you going?" asked Little Joe Otter.</p> + +<p>"Nowhere in particular," replied Billy Mink.</p> + +<p>"Let's go fishing down to the Big River," said Little Joe Otter.</p> + +<p>"Let's!" cried Billy, diving from the highest point on the Big Rock.</p> + +<p>So off they started across the Green Meadows towards the Big River. Half +way there they met Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Reddy! Come on with us to the Big River, fishing," called Billy +Mink.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="illus4" id="illus4"></a> +<img src="images/illus4.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<h3>"Come on with us to the Big River, fishing," called Billy Mink.</h3> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p>Now Reddy Fox is no fisherman, though he likes fish to eat well enough. +He remembered the last time he went fishing and how Billy Mink had +laughed at him when he fell into the Smiling Pool. He was just about to +say "no" when he changed his mind.</p> + +<p>"All right, I'll go," said Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>So the three of them raced merrily across the Green Meadows until +they came to the Big River. Now Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter are +famous fishermen and can swim even faster than the fish themselves. But +Reddy Fox is a poor swimmer and must depend upon his wits. When they +reached the bank of the Big River they very carefully crawled down to a +sandy beach. There, just a little way out from shore, a school of little +striped perch were at play. Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter prepared to +dive in and each grab a fish, but Reddy Fox knew that he could not swim +well enough for that.</p> + +<p>"Wait a minute," whispered Reddy. "Billy Mink, you go up the river a +little way and swim out beyond where the fish are at play. Little Joe +Otter, you go down the river a little way and swim out to join Billy +Mink. Then both together rush in as fast as you can swim. The fish will +be so frightened they will rush in where the water is shallow. Of course +you will each catch one, anyway, and perhaps I may be so lucky as to +catch one in the shallow water."</p> + +<p>Billy Mink and little Joe Otter agreed, and did just as Reddy Fox had +told them to. When they were between the playing fish and deep water +they started in with a rush. The little striped perch were young and +foolish. When they saw Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter they rushed madly +away from them without looking to see where they were going to. As Reddy +Fox had foreseen would be the case, a lot of them became stranded where +the water was too shallow for swimming, and there they jumped and +flapped helplessly.</p> + +<p>Reddy was waiting for them and in a twinkling his little black paw had +scooped half a dozen fish high and dry on the beach. Billy Mink and +Little Joe Otter were too busy watching the fish to see what Reddy was +doing. He had caught six fish and these he hid under a log. When Billy +Mink and Little Joe Otter swam ashore, Reddy was the picture of +disappointment, for he had nothing to show, while the others each had a +plump little fish.</p> + +<p>"Never mind," said Little Joe Otter, "I'll give you the next one I +catch."</p> + +<p>But Billy Mink jeered at Reddy Fox. "Pooh! you're no fisherman, Reddy +Fox! If I couldn't catch fish when they are chased right into my hands +I'd never go fishing."</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox pretended to be indignant. "I tell you what, Billy Mink," said +he, "if I don't catch more fish than you do to-day I'll bring you the +plumpest chicken in Farmer Brown's dooryard, but if I do catch more fish +than you do you will give me the biggest one you catch. Do you agree?"</p> + +<p>Now Billy Mink is very fond of plump chicken and here was a chance to +get one without danger of meeting Bowser the Hound, who guards Farmer +Brown's chickens. So Billy Mink agreed to give Reddy Fox the biggest +fish he caught that day if Reddy could show more fish than he could at +the end of the day. All the time he chuckled to himself, for you know +Billy Mink is a famous fisherman, and he knew that Reddy Fox is a poor +swimmer and does not like the water.</p> + +<p>By and by they came to another sandy beach like the first one. They +could see another school of foolish young fish at play. As before, Reddy +Fox remained on shore while the others swam out and drove the fish in. +As before Reddy caught half a dozen, while Billy Mink and Little Joe +Otter each caught one this time. Reddy hid five and then pretended to be +so tickled over catching one, the smallest of the lot, that Billy Mink +didn't once suspect a trick.</p> + +<p>Two or three times more Reddy Fox repeated this. Then he discovered a +big pickerel sunning himself beside an old log floating in deep water. +Reddy couldn't catch Mr. Pickerel, for the water was deep. What should +he do? Reddy sat down to think. Finally he thought of a plan. Very +cautiously he backed away so as not to scare the big fish. Then he +called Billy Mink. When Billy saw the big pickerel, his mouth watered, +too, and his little black eyes sparkled.</p> + +<p>Very quietly Billy slipped into the water back of the old log. There was +not so much as a ripple to warn the big pickerel. Drawing a long breath, +Billy dived under the log, and coming up under the big pickerel, seized +it by the middle. There was a tremendous thrashing and splashing, and +then Billy Mink swam ashore and proudly laid the big fish on the bank.</p> + +<p>"Don't you wish it was yours?" asked Billy Mink.</p> + +<p>"It ought to be mine, for I saw it first," said Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>"But you didn't catch it and I did," retorted Billy Mink. "I'm going to +have it for my dinner. My, but I do like fat pickerel!" Billy smacked +his lips.</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox said nothing, but tried his best to look disappointed and +dejected. All the time he was chuckling inwardly.</p> + +<p>For the rest of the day the fishing was poor. Just as Old Mother West +Wind started for the Green Meadows to take her children, the Merry +Little Breezes, to their home behind the Purple Hills, the three little +fishermen started to count up their catch. Then Reddy brought out all +the fish that he had hidden. When they saw the pile of fish Reddy Fox +had, Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter were so surprised that their eyes +popped out and their jaws dropped. Very foolish they looked, very +foolish indeed, for Reddy had four times as many as either of them.</p> + +<p>Reddy walked over to the big pickerel and picking it up, carried it over +to his pile. "What are you doing with my fish?" shouted Billy Mink +angrily.</p> + +<p>"It isn't yours, it's mine!" retorted Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>Billy Mink fairly danced up and down he was so angry. "It's not yours!" +he shrieked. "It's mine, for I caught it!"</p> + +<p>"And you agreed that your biggest fish should be mine if I caught more +fish than you did. I've caught four times as many, so the pickerel is +mine," retorted Reddy, winking at Little Joe Otter.</p> + +<p>Then Billy Mink did a very foolish thing; he lost his temper completely. +He called Reddy Fox bad names. But he did not dare try to take the big +pickerel away from Reddy, for Reddy is much bigger than he. Finally he +worked himself into such a rage that he ran off home leaving his pile of +fish behind.</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox and Little Joe Otter took care not to touch Billy Mink's fish, +but Reddy divided his big pile with Little Joe Otter. Then they, too, +started for home, Reddy carrying the big pickerel.</p> + +<p>Late that night, when he had recovered his temper, Billy Mink began to +grow hungry. The more he thought of his fish the hungrier he grew. +Finally he could stand it no longer and started for the Big River to +see what had become of his fish. He reached the strip of beach where he +had so foolishly left them just in time to see the last striped perch +disappear down the long throat of Mr. Night Heron.</p> + +<p>And this is how it happened that Billy Mink went dinnerless to bed. But +he had learned three things, had Billy, and he never forgot them—that +wit is often better than skill; that it is not only mean but is very +foolish to sneer at another; and that to lose one's temper is the most +foolish thing in the world.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="XI" id="XI"></a>XI</h2> + +<h3>GRANDFATHER FROG'S JOURNEY</h3> + + +<p>Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily-pad in the Smiling Pool +and—Grandfather Frog was asleep! There was no doubt about it, +Grandfather Frog was really and truly asleep. His hands were folded +across his white and yellow waistcoat and his eyes were closed. Three +times the Merry Little Breezes blew a foolish green fly right past his +nose;—Grandfather Frog didn't so much as blink.</p> + +<p>Presently Billy Mink discovered that Grandfather Frog was asleep. +Billy's little black eyes twinkled with mischief as he hurried over to +the slippery slide in search of Little Joe Otter. Then the two scamps +hunted up Jerry Muskrat. They found him very busy storing away a supply +of food in his new house. At first Jerry refused to listen to what they +had to say, but the more they talked the more Jerry became interested.</p> + +<p>"We won't hurt Grandfather Frog, not the least little bit," protested +Billy Mink. "It will be just the best joke and the greatest fun ever, +and no harm done."</p> + +<p>The more Jerry thought over Billy Mink's plan, the funnier the joke +seemed. Finally Jerry agreed to join Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter. +Then the three put their heads together and with a lot of giggling and +chuckling they planned their joke on Grandfather Frog.</p> + +<p>Now Jerry Muskrat can stay a very long time under water, and his teeth +are long and sharp in order to cut the roots on which he depends for +much of his food. So Jerry swam out to the big green lily-pad on which +sat Grandfather Frog fast asleep. Diving way to the bottom of the +Smiling Pool, Jerry cut off the stem of the big green lily-pad close to +its root way down in the mud.</p> + +<p>While Jerry was at work doing this, Billy Mink sent the Merry Little +Breezes hurrying over the Green Meadows to call all the little meadow +people to the Smiling Pool. Then, when Jerry Muskrat came up for a +breath of air, Billy Mink dived down and, getting hold of the end of the +lily-pad stem, he began to swim, towing the big green lily-pad after him +very slowly and gently so as not to waken Grandfather Frog. When Billy +had to come up for air, Little Joe Otter took his place. Then Jerry +Muskrat took his turn.</p> + +<p>Across the Smiling Pool, past the Big Rock, they towed the big green +lily-pad, while Grandfather Frog slept peacefully, his hands folded +over his white and yellow waistcoat. Past the bulrushes and Jerry +Muskrat's new house, past Little Joe Otter's slippery slide sailed +Grandfather Frog, and still he slept and dreamed of the days when the +world was young.</p> + +<p>Out of the Smiling Pool and into the Laughing Brook, where the brown +water flows smoothly, the three little swimmers towed the big green +lily-pad. It floated along of itself now, and all they had to do was to +steer it clear of rocks and old logs. Once it almost got away from them, +on the edge of a tiny waterfall, but all three pulling together towed it +out of danger. At last, in a dear little pool with a mossy green bank, +they anchored the big green lily-pad.</p> + +<p>Then Billy Mink hurried back to the Smiling Pool to tell the little +meadow people where to find Grandfather Frog. Little Joe Otter climbed +out on the mossy green bank and Jerry Muskrat joined him there to rest +and dry off. One by one the little meadow people came hurrying up. Reddy +Fox was the first. Then came Johnny Chuck and Striped Chipmunk. Of +course Peter Rabbit was on hand. You can always count Peter in, when +there is anything going on among the little meadow people. Danny Meadow +Mouse and Happy Jack Squirrel arrived quite out of breath. Sammy Jay and +Blacky the Crow were not far behind. Last of all came Jimmy Skunk, who +never hurries.</p> + +<p>Each in turn peeped over the edge of the mossy green bank to see +Grandfather Frog still sleeping peacefully on his big green lily-pad in +the dear little pool. Then all hid where they could see him when he +awoke, but where he could not see them.</p> + +<p>Presently Billy Mink reached out with a long straw and tickled +Grandfather Frog on the end of his nose. Grandfather Frog opened his +eyes and yawned sleepily. Right over his head he saw jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun smiling down on him just as he last saw him before falling +asleep. He yawned again and then looked to see if Billy Mink was sitting +on the Big Rock.</p> + +<p>Where was the Big Rock? Grandfather Frog sat up very suddenly and rubbed +his eyes. There wasn't any Big Rock! Grandfather Frog pinched himself to +make sure that he was awake. Then he rubbed his eyes again and looked +down at the big green lily-pad. Yes, that was his, the very same +lily-pad on which he sat every day.</p> + +<p>Grandfather Frog was more perplexed than ever. Slowly he looked around. +Where were the slippery slide and Jerry Muskrat's new house? Where were +the bulrushes and where—where was the <i>Smiling Pool</i>? Grandfather +Frog's jaw dropped as he looked about him. His own big green lily-pad +was the only lily-pad in sight. Had the world turned topsy-turvy while +he slept?</p> + +<p>"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "This is very strange, very +strange, indeed!"</p> + +<p>Then he turned around three times and pinched himself again. "Very +strange, very strange, indeed," muttered Grandfather Frog over and over +again. He scratched his head first with one hand and then with the +other, and the more he scratched the stranger it all seemed.</p> + +<p>Just then he heard a giggle up on the mossy green bank. Grandfather Frog +whirled around. "Chug-a-rum!" he exclaimed. "Billy Mink, come out from +behind that tall grass and tell me where I am and what this means! I +might have known that you were at the bottom of it."</p> + +<p>Then out jumped all the little meadow people and the Merry Little +Breezes to shout and laugh and dance and roll over and over on the mossy +green bank. Grandfather Frog looked at one and then at another and +gradually he began to smile. Pretty soon he was laughing as hard as any +of them, as Billy Mink told how they had towed him down to the dear +little pool.</p> + +<p>"And now, Grandfather Frog, we'll take you home again," concluded Billy +Mink.</p> + +<p>So, as before, Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat took +turns towing the big green lily-pad, while in the middle of it sat +Grandfather Frog, catching foolish green flies which the Merry Little +Breezes blew over to him.</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox, Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, Danny Meadow Mouse, Striped +Chipmunk, Happy Jack Squirrel and Jimmy Skunk raced and capered along +the bank and shouted encouragement to the three little swimmers, while +over-head flew Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow. And, never once losing his +balance, Grandfather Frog sat on the big green lily-pad, enjoying his +strange ride and smacking his lips over the foolish green flies.</p> + +<p>And so they came once more to the Smiling Pool, past the slippery slide, +past the bulrushes and Jerry Muskrat's new house and the Big Rock, until +Grandfather Frog and his queer craft were once more anchored safe and +sound in the old familiar place.</p> + +<p>"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "I think I'd like to go again."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="XII" id="XII"></a>XII</h2> + +<h3>WHY BLACKY THE CROW WEARS MOURNING</h3> + + +<p>Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily-pad in the Smiling Pool. +Grandfather Frog felt very good that morning, very good indeed, +because—why, because his white and yellow waistcoat was full of foolish +green flies. It is doubtful, very, very doubtful if Grandfather Frog +could have swallowed another foolish green fly to save his life. So he +sat with his hands folded across his white and yellow waistcoat, and +into his eyes, his great goggly eyes, there crept a far, far, far away +look. Grandfather Frog was dreaming of the days when the world was young +and the frogs ruled the world.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind came over +to the Smiling Pool to rock Mrs. Redwing's babies to sleep in their +cradle in the bulrushes. But when they saw Grandfather Frog they forgot +all about Mrs. Redwing and her babies.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Grandfather Frog!" they shouted.</p> + +<p>Grandfather Frog awoke from his dream with a funny little jump.</p> + +<p>"Goodness, how you startled me!" said Grandfather Frog, smoothing down +his white and yellow waistcoat.</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breezes giggled. "We didn't mean to, truly we didn't," +said the merriest one of all. "We just wanted to know how you do this +fine morning, and—and—"</p> + +<p>"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog, "you want me to tell you a story."</p> + +<p>The Merry Little Breezes giggled again. "How did you ever guess it?" +they cried. "It must be because you are so very, very wise. Will you +tell us a story, Grandfather Frog? Will you please?"</p> + +<p>Grandfather Frog looked up and winked one big, goggly eye at jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun, who was smiling down from the blue sky. Then he sat +still so long that the Merry Little Breezes began to fear that +Grandfather Frog was out of sorts and that there would be no story that +morning. They fidgeted about among the bulrushes and danced back and +forth across the lily-pads. They had even begun to think again of Mrs. +Redwing's babies.</p> + +<p>"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog suddenly. "What shall I tell you +about?"</p> + +<p>Just then a black shadow swept across the Smiling Pool. "Caw, caw, caw, +caw!" shouted Blacky the Crow noisily, as he flew over toward Farmer +Brown's cornfield.</p> + +<p>"Tell us why Blacky the Crow always wears a coat of black, as if he were +in mourning," shouted the Merry Little Breezes.</p> + +<p>Grandfather Frog watched Blacky disappear behind the Lone Pine. Then, +when the Merry Little Breezes had settled down, each in the golden heart +of a white water-lily, he began:</p> + +<p>"Once upon a time, when the world was young, old Mr. Crow, the +grandfather a thousand times removed of Blacky, whom you all know, lived +in the Green Forest on the edge of the Green Meadows, just as Blacky +does now, and with him lived his brothers and sisters, his uncles and +aunts, his cousins and all his poor relations.</p> + +<p>"Now Mr. Crow was very smart. Indeed, he was the smartest of all the +birds. There wasn't anything that old Mr. Crow couldn't do or didn't +know. At least he thought there wasn't. All the little meadow people and +forest folks began to think so, too, and one after another they got in +the habit of coming to him for advice, until pretty soon they were +bringing all their affairs to Mr. Crow for settlement.</p> + +<p>"Now for a while Mr. Crow showed great wisdom, and this so pleased Old +Mother Nature that she gave him a suit of pure, dazzling white, so that +all seeing him might look up to him as a shining example of wisdom and +virtue. Of course all his brothers and sisters, his uncles and aunts, +his cousins and all his poor relations at once put on white, that all +might know that they were of Mr. Crow's family. And of course every one +showed them the greatest attention out of respect to old Mr. Crow, so +that presently they began to hold their heads very high and to think +that because they were related to old Mr. Crow they were a little better +than any of the other little meadow people and forest folks. When they +met old Mr. Rabbit they would pretend not to see him, because he wore a +white patch on the seat of his trousers. When old Mr. Woodchuck said +'good morning,' they would pretend not to hear, for you know Mr. +Woodchuck wore a suit of dingy yellow and lived in a hole in the ground. +Old Mr. Toad was ugly to look upon. Besides, he worked for his living in +a garden. So when they happened to meet him on the road they always +turned their backs.</p> + +<p>"For a long time old Mr. Crow himself continued to be a very fine +gentleman and to hold the respect of all his neighbors. He was polite to +every one, and to all who came to him he freely gave of his advice as +wisely as he knew how. Of course it wasn't long before he knew all about +his neighbors and their private affairs. Now it isn't safe to know too +much about your neighbors and what they are doing. It is dangerous +knowledge, very dangerous knowledge indeed," said Grandfather Frog +solemnly.</p> + +<p>"To be sure it would have been safe enough," he continued, "if Mr. Crow +had kept it to himself. But after a while Mr. Crow became vain. Yes, +Sir, that is just what happened to old Mr. Crow—he became vain. He +liked to feel that all the little meadow people and forest folks looked +up to him with respect, and whenever he saw one of them coming he would +brush his white coat, swell himself up and look very important. After a +while he began to brag among his relatives of how much he knew about his +neighbors. Of course they were very much interested, very much +interested indeed, and this flattered Mr. Crow so that almost before he +knew it he was telling some of the private affairs which had been +brought to him for his advice. Oh, dear me, Mr. Crow began to gossip.</p> + +<p>"Now, gossiping is one of the worst habits in all the world, one of the +very worst. No good ever comes of it. It just makes trouble, trouble, +trouble. It was so now. Mr. Crow's relatives repeated the stories that +they heard. But they took great care that no one should know where they +came from. My, my, my, how trouble did spread on the Green Meadows and +in the Green Forest! No one suspected old Mr. Crow, so he was more in +demand than ever to straighten matters out. His neighbors came to him so +much that they began to be ashamed to ask his advice for nothing, so +they brought him presents so that no more need Mr. Crow hunt for things +to eat. Instead, he lived on the fat of the land without working, and +grew fat and lazy.</p> + +<p>"As I have told you, Mr. Crow was smart. Yes, indeed, he certainly was +smart. It did not take him long to see that the more trouble there was +among his neighbors the more they would need his advice, and the more +they needed his advice the more presents he would receive. He grew very +crafty. He would tell tales just to make trouble, and sometimes, when he +saw a chance, he would give advice that he knew would make more trouble. +The fact is, old Mr. Crow became a mischief-maker, the very worst kind +of a mischief-maker. And all the time he appeared to be the fine +gentleman that he used to be. He wore his fine white coat as proudly as +ever.</p> + +<p>"Matters grew worse and worse. Never had there been so much trouble on +the Green Meadows or so many quarrels in the Green Forest. Old Mr. Mink +never met old Mr. Otter without picking a fight. Old Mrs. Skunk wouldn't +speak to old Mrs. Coon. Old Mr. Chipmunk turned his back on his cousin, +old Mr. Red Squirrel, whenever their paths crossed. Even my grandfather +a thousand times removed, old Mr. Frog, refused to see his nearest +relative, old Mr. Toad. And all the time old Mr. Crow wore his beautiful +suit of white and grew rich and fat, chuckling to himself over his +ill-gotten wealth.</p> + +<p>"Then one day came Old Mother Nature to visit the Green Meadows. It +didn't take her long to find that something was wrong, very wrong +indeed. Old Mr. Crow and all his relatives hastened to pay their +respects and to tell her how much they appreciated their beautiful +white suits. Old Mr. Crow made a full report of all the troubles that +had been brought to him, but he took great care not to let her know that +he had had any part in making trouble. He looked very innocent, oh, +very, very innocent, but not once did he look her straight in the face.</p> + +<p>"Now the eyes of Old Mother Nature are wonderfully sharp and they seemed +to bore right through old Mr. Crow. You can't fool Old Mother Nature. +No, Sir, you can't fool Old Mother Nature, and it's of no use to try. +She listened to all that Mr. Crow had to say. Then she sent Mr. North +Wind to blow his great trumpet and call together all the little people +of the Green Meadows and all the little folks of the Green Forest.</p> + +<p>"When they had all come together she told them all that had happened. +She told just how Mr. Crow had started the stories in order to make +trouble so that they would seek his advice and bring him presents to pay +for it. When the neighbors of old Mr. Crow heard this they were very +angry, and they demanded of Old Mother Nature that Mr. Crow be punished.</p> + +<p>"'Look!' said Old Mother Nature, pointing at old Mr. Crow. 'He has been +punished already.'</p> + +<p>"Every one turned to look at Mr. Crow. At first they hardly knew him. +Instead of his suit of spotless white his clothes were black, as black +as the blackest night. So were the clothes of his uncles and aunts, his +brothers and sisters, his cousins and all his poor relations.</p> + +<p>"And ever since that long-ago day, when the world was young, the Crows +have been mischief-makers and have worn black, that all who look may +know that they bring nothing but trouble," concluded Grandfather Frog.</p> + +<p>"Thank you! Thank you, Grandfather Frog," shouted the Merry Little +Breezes, jumping up to go rock the Redwing babies.</p> + +<p>"Caw, caw, caw, caw!" shouted Blacky the Crow, flying over their heads +with a mouthful of corn he had stolen from Farmer Brown's cornfield.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="XIII" id="XIII"></a>XIII</h2> + +<h3>STRIPED CHIPMUNK FOOLS PETER RABBIT</h3> + + +<p>Peter Rabbit sat at the top of the Crooked Little Path where it starts +down the hill. He was sitting there when jolly, round, red Mr. Sun threw +his nightcap off and began his daily climb up into the blue, blue sky. +He saw Old Mother West Wind hurry down from the Purple Hills and turn +her Merry Little Breezes out to play on the Green Meadows.</p> + +<p>Peter yawned. The fact is, Peter had been out nearly all night, and now +he didn't know just what to do with himself. Presently he saw Striped +Chipmunk whisk up on top of an old log. As usual the pockets in Striped +Chipmunk's cheeks were stuffed so full that his head looked to be twice +as big as it really is, and as usual he seemed to be very busy, very +busy indeed. He stopped just long enough to wink one of his saucy black +eyes and shout: "Good morning, Peter Rabbit!"</p> + +<p>Then he disappeared as suddenly as he had come. A few minutes later he +was back on the old log, but this time his cheeks were empty.</p> + +<p>"Fine day, Peter Rabbit," said Striped Chipmunk, and whisked out of +sight.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit yawned again. Then he closed his eyes for just a minute. +When he opened them there was Striped Chipmunk on the old log just as +before, and the pockets in both cheeks were so full that it seemed as if +they would burst.</p> + +<p>"Nice morning to work, Peter Rabbit," said Striped Chipmunk, in spite of +his full cheeks. Then he was gone.</p> + +<p>Once more Peter Rabbit closed his eyes, but hardly were they shut when +Striped Chipmunk shouted:</p> + +<p>"Oh, you Peter Rabbit, been out all night?"</p> + +<p>Peter snapped his eyes open just in time to see the funny little tail of +Striped Chipmunk vanish over the side of the old log. Peter scratched +one of his long ears and yawned again, for Peter was growing more and +more sleepy. It was a long yawn, but Peter cut it off right in the +middle, for there was Striped Chipmunk back on the old log, and both +pockets in his cheeks were stuffed full.</p> + +<p>Now Peter Rabbit is as curious as he is lazy, and you know he is very, +very lazy. The fact is, Peter Rabbit's curiosity is his greatest fault, +and it gets him into a great deal of trouble. It is because of this and +the bad, bad habit of meddling in the affairs of other people into +which it has led him that Peter Rabbit has such long ears.</p> + +<p>For a while Peter watched busy Striped Chipmunk. Then he began to wonder +what Striped Chipmunk could be doing. The more he wondered the more he +felt that he really must know. The next time Striped Chipmunk appeared +on the old log, Peter shouted to him.</p> + +<p>"Hi, Striped Chipmunk, what are you so busy about? Why don't you play a +little?"</p> + +<p>Striped Chipmunk stopped a minute. "I'm building a new house," said he.</p> + +<p>"Where?" asked Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"That's telling," replied Striped Chipmunk, and whisked out of sight.</p> + +<p>Now Peter Rabbit knew where Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk and Bobby Coon and +Happy Jack Squirrel and Johnny Chuck and Danny Meadow Mouse lived. He +knew all the little paths leading to their homes. But he did not know +where Striped Chipmunk lived. He never had known. He thought of this as +he watched Striped Chipmunk hurrying back and forth. The more he thought +of it the more curious he grew. He really <i>must</i> know. Pretty soon along +came Jimmy Skunk, looking for some beetles.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Jimmy Skunk," said Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Peter Rabbit," said Jimmy Skunk.</p> + +<p>"Do you know where Striped Chipmunk lives?" asked Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"No, I don't know where Striped Chipmunk lives, and I don't care; it's +none of my business," replied Jimmy Skunk. "Have you seen any beetles +this morning?"</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit hadn't seen any beetles, so Jimmy Skunk went on down the +Crooked Little Path, still looking for his breakfast.</p> + +<p>By and by along came Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Johnny Chuck!" said Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Hello, yourself!" said Johnny Chuck.</p> + +<p>"Do you know where Striped Chipmunk lives?" asked Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"No, I don't, for it's none of my business," said Johnny Chuck, and +started on down the Crooked Little Path to the Green Meadows.</p> + +<p>Then along came Bobby Coon.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Bobby Coon!" said Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Hello!" replied Bobby Coon shortly, for he too had been out all night +and was very sleepy.</p> + +<p>"Do you know where Striped Chipmunk lives?" asked Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Don't know and don't want to; it's none of my business," said Bobby +Coon even more shortly than before, and started on for his hollow +chestnut tree to sleep the long, bright day away.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit could stand it no longer. Curiosity had driven away all +desire to sleep. He simply had to know where Striped Chipmunk lived.</p> + +<p>"I'll just follow Striped Chipmunk and see for myself where he lives," +said Peter to himself.</p> + +<p>So Peter Rabbit hid behind a tuft of grass close by the old log and sat +very, very still. It was a very good place to hide, a very good place. +Probably if Peter Rabbit had not been so brimming over with curiosity he +would have succeeded in escaping the sharp eyes of Striped Chipmunk. But +people full of curiosity are forever pricking up their ears to hear +things which do not in the least concern them. It was so with Peter +Rabbit. He was so afraid that he would miss something that both his +long ears were standing up straight, and they came above the grass +behind which Peter Rabbit was hiding.</p> + +<p>Of course Striped Chipmunk saw them the very instant he jumped up on the +old log with both pockets in his cheeks stuffed full. He didn't say a +word, but his sharp little eyes twinkled as he jumped off the end of the +old log and scurried along under the bushes, for he guessed what Peter +Rabbit was hiding for, and though he did not once turn his head he knew +that Peter was following him. You see Peter runs with big jumps, +lipperty-lipperty-lip, and people who jump must make a noise.</p> + +<p>So, though he tried very hard not to make a sound, Peter was in such a +hurry to keep Striped Chipmunk in sight that he really made a great deal +of noise. The more noise Peter made, the more Striped Chipmunk chuckled +to himself.</p> + +<p>Presently Striped Chipmunk stopped. Then he sat up very straight and +looked this way and looked that way, just as if trying to make sure that +no one was watching him. Then he emptied two pocketfuls of shining +yellow gravel on to a nice new mound which he was building. Once more he +sat up and looked this way and looked that way. Then he scuttled back +towards the old log. As he ran Striped Chipmunk chuckled and chuckled to +himself, for all the time he had seen Peter Rabbit lying flat down +behind a little bush and knew that Peter Rabbit was thinking to himself +how smart he had been to find Striped Chipmunk's home when no one else +knew where it was.</p> + +<p>No sooner was Striped Chipmunk out of sight than up jumped Peter Rabbit. +He smiled to himself as he hurried over to the shining mound of yellow +gravel. You see Peter's curiosity was so great that not once did he +think how mean he was to spy on Striped Chipmunk.</p> + +<p>"Now," thought Peter, "I know where Striped Chipmunk lives. Jimmy Skunk +doesn't know. Johnny Chuck doesn't know. Bobby Coon doesn't know. But +<i>I</i> know. Striped Chipmunk may fool all the others, but he can't fool +me."</p> + +<p>By this time Peter Rabbit had reached the shining mound of yellow +gravel. At once he began to hunt for the doorway to Striped Chipmunk's +home. But there wasn't any doorway. No, Sir, there wasn't any doorway! +Look as he would, Peter Rabbit could not find the least sign of a +doorway. He walked 'round and 'round the mound and looked here and +looked there, but not the least sign of a door was to be seen. There +was nothing but the shining mound of yellow gravel, the green grass, the +green bushes and the blue, blue sky, with jolly, round, red Mr. Sun +looking down and laughing at him.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit sat down on Striped Chipmunk's shining mound of yellow +gravel and scratched his left ear with his left hindfoot. Then he +scratched his right ear with his right hindfoot. It was very perplexing. +Indeed, it was so perplexing that Peter quite forgot that Striped +Chipmunk would soon be coming back. Suddenly right behind Peter's back +Striped Chipmunk spoke.</p> + +<p>"How do you like my sand pile, Peter Rabbit? Don't you think it is a +pretty nice sand pile?" asked Striped Chipmunk politely. And all the +time he was chuckling away to himself.</p> + +<p>Peter was so surprised that he very nearly fell backward off the +shining mound of yellow gravel. For a minute he didn't know what to +say. Then he found his tongue.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="illus5" id="illus5"></a> +<img src="images/illus5.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<h3>Peter was so surprised that he nearly fell backward.</h3> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p>"Oh," said Peter Rabbit, apparently in the greatest surprise, "is this +your sand pile, Striped Chipmunk? It's a very nice sand pile indeed. Is +this where you live?"</p> + +<p>Striped Chipmunk shook his head. "No, oh, my, no!" said he. "I wouldn't +think of living in such an exposed place! My goodness, no indeed! +Everybody knows where this is. I'm building a new home, you know, and of +course I don't want the gravel to clutter up my dooryard. So I've +brought it all here. Makes a nice sand pile, doesn't it? You are very +welcome to sit on my sand pile whenever you feel like it, Peter Rabbit. +It's a good place to take a sun bath; I hope you'll come often."</p> + +<p>All the time Striped Chipmunk was saying this his sharp little eyes +twinkled with mischief and he chuckled softly to himself.</p> + +<p>Peter Rabbit was more curious than ever. "Where is your new home, +Striped Chipmunk?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Not far from here; come call on me," said Striped Chipmunk.</p> + +<p>Then with a jerk of his funny little tail he was gone. It seemed as if +the earth must have swallowed him up. Striped Chipmunk can move very +quickly, and he had whisked out of sight in the bushes before Peter +Rabbit could turn his head to watch him.</p> + +<p>Peter looked behind every bush and under every stone, but nowhere could +he find Striped Chipmunk or a sign of Striped Chipmunk's home, excepting +the shining mound of yellow gravel. At last Peter pushed his inquisitive +nose right into the doorway of Bumble the Bee. Now Bumble the Bee +happened to be at home, and being very short of temper, he thrust a +sharp little needle into the inquisitive nose of Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh! oh! oh!" shrieked Peter, clapping both hands to his nose, and +started off home as fast as he could go.</p> + +<p>And though he didn't know it and doesn't know it to this day, he went +right across the doorstep of Striped Chipmunk's home. So Peter still +wonders and wonders where Striped Chipmunk lives, and no one can tell +him, not even the Merry Little Breezes. You see there is not even a sign +of a path leading to his doorway, for Striped Chipmunk never goes or +comes twice the same way. His doorway is very small, just large enough +for him to squeeze through, and it is so hidden in the grass that often +the Merry Little Breezes skip right over it without seeing it.</p> + +<p>Every grain of sand and gravel from the fine long halls and snug +chambers Striped Chipmunk has built underground he has carefully carried +in the pockets in his cheeks to the shining mound of yellow gravel found +by Peter Rabbit. Not so much as a grain is dropped on his doorstep to +let his secret out.</p> + +<p>So in and out among the little meadow people skips Striped Chipmunk all +the long day, and not one has found out where he lives. But no one +really cares excepting Peter Rabbit, who is still curious.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="XIV" id="XIV"></a>XIV</h2> + +<h3>JERRY MUSKRAT'S NEW HOUSE</h3> + + +<p>Jerry Muskrat wouldn't play. Billy Mink had tried to get him to. Little +Joe Otter had tried to get him to. The Merry Little Breezes had tried to +get him to. It was of no use, no use at all. Jerry Muskrat wouldn't +play.</p> + +<p>"Come on, Jerry, come on play with us," they begged all together.</p> + +<p>But Jerry shook his head. "Can't," said he.</p> + +<p>"Why not? Won't your mother let you?" demanded Billy Mink, making a long +dive into the Smiling Pool. He was up again in time to hear Jerry +reply:</p> + +<p>"Yes, my mother will let me. It isn't that. It's because we are going to +have a long winter and a cold winter and I must prepare for it."</p> + +<p>Every one laughed, every one except Grandfather Frog, who sat on his big +green lily-pad watching for foolish green flies.</p> + +<p>"Pooh!" exclaimed Little Joe Otter. "A lot you know about it, Jerry +Muskrat! Ho, ho, ho! A lot you know about it! Are you clerk of the +weather? It is only fall now—what can you know about what the winter +will be? Oh come, Jerry Muskrat, don't pretend to be so wise. I can swim +twice across the Smiling Pool while you are swimming across once—come +on!"</p> + +<p>Jerry Muskrat shook his head. "Haven't time," said he. "I tell you we +are going to have a long winter and a hard winter, and I've got to +prepare for it. When it comes you'll remember what I have told you."</p> + +<p>Little Joe Otter made a wry face and slid down his slippery slide, +splash into the Smiling Pool, throwing water all over Jerry Muskrat, who +was sitting on the end of a log close by. Jerry shook the water from his +coat, which is water-proof, you know. Everybody laughed, that is, +everybody but Grandfather Frog. He did not even smile.</p> + +<p>"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog, who is very wise. "Jerry Muskrat +knows. If Jerry says that we are going to have a long cold winter you +may be sure that he knows what he is talking about."</p> + +<p>Billy Mink turned a back somersault into the Smiling Pool so close to +the big green lily-pad on which Grandfather Frog sat that the waves +almost threw Grandfather Frog into the water.</p> + +<p>"Pooh," said Billy Mink, "how can Jerry Muskrat know anything more about +it than we do?"</p> + +<p>Grandfather Frog looked at Billy Mink severely. He does not like Billy +Mink, who has been known to gobble up some of Grandfather Frog's +children when he thought that no one was looking.</p> + +<p>"Old Mother Nature was here and told him," said Grandfather Frog +gruffly.</p> + +<p>"Oh!" exclaimed Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter together. "That's +different," and they looked at Jerry Muskrat with greater respect.</p> + +<p>"How are you going to prepare for the long cold winter, Jerry Muskrat?" +asked one of the Merry Little Breezes.</p> + +<p>"I'm going to build a house, a big, warm house," replied Jerry Muskrat, +"and I'm going to begin right now."</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="illus6" id="illus6"></a> +<img src="images/illus6.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<h3>"I'm going, to build a house," replied Jerry Muskrat.</h3> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p>Splash! Jerry had disappeared into the Smiling Pool. Presently, over on +the far side where the water was shallow, it began to bubble and boil +as if a great fuss was going on underneath the surface. Jerry Muskrat +had begun work. The water grew muddy, very muddy indeed, so muddy that +Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink climbed out on the Big Rock in disgust. +When finally Jerry Muskrat swam out to rest on the end of a log they +shouted to him angrily.</p> + +<p>"Hi, Jerry Muskrat, you're spoiling our swimming water! What are you +doing anyway?"</p> + +<p>"I'm digging for the foundations for my new house, and it isn't your +water any more than it's mine," replied Jerry Muskrat, drawing a long +breath before he disappeared under water again.</p> + +<p>The water grew muddier and muddier, until even Grandfather Frog began to +look annoyed. Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter started off up the +Laughing Brook, where the water was clear. The Merry Little Breezes +danced away across the Green Meadows to play with Johnny Chuck, and +Grandfather Frog settled himself comfortably on his big green lily-pad +to dream of the days when the world was young and the frogs ruled the +world.</p> + +<p>But Jerry Muskrat worked steadily, digging and piling sods in a circle +for the foundation of his house. In the center he dug out a chamber from +which he planned a long tunnel to his secret burrow far away in the +bank, and another to the deepest part of the Smiling Pool, where even in +the coldest weather the water would not freeze to the bottom as it would +do in the shallow places.</p> + +<p>All day long while Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and the Merry Little +Breezes and Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit and Danny Meadow Mouse and all +the other little meadow people were playing or lazily taking sun naps, +Jerry Muskrat worked steadily. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, looking down +from the blue, blue sky, smiled to see how industrious the little fellow +was. That evening, when Old Mother West Wind hurried across the Green +Meadows on her way to her home behind the Purple Hills, she found Jerry +Muskrat sitting on the end of a log eating his supper of fresh-water +clams. Showing just above the water on the edge of the Smiling Pool was +the foundation of Jerry Muskrat's new house.</p> + +<p>The next morning Jerry was up and at work even before Old Mother West +Wind, who is a very early riser, came down from the Purple Hills. Of +course every one was interested to see how the new house was coming +along and to offer advice.</p> + +<p>"Are you going to build it all of mud?" asked one of the Merry Little +Breezes.</p> + +<p>"No," said Jerry Muskrat, "I'm going to use green alder twigs and willow +shoots and bulrush stalks. It's going to be two stories high, with a +room down deep under water and another room up above with a beautiful +bed of grass and soft moss."</p> + +<p>"That will be splendid!" cried the Merry Little Breezes.</p> + +<p>Then one of them had an idea. He whispered to the other Little Breezes. +They all giggled and clapped their hands. Then they hurried off to find +Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter. They even hunted up Johnny Chuck and +Peter Rabbit and Danny Meadow Mouse.</p> + +<p>Jerry Muskrat was so busy that he paid no attention to any one or +anything else. He was attending strictly to the business of building a +house that would keep him warm and comfortable when the long cold winter +should freeze up tight the Smiling Pool.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon he was ready for some green twigs to use in the walls of the +new house. He swam across the Smiling Pool to the Laughing Brook, where +the alders grow, to cut the green twigs which he needed. What do you +think he found when he got there? Why, the nicest little pile of green +twigs, all cut ready to use, and Johnny Chuck cutting more.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Jerry Muskrat," said Johnny Chuck. "I've cut all these green +twigs for your new house. I hope you can use them."</p> + +<p>Jerry was so surprised that he hardly knew what to say. He thanked +Johnny Chuck, and with the bundle of green twigs swam back to his new +house. When he had used the last one he swam across to the bulrushes on +the edge of the Smiling Pool.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Jerry Muskrat," said some one almost hidden by a big pile +of bulrushes, all nicely cut. "I want to help build the new house."</p> + +<p>It was Danny Meadow Mouse.</p> + +<p>Jerry Muskrat was more surprised than ever. "Oh, thank you, Danny Meadow +Mouse, thank you!" he said, and pushing the pile of bulrushes before him +he swam back to his new house.</p> + +<p>When he had used the rushes, Jerry wanted some young willow shoots, so +he started for the place where the willows grow. Before he reached them +he heard some one shouting:</p> + +<p>"Hi, Jerry Muskrat! See the pile of willow shoots I've cut for your new +house." It was Peter Rabbit, who is never known to work.</p> + +<p>Jerry Muskrat was more surprised than ever and so pleased that all he +could say was, "Thank you, thank you, Peter Rabbit!"</p> + +<p>Back to the new house he swam with the pile of young willow shoots. When +he had placed them to suit him he sat up on the walls of his house to +rest. He looked across the Smiling Pool. Then he rubbed his eyes and +looked again. Could it be—yes, it certainly was a bundle of green alder +twigs floating straight across the Smiling Pool towards the new house! +When they got close to him Jerry spied a sharp little black nose pushing +them along, and back of the little black nose twinkled two little black +eyes.</p> + +<p>"What are you doing with those alder twigs, Billy Mink?" cried Jerry.</p> + +<p>"Bringing them for your new house," shouted Billy Mink, popping out from +behind the bundle of alder twigs.</p> + +<p>And that was the beginning of the busiest day that the Smiling Pool had +ever known. Billy Mink brought more alder twigs and willow shoots and +bulrushes as fast as Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit and Danny Meadow +Mouse could cut them. Little Joe Otter brought sods and mud to hold them +in place.</p> + +<p>Thick and high grew the walls of the new house. In the upper part Jerry +built the nicest little room, and lined it with grass and soft moss, so +that he could sleep warm and comfortable through the long cold winter. +Over all he built a strong, thick roof beautifully rounded.</p> + +<p>An hour before it was time for Old Mother West Wind to come for the +Merry Little Breezes, Jerry Muskrat's new house was finished. Then such +a frolic as there was in and around the Smiling Pool! Little Joe Otter +made a new slippery slide down one side of the roof. Billy Mink said +that the new house was better to dive off of than the Big Rock. Then the +two of them, with Jerry Muskrat, cut up all sorts of monkey-shines in +the water, while Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, Danny Meadow Mouse and the +Merry Little Breezes danced on the shore and shouted themselves hoarse.</p> + +<p>When at last jolly, round, red Mr. Sun went to bed behind the Purple +Hills, and the black shadows crept ever so softly out across the Smiling +Pool, Jerry Muskrat sat on the roof of his house eating his supper of +fresh-water clams. He was very tired, was Jerry Muskrat, very tired +indeed, but he was very happy, for now he had no fear of the long cold +winter. Best of all his heart was full of love—love for his little +playmates of the Smiling Pool and the Green Meadows.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="XV" id="XV"></a>XV</h2> + +<h3>PETER RABBIT'S BIG COUSIN</h3> + + +<p>Jumper the Hare had come down out of the Great Woods to the Green +Meadows. He is first cousin to Peter Rabbit, you know, and he looks just +like Peter, only he is twice as big. His legs are twice as long and he +can jump twice as far.</p> + +<p>All the little meadow people were very polite to Jumper the Hare, all +but Reddy Fox, who is never polite to any one unless he has a favor to +ask. Peter Rabbit was very proud of his big cousin, very proud indeed. +He showed Jumper the Hare all the secret paths in the Green Forest and +across the Green Meadows. He took him to the Smiling Pool and the +Laughing Brook, and everywhere Jumper the Hare was met with the greatest +politeness.</p> + +<p>But Jumper the Hare was timid, oh, very timid indeed. Every few jumps he +sat up very straight to look this way and look that way, and to listen +with his long ears. He jumped nervously at the least little noise. Yes, +Sir, Jumper the Hare certainly was very timid.</p> + +<p>"He's a coward!" sneered Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>And Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and Jimmy Skunk, even Johnny Chuck, +seeing Jumper the Hare duck and dodge at the shadow of Blacky the Crow, +agreed with Reddy Fox. Still, they were polite to him for the sake of +Peter Rabbit and because Jumper really was such a big, handsome fellow. +But behind his back they laughed at him. Even little Danny Meadow Mouse +laughed.</p> + +<p>Now it happens that Jumper the Hare had lived all his life in the Great +Woods, where Mr. Panther and Tufty the Lynx and fierce Mr. Fisher were +always hunting him, but where the shadows were deep and where there were +plenty of places to hide. Indeed, his whole life had been a game of hide +and seek, and always he had been the one sought. So on the Green +Meadows, where hiding places were few and far between, Jumper the Hare +was nervous.</p> + +<p>But the little meadow people, not knowing this, thought him a coward, +and while they were polite to him they had little to do with him, for no +one really likes a coward. Peter Rabbit, however, could see no fault in +his big cousin. He showed him where Farmer Brown's tender young carrots +grow, and the shortest way to the cabbage patch. He made him acquainted +with all his own secret hiding places in the old brier patch.</p> + +<p>Then one bright sunny morning something happened. Johnny Chuck saw it. +Jimmy Skunk saw it. Happy Jack Squirrel saw it. Sammy Jay saw it. And +they told all the others.</p> + +<p>Very early that morning Reddy Fox had started out to hunt for his +breakfast. He was tiptoeing softly along the edge of the Green Forest +looking for wood mice when whom should he see but Peter Rabbit. Peter +was getting his breakfast in the sweet-clover bed, just beyond the old +brier patch.</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox squatted down behind a bush to watch. Peter Rabbit looked +plump and fat. Reddy Fox licked his chops. "Peter Rabbit would make a +better breakfast than wood mice, a very much better breakfast," said +Reddy Fox to himself. Beside, he owed Peter Rabbit a grudge. He had not +forgotten how Peter had tried to save his little brother from Reddy by +bringing up Bowser the Hound.</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox licked his chops again. He looked this way and he looked that +way, but he could see no one watching. Old Mother West Wind had gone +about her business. The Merry Little Breezes were over at the Smiling +Pool to pay their respects to Grandfather Frog. Even jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun was behind a cloud. From his hiding place Reddy could not see +Johnny Chuck or Jimmy Skunk or Happy Jack Squirrel or Sammy Jay. "No one +will know what becomes of Peter Rabbit," thought Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>Very cautiously Reddy Fox crept out from behind the bush into the tall +meadow grass. Flat on his stomach he crawled inch by inch. Every few +minutes he stopped to listen and to peep over at the sweet-clover bed. +There sat Peter Rabbit, eating, eating, eating the tender young clover +as if he hadn't a care in the world but to fill his little round +stomach.</p> + +<p>Nearer and nearer crawled Reddy Fox. Now he was almost near enough to +spring. "Thump, thump, thump!" The sound came from the brier patch.</p> + +<p>"Thump, thump!"</p> + +<p>This was Peter Rabbit hitting the ground with one of his hind feet. He +had stopped eating and was sitting up very straight.</p> + +<p>"Thump, thump, thump!" came the signal from the brier patch.</p> + +<p>"Thump, thump!" responded Peter Rabbit, and started to run.</p> + +<p>With a snarl Reddy Fox sprang after him. Then the thing happened. Reddy +Fox caught a glimpse of something going over him and at the same time +he received a blow that rolled him over and over in the grass.</p> + +<p>In an instant he was on his feet and had whirled about, his eyes yellow +with anger. There right in front of him sat Jumper the Hare. Reddy Fox +could hardly believe his own eyes! Could it be that Jumper the Hare, the +coward, had dared to strike him such a blow? Reddy forgot all about +Peter Rabbit. With a snarl he rushed at Jumper the Hare.</p> + +<p>Then it happened again. As light as a feather Jumper leaped over him, +and as he passed, those big hind legs, at which Reddy Fox had laughed, +came back with a kick that knocked all the breath out of Reddy Fox.</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox was furious. Twice more he sprang, and twice more he was sent +sprawling, with the breath knocked out of his body. That was enough. +Tucking his tail between his legs, Reddy Fox sneaked away towards the +Green Forest. As he ran he heard Peter Rabbit thumping in the old brier +patch.</p> + +<p>"I'm safe," signaled Peter Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Thump, thump, thump, thump! The coast is clear," replied Jumper the +Hare.</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox looked back from the edge of the Green Forest and gnashed his +teeth. Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare were rubbing noses and +contentedly eating tender young clover leaves.</p> + +<p>"Now who's the coward?" jeered Sammy Jay from the top of the Lone Pine.</p> + +<p>Reddy Fox said nothing, but slunk out of sight. Late that afternoon he +sat on the hill at the top of the Crooked Little Path, and looked down +on the Green Meadows. Over near the Smiling Pool were gathered all the +little meadow people having the jolliest time in the world. While he +watched they joined hands in a big circle and began to dance, Johnny +Chuck, Jimmy Skunk, Bobby Coon, Little Joe Otter, Billy Mink, Happy Jack +Squirrel, Striped Chipmunk, Danny Meadow Mouse, Peter Rabbit, Spotty the +Turtle, even Grandfather Frog and old Mr. Toad. And in the middle, +sitting very straight, was Jumper the Hare.</p> + +<p>And since that day Peter Rabbit has been prouder than ever of his big +cousin, Jumper the Hare, for now no one calls him a coward.</p> + + +<h3>THE END</h3> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<h2>BOOKS BY THORNTON W. BURGESS</h2> + +<p>BEDTIME STORY-BOOKS</p> + + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">1. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Reddy Fox</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">2. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Johnny Chuck</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">3. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Peter Cottontail</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">4. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">5. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Mr. Mocker</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">6. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Jerry Muskrat</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">7. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">8. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Grandfather Frog</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">9. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Chatterer, the Red Squirrel</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">10. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Sammy Jay</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">11. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Buster Bear</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">12. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">13. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Prickly Porky</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">14. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Old Man Coyote</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">15. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">16. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">17. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Bobby Coon</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">18. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">19. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Bob White</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">20. <span class="smcap">The Adventures of Ol' Mistah Buzzard</span><br /></span> +</div></div> +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>MOTHER WEST WIND SERIES</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">1. <span class="smcap">Old Mother West Wind</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">2. <span class="smcap">Mother West Wind's Children</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">3. <span class="smcap">Mother West Wind's Animal Friends</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">4. <span class="smcap">Mother West Wind's Neighbors</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">5. <span class="smcap">Mother West Wind "Why" Stories</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">6. <span class="smcap">Mother West Wind "How" Stories</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">7. <span class="smcap">Mother West Wind "When" Stories</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">8. <span class="smcap">Mother West Wind "Where" Stories</span><br /></span> +</div></div> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> +<p>GREEN MEADOW SERIES</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">1. <span class="smcap">Happy Jack</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">2. <span class="smcap">Mrs. Peter Rabbit</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">3. <span class="smcap">Bowser the Hound</span><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">4. <span class="smcap">Old Granny Fox</span><br /></span> +</div></div> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> +<p>THE BURGESS BIRD BOOK FOR CHILDREN</p> + +<p>THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN</p> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mother West Wind's Animal Friends, by +Thornton W. 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Burgess + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license + + +Title: Mother West Wind's Animal Friends + +Author: Thornton W. Burgess + +Illustrator: George Kerr + +Release Date: May 15, 2012 [EBook #39706] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS *** + + + + +Produced by K Nordquist, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + BURGESS TRADE QUADDIES MARK + + MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS + + BY THORNTON W. BURGESS + + Author of "Old Mother West Wind," and "Mother West Wind's Children" + + _Illustrated by George Kerr_ + + + BOSTON + LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY + 1920 + + _Copyright, 1912_, + BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY + + _All rights reserved_ + + * * * * * + + IN TENDER, LOVING, REVERENT MEMORY OF MY MOTHER, + WHO LOVED LITTLE CHILDREN AND WAS BELOVED + OF THEM, AND TO WHOM I OWE A DEBT + OF AFFECTION AND OF GRATITUDE + BEYOND MY POWER TO PAY + + * * * * * + + + +[Illustration: Suddenly he met Mr. Panther. FRONTISPIECE.] + + + + +CONTENTS + + +CHAPTER PAGE + +I. THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES SAVE THE GREEN MEADOWS 1 + +II. THE STRANGER IN THE GREEN FOREST 13 + +III. HOW PRICKLY PORKY GOT HIS QUILLS 29 + +IV. PETER RABBIT'S EGG ROLLING 47 + +V. HOW JOHNNY CHUCK RAN AWAY 63 + +VI. PETER RABBIT'S RUN FOR LIFE 77 + +VII. A JOKER FOOLED 93 + +VIII. THE FUSS IN THE BIG PINE 109 + +IX. JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS A USE FOR HIS BACK DOOR 123 + +X. BILLY MINK GOES DINNERLESS 135 + +XI. GRANDFATHER FROG'S JOURNEY 149 + +XII. WHY BLACKY THE CROW WEARS MOURNING 161 + +XIII. STRIPED CHIPMUNK FOOLS PETER RABBIT 177 + +XIV. JERRY MUSKRAT'S NEW HOUSE 195 + +XV. PETER RABBIT'S BIG COUSIN 211 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + +SUDDENLY HE MET MR. PANTHER _FRONTISPIECE_ + +REDDY STRUTTED OUT IN FRONT OF HIM. "WHO ARE YOU?" HE DEMANDED PAGE 21 + +"PLEASE, PLEASE WAIT FOR ME, PETER RABBIT," PANTED JOHNNY CHUCK " 69 + +"COME ON WITH US TO THE BIG RIVER, FISHING," CALLED BILLY MINK " 138 + +PETER WAS SO SURPRISED THAT HE NEARLY FELL BACKWARD " 189 + +"I'M GOING TO BUILD A HOUSE," REPLIED JERRY MUSKRAT " 200 + + + + +MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS + + + + +I + +THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES SAVE THE GREEN MEADOWS + + +Old Mother West Wind's family is very big, very big indeed. There are +dozens and dozens of Merry Little Breezes, all children of Old Mother +West Wind. Every morning she comes down from the Purple Hills and +tumbles them out of a great bag on to the Green Meadows. Every night she +gathers them into the great bag and, putting it over her shoulder, takes +them to their home behind the Purple Hills. + +One morning, just as usual, Old Mother West Wind turned the Merry Little +Breezes out to play on the Green Meadows. Then she hurried away to fill +the sails of the ships and blow them across the great ocean. The Merry +Little Breezes hopped and skipped over the Green Meadows looking for +some one to play with. It was then that one of them discovered +something--something very dreadful. + +It was a fire! Yes, Sir, it was a fire in the meadow grass! Some one had +dropped a lighted match, and now little red flames were running through +the grass in all directions. The Merry Little Breeze hastened to tell +all the other Little Breezes and all rushed over as fast as they could +to see for themselves. + +They saw how the little red flames were turning to smoke and ashes +everything they touched, and how black and ugly, with nothing alive +there, became that part of the Green Meadows where the little flames +ran. It was dreadful! Then one of them noticed that the little red +flames were running in the direction of Johnny Chuck's new house. Would +the little red flames burn up Johnny Chuck, as they burned up the grass +and the flowers? + +"Hi!" cried the Merry Little Breeze, "We must warn Johnny Chuck and all +the other little meadow people!" + +So he caught up a capful of smoke and raced off as fast as he could go +to Johnny Chuck's house. Then each of the Merry Little Breezes caught up +a capful of smoke and started to warn one of the little meadow people or +forest folks. + +So pretty soon jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, looking down from the blue +sky, saw Johnny Chuck, Jimmy Skunk, Peter Rabbit, Striped Chipmunk, +Danny Meadow Mouse, Reddy Fox, Bobby Coon, Happy Jack Squirrel, +Chatterer the Red Squirrel, Jumper the Hare and old Mr. Toad all +hurrying as fast as they could to the Smiling Pool where live Billy Mink +and Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat and Spotty the Turtle and +Grandfather Frog. There they would be quite safe from the little red +flames. + +"Oh," gasped Johnny Chuck, puffing very hard, for you know he is round +and fat and roly-poly and it was hard work for him to run, "what will +become of my nice new house and what will there be left to eat?" + +The Merry Little Breeze who had brought him the warning in a capful of +smoke thought for a minute. Then he called all the other Little Breezes +to him. + +"We must get Farmer Brown's help or we will have no beautiful Green +Meadows to play on," said the Merry Little Breeze. + +So together they rushed back to where the little red flames had grown +into great, angry, red flames that were licking up everything in their +way. The Merry Little Breezes gathered a great cloud of smoke and, +lifting all together, they carried it over and dropped it in Farmer +Brown's dooryard. Then one of them blew a little of the smoke in at an +open window, near which Farmer Brown was eating breakfast. Farmer Brown +coughed and strangled and sprang from his chair. + +"Phew!" cried Farmer Brown, "I smell smoke! There must be a fire on the +meadows." + +Then he shouted for his boy and for his hired man and the three, with +shovels in their hands, started for the Green Meadows to try to put the +fire out. + +The Merry Little Breezes sighed with relief and followed to the fire. +But when they saw how fierce and angry the red flames had become they +knew that Farmer Brown and his boy and his hired man would not be able +to put the fire out. Choking with smoke, they hurried over to tell the +dreadful news to the little meadow people and forest folks gathered at +the Smiling Pool. + +"Chug-a-rum! Why don't you help put the fire out?" asked Grandfather +Frog. + +"We warned Farmer Brown and his boy and his hired man; what more can we +do?" asked one of the Merry Little Breezes. + +"Go find and drive up a rain cloud," replied Grandfather Frog. + +"Splendid!" cried all the little meadow people and forest folks. "Hurry! +hurry! Oh, do hurry!" + +So the Merry Little Breezes scattered in all directions to hunt for a +rain cloud. + +"It is a good thing that Old Mother West Wind has such a big family," +said Grandfather Frog, "for one of them is sure to find a wandering rain +cloud somewhere." + +Then all the little meadow people and forest folks sat down around the +Smiling Pool to wait. They watched the smoke roll up until it hid the +face of jolly, round, red Mr. Sun. Their hearts almost stood still with +fear as they saw the fierce, angry, red flames leap into the air and +climb tall trees on the edge of the Green Forest. + +Splash! Something struck in the Smiling Pool right beside Grandfather +Frog's big, green, lily-pad. + +Spat! Something hit Johnny Chuck right on the end of his funny little, +black nose. + +They were drops of water. + +"Hurrah!" cried Johnny Chuck, whirling about. Sure enough, they were +drops of water--rain drops. And there, coming just as fast as the Merry +Little Breezes could push it, and they were pushing very hard, very hard +indeed, was a great, black, rain cloud, spilling down rain as it came. + +When it was just over the fire, the great, black, rain cloud split wide +open, and the water poured down so that the fierce, angry, red flames +were drowned in a few minutes. + +"Phew!" said Farmer Brown, mopping his face with his handkerchief, "that +was warm work! That shower came up just in time and it is lucky it did." + +But you know and I know and all the little meadow people and forest +folks know that it wasn't luck at all, but the quick work and hard work +of Old Mother West Wind's big family of Merry Little Breezes, which +saved the Green Meadows. And this, too, is one reason why Peter Rabbit +and Johnny Chuck and Bobby Coon and all the other little meadow and +forest people love the Merry Little Breezes who play every day on the +Green Meadows. + + + + +II + +THE STRANGER IN THE GREEN FOREST + + +Old Mother West Wind, hurrying down from the Purple Hills with her Merry +Little Breezes, discovered the newcomer in the Green Forest on the edge +of the Green Meadows. Of course the Merry Little Breezes saw him, too, +and as soon as Old Mother West Wind had turned them loose on the Green +Meadows they started out to spread the news. + +As they hurried along the Crooked Little Path up the hill, they met +Reddy Fox. + +"Oh, Reddy Fox," cried the Merry Little Breezes, so excited that all +talked together, "there's a stranger in the Green Forest!" + +Reddy Fox sat down and grinned at the Merry Little Breezes. The grin of +Reddy Fox is not pleasant. It irritates and exasperates. It made the +Merry Little Breezes feel very uncomfortable. + +"You don't say so," drawled Reddy Fox. "Do you mean to say that you've +just discovered him? Why, your news is so old that it is stale; it is no +news at all. I thought you had something really new to tell me." + +The Merry Little Breezes were disappointed. Their faces fell. They had +thought it would be such fun to carry the news through the Green Forest +and over the Green Meadows, and now the very first one they met knew all +about it. + +"Who is he, Reddy Fox?" asked one of the Merry Little Breezes. + +Reddy Fox pretended not to hear. "I must be going," said he, rising and +stretching. "I have an engagement with Billy Mink down at the Smiling +Pool." + +Reddy Fox started down the Crooked Little Path while the Merry Little +Breezes hurried up the Crooked Little Path to tell the news to Jimmy +Skunk, who was looking for beetles for his breakfast. + +Now Reddy Fox had not told the truth. He had known nothing whatever of +the stranger in the Green Forest. In fact he had been as surprised as +the Merry Little Breezes could have wished, but he would not show it. +And he had told another untruth, for he had no intention of going down +to the Smiling Pool. No, indeed! He just waited until the Merry Little +Breezes were out of sight, then he slipped into the Green Forest to look +for the stranger seen by the Merry Little Breezes. + +Now Reddy Fox does nothing openly. Instead of walking through the Green +Forest like a gentleman, he sneaked along under the bushes and crept +from tree to tree, all the time looking for the stranger of whom the +Merry Little Breezes had told him. All around through the Green Forest +sneaked Reddy Fox, but nothing of the stranger could he see. It didn't +occur to him to look anywhere but on the ground. + +"I don't believe there is a stranger here," said Reddy to himself. + +Just then he noticed some scraps of bark around the foot of a tall +maple. Looking up to see where it came from he saw--what do you think? +Why, the stranger who had come to the Green Forest. Reddy Fox dodged +back out of sight, for he wanted to find out all he could about the +stranger before the stranger saw him. + +Reddy sat down behind a big stump and rubbed his eyes. He could hardly +believe what he saw. There at the top of the tall maple, stripping the +branches of their bark and eating it, was the stranger, sure enough. He +was big, much bigger than Reddy. Could he be a relative of Happy Jack +Squirrel? He didn't look a bit, not the least little bit like Happy +Jack. And he moved slowly, very slowly, indeed, while Happy Jack and his +cousins move quickly. Reddy decided that the stranger could not be +related to Happy Jack. + +The longer Reddy looked the more he was puzzled. Also, Reddy began to +feel just a little bit jealous. You see all the little meadow people and +forest folks are afraid of Reddy Fox, but this stranger was so big that +Reddy began to feel something very like fear in his own heart. + +The Merry Little Breezes had told the news to Jimmy Skunk and then +hurried over the Green Meadows telling every one they met of the +stranger in the Green Forest--Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter, Johnny +Chuck, Peter Rabbit, Happy Jack Squirrel, Danny Meadow Mouse, Striped +Chipmunk, old Mr. Toad, Grandfather Frog, Sammy Jay, Blacky the Crow, +and each as soon as he heard the news started for the Green Forest to +welcome the newcomer. Even Grandfather Frog left his beloved big, green +lily-pad and started for the Green Forest. + +So it was that when finally the stranger decided that he had eaten +enough bark for his breakfast, and climbed slowly down the tall maple, +he found all the little meadow people and forest folks sitting in a big +circle waiting for him. The stranger was anything but handsome, but +his size filled them with respect. The nearer he got to the ground the +bigger he looked. Down he came, and Reddy Fox, noting how slow and +clumsy in his movements was the stranger, decided that there was nothing +to fear. + +If the stranger was slow and clumsy in the tree, he was clumsier still +on the ground. His eyes were small and dull. His coat was rough, long +and almost black. His legs were short and stout. His tail was rather +short and broad. Altogether he was anything but handsome. But when the +little meadow people and forest folks saw his huge front teeth they +regarded him with greater respect than ever, all but Reddy Fox. + +Reddy strutted out in front of him. "Who are you?" he demanded. + +[Illustration: Reddy strutted out in front of him. "Who are you?" he +demanded.] + +The stranger paid no attention to Reddy Fox. + +"What business have you in our Green Forest?" demanded Reddy, showing +all his teeth. + +The stranger just grunted and appeared not to see Reddy Fox. Reddy +swelled himself out until every hair stood on end and he looked twice as +big as he really is. He strutted back and forth in front of the +stranger. + +"Don't you know that I'm afraid of nothing and nobody?" snarled Reddy +Fox. + +The stranger refused to give him so much as a glance. He just grunted +and kept right on about his business. All the little meadow people and +forest folks began to giggle and then to laugh. Reddy knew that they +were laughing at him and he grew very angry, for no one likes to be +laughed at, least of all Reddy Fox. + +"You're a pig!" taunted Reddy. "You're afraid to fight. I bet you're +afraid of Danny Meadow Mouse!" + +Still the stranger just grunted and paid no further attention to Reddy +Fox. + +Now, with all his boasting Reddy Fox had kept at a safe distance from +the stranger. Happy Jack Squirrel had noticed this. "If you're so brave, +why don't you drive him out, Reddy Fox?" asked Happy Jack, skipping +behind a tree. "You don't dare to!" + +Reddy turned and glared at Happy Jack. "I'm not afraid!" he shouted. +"I'm not afraid of anything nor anybody!" + +But though he spoke so bravely it was noticed that he went no nearer the +stranger. + +Now it happened that that morning Bowser the Hound took it into his head +to take a walk in the Green Forest. Blacky the Crow, sitting on the +tip-top of a big pine, was the first to see him coming. From pure love +of mischief Blacky waited until Bowser was close to the circle around +the stranger. Then he gave the alarm. + +"Here's Bowser the Hound! Run!" screamed Blacky the Crow. Then he +laughed so that he had to hold his sides to see the fright down below. +Reddy Fox forgot that he was afraid of nothing and nobody. He was the +first one out of sight, running so fast that his feet seemed hardly to +touch the ground. Peter Rabbit turned a back somersault and suddenly +remembered that he had important business down on the Green Meadows. +Johnny Chuck dodged into a convenient hole. Billy Mink ran into a hollow +tree. Striped Chipmunk hid in an old stump. + +Happy Jack Squirrel climbed the nearest tree. In a twinkling the +stranger was alone, facing Bowser the Hound. + +Bowser stopped and looked at the stranger in sheer surprise. Then the +hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he growled a deep, ugly +growl. Still the stranger did not run. Bowser didn't know just what to +make of it. Never before had he had such an experience. Could it be that +the stranger was not afraid of him? Bowser walked around the stranger, +growling fiercely. As he walked the stranger turned, so as always to +face him. It was perplexing and very provoking. It really seemed as if +the stranger had no fear of him. + +"Bow, wow, wow!" cried Bowser the Hound in his deepest voice, and sprang +at the stranger. + +Then something happened, so surprising that Blacky the Crow lost his +balance on the top of the pine where he was watching. The instant that +Bowser sprang, the stranger rolled himself into a tight round ball and +out of the long hair of his coat sprang hundreds of sharp little +yellowish white barbed spears. The stranger looked for all the world +like a huge black and yellow chestnut burr. + +Bowser the Hound was as surprised as Blacky the Crow. He stopped short +and his eyes looked as if they would pop out of his head. He looked so +puzzled and so funny that Happy Jack Squirrel laughed aloud. + +The stranger did not move. Bowser backed away and began to circle around +again, sniffing and snuffing. Once in a while he barked. Still the +stranger did not move. For all the sign of life he made he might in +truth have been a giant chestnut burr. + +Bowser sat down and looked at him. Then he walked around to the other +side and sat down. "What a queer thing," thought Bowser. "What a very +queer thing." + +Bowser took a step nearer. Then he took another step. Nothing happened. + +Finally Bowser reached out, and with his nose gingerly touched the +prickly ball. Slap! The stranger's tail had struck Bowser full in the +face. + +Bowser yelled with pain and rolled over and over on the ground. Sticking +in his tender lips were a dozen sharp little spears, and claw and rub at +them as he would, Bowser could not get them out. Every time he touched +them he yelped with pain. Finally he gave it up and started for home +with his tail between his legs like a whipped puppy, and with every step +he yelped. + +When he had disappeared and his yelps had died away in the distance, +the stranger unrolled, the sharp little spears disappeared in the long +hair of his coat and, just as if nothing at all had happened, the +stranger walked slowly over to a tall maple and began to climb it. + +And this is how Prickly Porky the Porcupine came to the Green Forest, +and won the respect and admiration of all the little meadow people and +forest folks, including Reddy Fox. Since that day no one has tried to +meddle with Prickly Porky or his business. + + + + +III + +HOW PRICKLY PORKY GOT HIS QUILLS + + +The newcomer in the Green Forest was a source of great interest to the +Merry Little Breezes. Ever since they had seen him turn himself into a +huge prickly ball, like a giant chestnut burr, and with a slap of his +tail send Bowser the Hound yelping home with his lips stuck full of +little barbed spears, they had visited the Green Forest every day to +watch Prickly Porky. + +He was not very social. Indeed, he was not social at all, but attended +strictly to his own business, which consisted chiefly of stripping bark +from the trees and eating it. Never had the Merry Little Breezes seen +such an appetite! Already that part of the Green Forest where he had +chosen to live had many bare stark trees, killed that Prickly Porky the +Porcupine might live. You see a tree cannot live without bark, and +Prickly Porky had stripped them clean to fill his stomach. + +But if Prickly Porky was not social he was not unfriendly. He seemed to +enjoy having the Merry Little Breezes about, and did not in the least +mind having them rumple up the long hair of his coat to feel the sharp +little barbed spears underneath. Some of these were so loose that they +dropped out. Peter Rabbit's curiosity led him to examine some of these +among bits of bark at the foot of a tree. Peter wished that he had left +them alone. One of the sharp little barbs pierced his tender skin and +Peter could not get it out. He had to ask Johnny Chuck to do it for +him, and it had hurt dreadfully. + +After that the little meadow people and forest folks held Prickly Porky +in greater respect than ever and left him severely alone, which was just +what he seemed to want. + +One morning the Merry Little Breezes failed to find Prickly Porky in the +Green Forest. Could he have left as mysteriously as he had come? They +hurried down to the Smiling Pool to tell Grandfather Frog. Bursting +through the bulrushes on the edge of the Smiling Pool, they nearly upset +Jerry Muskrat, who was sitting on an old log intently watching something +out in the middle of the Smiling Pool. It was Prickly Porky. Some of the +sharp little barbed spears were standing on end; altogether he was the +queerest sight the Smiling Pool had seen for a long time. + +He was swimming easily and you may be sure no one tried to bother him. +Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink sat on the Big Rock and for once they +had forgotten to play tricks. When Prickly Porky headed towards the Big +Rock, Little Joe Otter suddenly remembered that he had business down the +Laughing Brook, and Billy Mink recalled that Mother Mink had forbidden +him to play at the Smiling Pool. Prickly Porky had the Smiling Pool +quite to himself. + +When he had swum to his heart's content he climbed out, shook himself +and slowly ambled up the Lone Little Path to the Green Forest. The Merry +Little Breezes watched him out of sight. Then they danced over to the +big green lily-pad on which sat Grandfather Frog. The Merry Little +Breezes are great favorites with Grandfather Frog. As usual they brought +him some foolish green flies. Grandfather Frog's eyes twinkled as he +snapped up the last foolish green fly. + +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog, "and now I suppose you want a +story." And he folded his hands across his white and yellow waistcoat. + +"If you please!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes. "If you please, do +tell us how it is that Prickly Porky has spears on his back!" + +Grandfather settled himself comfortably. "Chug-a-rum!" said he. "Once +upon a time when the world was young, Mr. Porcupine, the grandfather a +thousand times removed of Prickly Porky, whom you all know, lived in the +Green Forest where old King Bear ruled. Mr. Porcupine was a slow clumsy +fellow, just as his grandson a thousand times removed is to-day. He was +so slow moving, and when he tried to hurry tumbled over himself so +much, that he had hard work to get enough to eat. Always some one +reached the berry patch before he did. The beetles and the bugs were so +spry that seldom could he catch them. Hunger was in his stomach, and +little else most of the time. Mr. Porcupine grew thin and thinner and +still more thin. His long, shaggy coat looked twice too big for him. +Because he was so hungry he could sleep little, and night as well as day +he roamed the forest, thinking of nothing but his empty stomach, and +looking for something to put in it. So he learned to see by night as +well as by day. + +"One day he could not find a single berry and not a beetle or a bug +could he catch. He was so hungry that he sat down with his back against +a big black birch, and clasping both hands over his lean stomach, he +wept. There Sister South Wind found him, and her heart was moved to +pity, for she knew that his wits were as slow as his body. Softly she +stole up behind him. + +"'Try the bark of the black birch; it's sweet and good,' whispered +Sister South Wind. Then she hurried on her way. + +"Mr. Porcupine still sat with his hands clasped over his lean stomach, +for it took a long time for his slow wit to understand what Sister South +Wind meant. 'Bark, bark, try bark,' said Mr. Porcupine over and over to +himself. He rolled his dull little eyes up at the big black birch. 'I +believe I will try it,' said Mr. Porcupine at last. + +"Slowly he turned and began to gnaw the bark of the big black birch. It +was tough, but it tasted good. Clumsily he began to climb, tearing off a +mouthful of bark here and there as he climbed. The higher he got the +tenderer and sweeter the bark became. Finally he reached the top of the +tree, and there on the small branches the bark was so tender and so +sweet that he ate and ate and ate until for the first time in many days +Mr. Porcupine had a full stomach. That night he curled up in a hollow +log and slept all the night through, dreaming of great forests of black +birch and all he wanted to eat. + +"The next day he hunted for and found another black birch, and climbing +to the top, he ate and ate until his stomach was full. From that time on +Mr. Porcupine ceased to hunt for berries or beetles or bugs. He grew +stout and stouter. He filled his shaggy coat until it was so tight it +threatened to burst. + +"Now while Mr. Porcupine was so thin and lean he had no enemies, but +when he grew stout and then fat, Mr. Panther and Mr. Fisher and Mr. +Bobcat and even old King Bear began to cast longing eyes upon him, for +times were hard and they were hungry. Mr. Porcupine began to grow +afraid. By night he hid in hollow trees and by day he went abroad to eat +only when he was sure that no one bigger than himself was about. And +because he no longer dared to move about as before, he no longer +depended upon the black birch alone, but learned to eat and to like all +kinds of bark. + +"One day he had made his breakfast on the bark of a honey-locust. When +he came down the tree he brought with him a strip of bark, and attached +to it were some of the long thorns with which the honey-locust seeks to +protect itself. When he reached the ground whom should he find waiting +for him but Mr. Panther. Mr. Panther was very lean and very hungry, for +hunting had been poor and the times were hard. + +"'Good morning, Mr. Porcupine,' said Mr. Panther, with a wicked grin. +'How fat you are!' + +"'Good morning, Mr. Panther,' said Mr. Porcupine politely, but his long +hair stood on end with fright, as he looked into Mr. Panther's cruel +yellow eyes. + +"'I say, how fat you are,' said Mr. Panther, licking his chops and +showing all his long teeth. 'What do you find to eat these hard times?' + +"'Bark, Mr. Panther, just bark,' said Mr. Porcupine, while his teeth +chattered with fear. 'It really is very nice and sweet. Won't you try a +piece, Mr. Panther?' Mr. Porcupine held out the strip of locust bark +which he had brought down the tree for his lunch. + +"Now Mr. Panther had never tried bark, but he thought to himself that +if it made Mr. Porcupine so fat it must be good. He would try the piece +of bark first and eat Mr. Porcupine afterward. So he reached out and +snapped up the strip of bark. + +"Now the locust thorns were long and they were sharp. They pierced Mr. +Panther's tender lips and his tongue. They stuck in the roof of his +mouth. Mr. Panther spat and yelled with pain and rage and clawed +frantically at his mouth. He rolled over and over trying to get rid of +the thorns. Mr. Porcupine didn't stay to watch him. For once in his life +he hurried. By the time Mr. Panther was rid of the last thorn, Mr. +Porcupine was nowhere to be seen. He was safely hidden inside a hollow +log. + +"Mr. Porcupine didn't sleep that night. He just lay and thought and +thought and thought. The next morning, very early, before any one else +was astir, he started out to call on old Mother Nature. + +"'Good morning, Mr. Porcupine, what brings you out so early?' asked old +Mother Nature. + +"Mr. Porcupine bowed very low. 'If you please, Mother Nature, I want you +to help me,' said he. + +"Then he told her all about his meeting with Mr. Panther and how +helpless he was when he met his enemies, and he begged her to give him +stout claws and a big mouth full of long teeth that he might protect +himself. + +"Old Mother Nature thought a few minutes. 'Mr. Porcupine,' said she, +'you have always minded your own business. You do not know how to fight. +If I should give you a big mouth full of long teeth you would not know +how to use them. You move too slowly. Instead, I will give you a +thousand little spurs. They shall be hidden in the long hair of your +coat and only when you are in danger shall you use them. Go back to the +Green Forest, and the next time you meet Mr. Panther or Mr. Fisher or +Mr. Bobcat or old King Bear roll yourself into a ball and the thousand +little spears will protect you. Now go!' + +"Mr. Porcupine thanked old Mother Nature and started back for the Green +Forest. Once he stopped to smooth down his long, rough coat. Sure +enough, there, under the long hair, he felt a thousand little spears. He +went along happily until suddenly he met Mr. Panther. Yes, Sir, he met +Mr. Panther. + +"Mr. Panther was feeling very ugly, for his mouth was sore. He grinned +wickedly when he saw Mr. Porcupine and stepped right out in front of +him, all the time licking his lips. Mr. Porcupine trembled all over, +but he remembered what old Mother Nature had told him. In a flash he had +rolled up into a tight ball. Sure enough, the thousand little spears +sprang out of his long coat, and he looked like a huge chestnut burr. + +"Mr. Panther was so surprised he didn't know just what to do. He reached +out a paw and touched Mr. Porcupine. Mr. Porcupine was nervous. He +switched his tail around and it struck Mr. Panther's paw. Mr. Panther +yelled, for there were spears on Mr. Porcupine's tail and they were +worse than the locust thorns. He backed away hurriedly and limped off up +the Lone Little Path, growling horribly. Mr. Porcupine waited until Mr. +Panther was out of sight, then he unrolled, and slowly and happily he +walked back to his home in the Green Forest. + +"And since that long-ago day when the world was young, the Porcupines +have feared nothing and have attended strictly to their own business. +And that is how they happen to have a thousand little barbed spears, +which are called quills," concluded Grandfather Frog. + +The Merry Little Breezes drew a long breath. "Thank you, Grandfather +Frog, thank you ever so much!" they cried all together. "We are going +back now to tell Prickly Porky that we know all about his little spears +and how he happens to have them." + +But first they blew a dozen fat, foolish, green flies over to +Grandfather Frog. + + + + +IV + +PETER RABBIT'S EGG ROLLING + + +It was spring. Drummer the Woodpecker was beating the long roll on the +hollow limb of the old hickory, that all the world might know. Old +Mother West Wind, hurrying down from the Purple Hills across the Green +Meadows, stopped long enough to kiss the smiling little bluets that +crowded along the Lone Little Path. All up and down the Laughing Brook +were shy violets turning joyful faces up to jolly, round, red Mr. Sun. +Johnny Chuck was sitting on his doorstep, stretching one short leg and +then another, to get the kinks out, after his long, long winter sleep. +Very beautiful, very beautiful indeed, were the Green Meadows, and very +happy were all the little meadow people--all but Peter Rabbit, who sat +at the top of the Crooked Little Path that winds down the hill. No, Sir, +Peter Rabbit, happy-go-lucky Peter, who usually carries the lightest +heart on the Green Meadows, was not happy. Indeed, he was very unhappy. +As he sat there at the top of the Crooked Little Path and looked down on +the Green Meadows, he saw nothing beautiful at all because, why, because +his big soft eyes were full of tears. Splash! A big tear fell at his +feet in the Crooked Little Path. Splash! That was another tear. Splash! +splash! + +"My gracious! My gracious! What _is_ the matter, Peter Rabbit?" asked a +gruff voice close to one of Peter's long ears. + +Peter jumped. Then he winked the tears back and looked around. There +sat old Mr. Toad. He looked very solemn, very solemn indeed. He was +wearing a shabby old suit, the very one he had slept in all winter. +Peter forgot his troubles long enough to wonder if old Mr. Toad would +swallow his old clothes when he got a new suit. + +"What's the matter, Peter Rabbit, what's the matter?" repeated old Mr. +Toad. + +Peter looked a little foolish. He hesitated, coughed, looked this way +and looked that way, hitched his trousers up, and then, why then he +found his tongue and told old Mr. Toad all his troubles. + +"You see," said Peter Rabbit, "it's almost Easter and I haven't found a +single egg." + +"An egg!" exclaimed old Mr. Toad. "Bless my stars! What do you want of +an egg, Peter Rabbit? You don't eat eggs." + +"I don't want just one egg, oh, no, no indeed! I want a lot of eggs," +said Peter. "You see, Mr. Toad, I was going to have an Easter egg +rolling, and here it is almost Easter and not an egg to be found!" +Peter's eyes filled with tears again. + +Old Mr. Toad rolled one eye up at jolly, round, red Mr. Sun and winked. +"Have you seen Mrs. Grouse and Mrs. Pheasant?" asked old Mr. Toad. + +"Yes," said Peter Rabbit, "and they won't have any eggs until after +Easter." + +"Have you been to see Mrs. Quack?" asked old Mr. Toad. + +"Yes," said Peter Rabbit, "and she says she can't spare a single one." + +Old Mr. Toad looked very thoughtful. He scratched the tip of his nose +with his left hind foot. Then he winked once more at jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun. "Have you been to see Jimmy Skunk?" he inquired. + +Peter Rabbit's big eyes opened very wide. "Jimmy Skunk!" he exclaimed. +"Jimmy Skunk! What does Jimmy Skunk have to do with eggs?" + +Old Mr. Toad chuckled deep down in his throat. He chuckled and chuckled +until he shook all over. + +"Jimmy Skunk knows more about eggs than all the other little meadow +people put together," said old Mr. Toad. "You take my advice, Peter +Rabbit, and ask Jimmy Skunk to help you get the eggs for your Easter egg +rolling." + +Then old Mr. Toad picked up his cane and started down the Crooked Little +Path to the Green Meadows. There he found the Merry Little Breezes +stealing kisses from the bashful little wind flowers. Old Mr. Toad +puffed out his throat and pretended that he disapproved, disapproved +very much indeed, but at the same time he rolled one eye up at jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun and winked. + +"Haven't you anything better to do than make bashful little flowers hang +their heads?" asked old Mr. Toad gruffly. + +The Merry Little Breezes stopped their dancing and gathered about old +Mr. Toad. "What's the matter with you this morning, Mr. Toad?" asked one +of them. "Do you want us to go find a breakfast for you?" + +"No," replied old Mr. Toad sourly. "I am quite able to get breakfast for +myself. But Peter Rabbit is up on the hill crying because he cannot find +any eggs." + +"Crying because he cannot find any eggs! Now what does Peter Rabbit +want of eggs?" cried the Merry Little Breezes all together. + +"Supposing you go ask him," replied old Mr. Toad tartly, once more +picking up his cane and starting for the Smiling Pool to call on his +cousin, Grandfather Frog. + +The Merry Little Breezes stared after him for a few minutes, then they +started in a mad race up the Crooked Little Path to find Peter Rabbit. +He wasn't at the top of the Crooked Little Path. They looked everywhere, +but not so much as the tip of one of his long ears could they see. +Finally they met him just coming away from Jimmy Skunk's house. Peter +was hopping, skipping, jumping up in the air and kicking his long heels +as only Peter can. There was no trace of tears in his big, soft eyes. +Plainly Peter Rabbit was in good spirits, in the very best of spirits. +When he saw the Merry Little Breezes he jumped twice as high as he had +jumped before, then sat up very straight. + +"Hello!" said Peter Rabbit. + +"Hello yourself," replied the Merry Little Breezes. "Tell us what under +the sun you want of eggs, Peter Rabbit, and we'll try to find some for +you." + +Peter's eyes sparkled. "I'm going to have an Easter egg rolling," said +he, "but you needn't look for any eggs, for I am going to have all I +want; Jimmy Skunk has promised to get them for me." + +"What is an Easter egg rolling?" asked the Merry Little Breezes. + +Peter looked very mysterious. "Wait and see," he replied. Then a sudden +thought popped into his head. "Will you do something for me?" he asked. + +Of course the Merry Little Breezes were delighted to do anything they +could for Peter Rabbit, and told him so. So in a few minutes Peter had +them scattering in every direction with invitations to all the little +people of the Green Meadows and all the little folks of the Green Forest +to attend his egg rolling on Easter morning. + +Very, very early on Easter morning Old Mother West Wind hurried down +from the Purple Hills and swept all the rain clouds out of the sky. +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun climbed up in the sky, smiling his broadest. +All the little song birds sang their sweetest, and some who really +cannot sing at all tried to just because they were so happy. Across the +beautiful Green Meadows came all the little meadow people and forest +folks to the smooth, grassy bank where the big hickory grows. Peter +Rabbit was there waiting for them. He had brushed his clothes until you +would hardly have known him. He felt very much excited and very +important and very, very happy, for this was to be the very first egg +rolling the Green Meadows had ever known, and it was all his very own. + +Hidden behind the old hickory, tucked under pieces of bark, scattered +among the bluets and wind flowers were big eggs, little eggs and +middle-sized eggs, for Jimmy Skunk had been true to his promise. Where +they came from Jimmy wouldn't tell. Perhaps if old Gray Goose and Mrs. +Quack could have been there, they would have understood why it took so +long to fill their nests. Perhaps if Farmer Brown's boy had happened +along, he would have guessed why he had to hunt so long in the barn and +under the henhouse to get enough eggs for breakfast. But Jimmy Skunk +held his tongue and just smiled to see how happy Peter Rabbit was. + +First came Peter's cousin, Jumper the Hare. Then up from the Smiling +Pool came Jerry Muskrat, Little Joe Otter, Billy Mink, Grandfather Frog +and Spotty the Turtle. Johnny Chuck, Danny Meadow Mouse, and old Mr. +Toad came together. Of course Reddy Fox was on hand promptly. Striped +Chipmunk came dancing out from the home no one has been able to find. +Out from the Green Forest trotted Bobby Coon, Happy Jack Squirrel and +Chatterer the Red Squirrel. Behind them shuffled Prickly Porky. Last of +all came Jimmy Skunk, who never hurries, and Jimmy wore his very best +suit of black and white. Up in the old hickory sat Blacky the Crow, +Sammy Jay and Drummer the Woodpecker, to watch the fun. + +When all had arrived, Peter Rabbit started them to hunting for the eggs. +Everybody got in the way of everybody else. Even old Mr. Toad caught the +excitement and hopped this way and hopped that way hunting for eggs. +Danny Meadow Mouse found a goose egg bigger than himself and had to get +help to bring it in. Bobby Coon stubbed his toes and fell down with an +egg under each arm. Such a looking sight as he was! He had to go down to +the Smiling Pool to wash. + +By and by, when all the eggs had been found, Peter Rabbit sent a big +goose egg rolling down the grassy bank and then raced after it to bring +it back and roll it down again. In a few minutes the green grassy bank +was covered with eggs--big eggs, little eggs, all kinds of eggs. Some +were nearly round and rolled swiftly to the bottom. Some were sharp +pointed at one end and rolled crookedly and sometimes turned end over +end. A big egg knocked Johnny Chuck's legs from under him and, because +Johnny Chuck is round and roly-poly, he just rolled over and over after +the egg clear to the bottom of the green grassy bank. And it was such +fun that he scrambled up and did it all over again. + +Then Bobby Coon tried it. Pretty soon every one was trying it, even +Reddy Fox, who seldom forgets his dignity. For once Blacky the Crow and +Sammy Jay almost wished that they hadn't got wings, so that they might +join in the fun. + +But the greatest fun of all was when Prickly Porky decided that he, too, +would join in the rolling. He tucked his head down in his vest and made +himself into a perfectly round ball. Now when he did this, all his +hidden spears stood out straight, until he looked like a great, giant, +chestnut burr, and every one hurried to get out of his way. Over and +over, faster and faster, he rolled down the green, grassy bank until he +landed--where do you think? Why right in the midst of a lot of eggs +that had been left when the other little people had scampered out of his +way. + +Now, having his head tucked into his vest, Prickly Porky couldn't see +where he was going, so when he reached the bottom and hopped to his feet +he didn't know what to make of the shout that went up from all the +little meadow people. So foolish Prickly Porky lost his temper because +he was being laughed at, and started off up the Lone Little Path to his +home in the Green Forest. And what do you think? Why, stuck fast in a +row on the spears on his back, Prickly Porky carried off six of Peter +Rabbit's Easter eggs, and didn't know it. + + + + +V + +HOW JOHNNY CHUCK RAN AWAY + + +Johnny Chuck stood on the doorstep of his house and watched old Mrs. +Chuck start down the Lone Little Path across the Green Meadows towards +Farmer Brown's garden. She had her market basket on her arm, and Johnny +knew that when she returned it would be full of the things he liked +best. But not even the thought of these could chase away the frown that +darkened Johnny Chuck's face. He had never been to Farmer Brown's garden +and he had begged very hard to go that morning with old Mrs. Chuck. But +she had said "No. It isn't safe for such a little chap as you." And +when Mrs. Chuck said "No," Johnny knew that she meant it, and that it +was of no use at all to beg. + +So he stood with his hands in his pockets and scowled and scowled as he +thought of old Mrs. Chuck's very last words: "Now, Johnny, don't you +dare put a foot outside of the yard until I get back." + +Pretty soon along came Peter Rabbit. Peter was trying to jump over his +own shadow. When he saw Johnny Chuck he stopped abruptly. Then he looked +up at the blue sky and winked at jolly, round, red Mr. Sun. "Looks +mighty showery 'round here," he remarked to no one in particular. + +Johnny Chuck smiled in spite of himself. Then he told Peter Rabbit how +he had got to stay at home and mind the house and couldn't put his foot +outside the yard. Now Peter hasn't had the best bringing up in the +world, for his mother has such a big family that she is kept busy just +getting them something to eat. So Peter has been allowed to bring +himself up and do just about as he pleases. + +"How long will your mother be gone?" asked Peter. + +"Most all the morning," said Johnny Chuck mournfully. + +Peter hopped a couple of steps nearer. "Say, Johnny," he whispered, "how +is she going to know whether you stay in the yard all the time or not, +so long as you are here when she gets home? I know where there's the +dandiest sweet-clover patch. We can go over there and back easy before +old Mrs. Chuck gets home, and she won't know anything about it. Come +on!" + +Johnny Chuck's mouth watered at the thought of the sweet-clover, but +still he hesitated, for Johnny Chuck had been taught to mind. + +"'Fraid cat! 'Fraid cat! Tied to your mother's apron strings!" jeered +Peter Rabbit. + +"I ain't either!" cried Johnny Chuck. And then, just to prove it, he +thrust his hands into his pockets and swaggered out into the Lone Little +Path. + +"Where's your old clover patch?" asked he. + +"I'll show you," said Peter Rabbit, and off he started, +lipperty-lipperty-lip, so fast that Johnny Chuck lost his breath trying +to make his short legs keep up. And all the time Johnny's conscience was +pricking him. + +Peter Rabbit left the Lone Little Path across the Green Meadows for some +secret little paths of his own. His long legs took him over the ground +very fast. Johnny Chuck, running behind him, grew tired and hot, for +Johnny's legs are short and he is fat and roly-poly. At times all he +could see was the white patch on the seat of Peter Rabbit's pants. He +began to wish that he had minded old Mrs. Chuck and stayed at home. It +was too late to go back now, for he didn't know the way. + +"Wait up, Peter Rabbit!" he called. + +Peter Rabbit just flirted his tail and ran faster. + +"Please, please wait for me, Peter Rabbit," panted Johnny Chuck, and +began to cry. Yes, Sir, he began to cry. You see he was so hot and +tired, and then he was so afraid that he would lose sight of Peter +Rabbit. If he did he would surely be lost, and then what should he do? +The very thought made him run just a little faster. + +[Illustration: "Please, please wait for me, Peter Rabbit," panted Johnny +Chuck.] + +Now Peter Rabbit is really one of the best-hearted little fellows in +the world, just happy-go-lucky and careless. So when finally he looked +back and saw Johnny Chuck way, way behind, with the tears running down +his cheeks, and how hot and tired he looked, Peter sat down and waited. +Pretty soon Johnny Chuck came up, puffing and blowing, and threw himself +flat on the ground. + +"Please, Peter Rabbit, is it very much farther to the sweet-clover +patch?" he panted, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands. + +"No," replied Peter Rabbit, "just a little way more. We'll rest here a +few minutes and then I won't run so fast." + +So Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck lay down in the grass to rest while +Johnny Chuck recovered his breath. Every minute or two Peter would sit +up very straight, prick up his long ears and look this way and look +that way as if he expected to see something unusual. It made Johnny +Chuck nervous. + +"What do you keep doing that for, Peter Rabbit?" he asked. + +"Oh, nothin'," replied Peter Rabbit. But he kept right on doing it just +the same. Then suddenly, after one of these looks abroad, he crouched +down very flat and whispered in Johnny Chuck's ear in great excitement. + +"Old Whitetail is down here and he's headed this way. We'd better be +moving," he said. + +Johnny Chuck felt a chill of fear. "Who is Old Whitetail?" he asked, as +he prepared to follow Peter Rabbit. + +"Don't you know?" asked Peter in surprise. "Say, you are green! Why, +he's Mr. Marsh Hawk, and if he once gets the chance he'll gobble you up, +skin, bones and all. There's an old stone wall just a little way from +here, and the sooner we get there the better!" + +Peter Rabbit led the way, and if he had run fast before it was nothing +to the way he ran now. A great fear made Johnny Chuck forget that he was +tired, and he ran as he had never run before in all his short life. Just +as he dived head-first into a hole between two big stones, a shadow +swept over the grass and something sharp tore a gap in the seat of his +pants and made him squeal with fright and pain. But he wriggled in +beside Peter Rabbit and was safe, while Mr. Marsh Hawk flew off with a +scream of rage and disappointment. + +Johnny Chuck had never been so frightened in all his short life. He made +himself as small as possible and crept as far as he could underneath a +friendly stone in the old wall. His pants were torn and his leg smarted +dreadfully where one of Mr. Marsh Hawk's cruel, sharp claws had +scratched him. How he did wish that he had minded old Mrs. Chuck and +stayed in his own yard, as she had told him to. + +Peter Rabbit looked at the tear in Johnny Chuck's pants. "Pooh!" said +Peter Rabbit, "don't mind a little thing like that." + +"But I'm afraid to go home with my pants torn," said Johnny Chuck. + +"Don't go home," replied Peter Rabbit. "I don't unless I feel like it. +You stay away a long time and then your mother will be so glad to see +you that she won't ever think of the pants." + +Johnny Chuck looked doubtful, but before he could say anything Peter +Rabbit stuck his head out to see if the way was clear. It was, and +Peter's long legs followed his head. "Come on, Johnny Chuck," he +shouted. "I'm going over to the sweet-clover patch." + +But Johnny Chuck was afraid. He was almost sure that Old Whitetail was +waiting just outside to gobble him up. It was a long time before he +would put so much as the tip of his wee black nose out. But without +Peter Rabbit it grew lonesomer and lonesomer in under the old stone +wall. Besides, he was afraid that he would lose Peter Rabbit, and then +he would be lost indeed, for he didn't know the way home. + +Finally Johnny Chuck ventured to peep out. There was jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun smiling down just as if he was used to seeing little runaway +chucks every day. Johnny looked and looked for Peter Rabbit, but it was +a long time before he saw him, and when he did all he saw were Peter +Rabbit's funny long ears above the tops of the waving grass, for Peter +Rabbit was hidden in the sweet-clover patch, eating away for dear life. + +It was only a little distance, but Johnny Chuck had had such a fright +that he tried three times before he grew brave enough to scurry through +the tall grass and join Peter Rabbit. My, how good that sweet-clover did +taste! Johnny Chuck forgot all about Old Whitetail. He forgot all about +his torn pants. He forgot that he had run away and didn't know the way +home. He just ate and ate and ate until his stomach was so full he +couldn't stuff another piece of sweet-clover into it. + +Suddenly Peter Rabbit grabbed him by a sleeve and pulled him down flat. + +"Sh-h-h," said Peter Rabbit, "don't move." + +Johnny Chuck's heart almost stopped beating. What new danger could there +be now? In a minute he heard a queer noise. Peeping between the stems +of sweet-clover he saw--what do you think? Why, old Mrs. Chuck cutting +sweet-clover to put in the basket of vegetables she was taking home from +Farmer Brown's garden. + +Johnny Chuck gave a great sigh of relief, but he kept very still for he +did not want her to find him there after she had told him not to put +foot outside his own dooryard. "You wait here," whispered Peter Rabbit, +and crept off through the clover. Pretty soon Johnny Chuck saw Peter +Rabbit steal up behind old Mrs. Chuck and pull four big lettuce leaves +out of her basket. + + + + +VI + +PETER RABBIT'S RUN FOR LIFE + + +"I wish I hadn't run away," said Johnny Chuck dolefully, as he and Peter +Rabbit peeped out from the sweet-clover patch and watched old Mrs. Chuck +start for home with her market basket on her arm. + +"You ought to think yourself lucky that your mother didn't find you here +in the sweet-clover patch. If it hadn't been for me she would have," +said Peter Rabbit. + +Johnny Chuck's face grew longer and longer. His pants were torn, his leg +was stiff and sore where old Mr. Marsh Hawk had scratched him that +morning, but worse still his conscience pricked him. Yes, Sir, Johnny +Chuck's conscience was pricking him hard, very hard indeed, because he +had run away from home with Peter Rabbit after old Mrs. Chuck had told +him not to leave the yard while she was away. Now he didn't know the way +home. + +"Peter Rabbit, I want to go home," said Johnny Chuck suddenly. "Isn't +there a short cut so that I can get home before my mother does?" + +"No, there isn't," said Peter Rabbit. "And if there was what good would +it do you? Old Mrs. Chuck would see that tear in your pants and then +you'd catch it!" + +"I don't care. Please won't you show me the way home, Peter Rabbit?" +begged Johnny Chuck. + +Peter Rabbit yawned lazily as he replied: "What's the use of going now? +You'll catch it anyway, so you might as well stay and have all fun you +can. Say, I know a dandy old house up on the hill. Jimmy Skunk used to +live there, but no one lives in it now. Let's go up and see it. It's a +dandy place." + +Now right down in his heart Johnny Chuck knew that he ought to go home, +but he couldn't go unless Peter Rabbit would show him the way, and then +he did want to see that old house. Perhaps Peter Rabbit was right (in +his heart he knew that he wasn't) and he had better have all the fun he +could. So Johnny Chuck followed Peter Rabbit up the hill to the old +house of Jimmy Skunk. + +Cobwebs covered the doorway. Johnny Chuck was going to brush them away, +but Peter Rabbit stopped him. "Let's see if there isn't a back door," +said he. "Then we can use that, and if Bowser the Hound or Farmer +Brown's boy comes along and finds this door they'll think no one ever +lives here any more and you'll be safer than if you were right in your +own home." + +So they hunted and hunted, and by and by Johnny Chuck found the back +door way off at one side and cunningly hidden under a tangle of grass. +Inside was a long dark hall and at the end of that a nice big room. It +was very dirty, and Johnny Chuck, who is very neat, at once began to +clean house and soon had it spick and span. Suddenly they heard a voice +outside the front door. + +"Doesn't look as if anybody lives here, but seems as if I smell young +rabbit and--yes, I'm sure I smell young chuck, too. Guess I'll have a +look inside." + +"It's old Granny Fox," whispered Peter Rabbit, trembling with fright. + +Then Peter Rabbit did a very brave thing. He remembered that Johnny +Chuck could not run very fast and that if it hadn't been for him, Johnny +Chuck would be safe at home. "You stay right here," whispered Peter +Rabbit. Then he slipped out the back door. Half-way down the hill he +stopped and shouted: + + "Old Granny Fox + Is slower than an ox!" + +Then he started for the old brier patch as fast as his long legs could +take him, and after him ran Granny Fox. + +Peter Rabbit was running for his life. There was no doubt about it. +Right behind him, grinding her long white teeth, her eyes snapping, ran +old Granny Fox. Peter Rabbit did not like to think what would happen to +him if she should catch him. + +Peter Rabbit was used to running for his life. He had to do it at least +once every day. But usually he was near a safe hiding place and he +rather enjoyed the excitement. This time, however, the only place of +safety he could think of was the friendly old brier patch, and that was +a long way off. + +Back at the old house on the hill, where Granny Fox had discovered Peter +Rabbit, was little Johnny Chuck, trembling with fright. He crept to the +back door of the old house to watch. He saw Granny Fox getting nearer +and nearer to Peter Rabbit. + +"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! She'll catch Peter Rabbit! She'll catch Peter +Rabbit!" wailed Johnny Chuck, wringing his hands in despair. + +It certainly looked as if Granny Fox would. She was right at Peter +Rabbit's heels. Poor, happy-go-lucky, little Peter Rabbit! Two more +jumps and Granny Fox would have him! Johnny Chuck shut his eyes tight, +for he didn't want to see. + +But Peter Rabbit had no intention of being caught so easily. While he +had seemed to be running his very hardest, really he was not. And all +the time he was watching Granny Fox, for Peter Rabbit's big eyes are so +placed that he can see behind him without turning his head. So he knew +when Granny Fox was near enough to catch him in one more jump. Then +Peter Rabbit dodged. Yes, Sir, Peter Rabbit dodged like a flash, and +away he went in another direction lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as he +could go. + +Old Granny Fox had been so sure that in another minute she would have +tender young rabbit for her dinner that she had begun to smile and her +mouth actually watered. She did not see where she was going. All she saw +was the white patch on the seat of Peter Rabbit's trousers bobbing up +and down right in front of her nose. + +When Peter Rabbit dodged, something surprising happened. Johnny Chuck, +who had opened his eyes to see if all was over, jumped up and shouted +for joy, and did a funny little dance in the doorway of the old house on +the hill. Peter had dodged right in front of a wire fence, a fence with +ugly, sharp barbs, and right smack into it ran Granny Fox! It scratched +her face and tore her bright red cloak. It threw her back flat on the +ground, with all the wind knocked out of her body. + +When finally she had gotten her breath and scrambled to her feet, Peter +Rabbit was almost over to the friendly old brier patch. He stopped and +sat up very straight. Then he put his hands on his hips and shouted: + + "Run, Granny, run! + Here comes a man who's got a gun!" + +Granny Fox started nervously and looked this way and looked that way. +There was no one in sight. Then she shook a fist at Peter Rabbit and +started to limp off home. + +Johnny Chuck gave a great sigh of relief. "My," said he, "I wish I was +as smart as Peter Rabbit!" + +"You will be if you live long enough," said a voice right behind him. It +was old Mr. Toad. + +Mr. Toad and Johnny Chuck sat in the doorway of the old house on the +hill and watched old Granny Fox limp off home. "I wonder what it would +seem like not to be afraid of anything in the whole world," said Johnny +Chuck. + +"People who mind their own business and don't get into mischief don't +need to be afraid of anything," said Mr. Toad. + +Johnny Chuck remembered how safe he had always felt at home with old +Mrs. Chuck and how many times and how badly he had been frightened since +he ran away that morning. "I guess perhaps you are right, Mr. Toad," +said Johnny Chuck doubtfully. + +"Of course I'm right," replied Mr. Toad. "Of course I'm right. Look at +me; I attend strictly to my own affairs and no one ever bothers me." + +"That's because you are so homely that no one wants you for a dinner +when he can find anything else," said Peter Rabbit, who had come up from +the friendly old brier patch. + +"Better be homely than to need eyes in the back of my head to keep my +skin whole," retorted Mr. Toad. "Now I don't know what it is to be +afraid." + +"Not of old Granny Fox?" asked Johnny Chuck. + +"No," said Mr. Toad. + +"Nor Bowser the Hound?" + +"No," said Mr. Toad. "He's a friend of mine." Then Mr. Toad swelled +himself up very big. "I'm not afraid of anything under the sun," boasted +Mr. Toad. + +Peter Rabbit looked at Johnny Chuck and slowly winked one eye. "I guess +I'll go up the hill and have a look around," said Peter Rabbit, hitching +up his trousers. So Peter Rabbit went off up the hill, while Mr. Toad +smoothed down his dingy white waistcoat and told Johnny Chuck what a +foolish thing fear is. + +By and by there was a queer rustling in the grass back of them. Mr. Toad +hopped around awkwardly. "What was that?" he whispered. + +"Just the wind in the grass, I guess," said Johnny Chuck. + +For a while all was still and Mr. Toad settled himself comfortably and +began to talk once more. "No, Sir," said Mr. Toad, "I'm not afraid of +anything." + +Just then there was another rustle in the grass, a little nearer than +before. Mr. Toad certainly was nervous. He stretched up on the tips of +his toes and looked in the direction of the sound. Then Mr. Toad turned +pale. Yes, Sir, Mr. Toad actually turned pale! His big, bulging eyes +looked as if they would pop out of his head. + +"I--I must be going," said Mr. Toad hastily. "I quite forgot an +important engagement down on the Green Meadows. If Mr. Blacksnake should +happen to call, don't mention that you have seen me, will you, Johnny +Chuck?" + +Johnny Chuck looked over in the grass. Something long and slim and black +was wriggling through it. When he turned about again, Mr. Toad was +half-way down the hill, going with such big hops that three times he +fell flat on his face, and when he picked himself up he didn't even stop +to brush off his clothes. + +"I wonder what it seems like not to be afraid of anything in the world?" +said a voice right behind Johnny Chuck. + +There stood Peter Rabbit laughing so that he had to hold his sides, and +in one hand was the end of an old leather strap which he had fooled Mr. +Toad into thinking was Mr. Blacksnake. + + + + +VII + +A JOKER FOOLED + + +Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck sat in the doorway of Jimmy Skunk's +deserted old house on the hill and looked down across the Green Meadows. +Every few minutes Peter Rabbit would chuckle as he thought of how he had +fooled Mr. Toad into thinking that an old leather strap was Mr. +Blacksnake. + +"Is Mr. Blacksnake so very dangerous?" asked Johnny Chuck, who had seen +very little of the world. + +"Not for you or me," replied Peter Rabbit, "because we've grown too big +for him to swallow. But he would like nothing better than to catch Mr. +Toad for his dinner. But if you ever meet Mr. Blacksnake, be polite to +him. He is very quick tempered, is Mr. Blacksnake, but if you don't +bother him he'll not bother you. My goodness, I wonder what's going on +down there in the alders!" + +Johnny Chuck looked over to the alder thicket. He saw Sammy Jay, Blacky +the Crow and Mrs. Redwing sitting in the alders. They were calling back +and forth, apparently very much excited. Peter Rabbit looked this way +and that way to see if the coast was clear. + +"Come on, Johnny Chuck, let's go down and see what the trouble is," said +he, for you know Peter Rabbit has a great deal of curiosity. + +So down to the alder thicket skipped Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck as +fast as they could go. Half-way there they were joined by Danny Meadow +Mouse, for he too had heard the fuss and wanted to know what it all +meant. + +"What's the matter?" asked Peter Rabbit of Sammy Jay, but Sammy was too +excited to answer and simply pointed down into the middle of the alder +thicket. So the three of them, one behind the other, very softly crept +in among the alders. A great commotion was going on among the dead +leaves. Danny Meadow Mouse gave one look, then he turned as pale as did +Mr. Toad when Peter Rabbit fooled him with the old leather strap. "This +is no place for me!" exclaimed Danny Meadow Mouse, and started for home +as fast as he could run. + +Partly under an old log lay Mr. Blacksnake. There seemed to be something +the matter with him. He looked sick, and threshed and struggled till he +made the leaves fly. Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow and Mrs. Redwing +called all sorts of insulting things to him, but he paid no attention to +them. Once Mrs. Redwing darted down and pecked him sharply. But Mr. +Blacksnake seemed quite helpless. + +"What's the matter with him?" asked Johnny Chuck in a whisper. + +"Nothing. Wait and you'll see. Sammy Jay and Mrs. Redwing better watch +out or they'll be sorry," replied Peter Rabbit. + +Just then Mr. Blacksnake wedged his head in under the old log and began +to push and wriggle harder than ever. Then Johnny Chuck gasped. Mr. +Blacksnake was crawling out of his clothes! Yes, Sir, his old suit was +coming off wrong side out, just like a glove, and underneath he wore a +splendid new suit of shiny black! + +"It's time for us to be moving," whispered Peter Rabbit. "After Mr. +Blacksnake has changed his clothes he is pretty short tempered. Just +hear him hiss at Mrs. Redwing and Sammy Jay!" + +They tiptoed out of the alder thicket and started back for the old house +on the hill. Peter Rabbit suddenly giggled out loud. "To-morrow," said +Peter Rabbit "we'll come back and get Mr. Blacksnake's old suit and have +some fun with Danny Meadow Mouse." + +The next morning Danny Meadow Mouse sat on his doorstep nodding. He was +dreaming that his tail was long like the tails of all his cousins. One +of Old Mother West Wind's Merry Little Breezes stole up and whispered in +his ear. Danny Meadow Mouse was awake, wide awake in an instant. "So +Peter Rabbit is going to play a joke on me and scare me into fits!" said +Danny Meadow Mouse. + +"Yes," said the Merry Little Breeze, "for I overheard him telling +Johnny Chuck all about it." + +Danny Meadow Mouse began to laugh softly to himself. "Will you do +something for me?" he asked the Merry Little Breeze. + +"Sure," replied the Merry Little Breeze. + +"Then go find Cresty the Fly-catcher and tell him that I want to see +him," said Danny Meadow Mouse. + +The Merry Little Breeze hurried away, and pretty soon back he came with +Cresty the Fly-catcher. + +Now all this time Peter Rabbit had been very busy planning his joke on +Danny Meadow Mouse. He and Johnny Chuck had gone down to the alder +thicket, where they had seen Mr. Blacksnake change his clothes, and they +had found his old suit just as he had left it. + +"We'll take this up and stretch it out behind a big tussock of grass +near the home of Danny Meadow Mouse," chuckled Peter Rabbit. "Then I'll +invite Danny Meadow Mouse to take a walk, and when we come by the +tussock of grass he will think he sees Mr. Blacksnake himself all ready +to swallow him. Then we'll see some fun." + +So they carried Mr. Blacksnake's old suit of clothes and hid it behind +the big tussock of grass, and arranged it to look as much like Mr. +Blacksnake as they could. Then Johnny Chuck went back to the old house +on the hill to watch the fun, while Peter Rabbit went to call on Danny +Meadow Mouse. + +"Good morning, Peter Rabbit," said Danny Meadow Mouse politely. + +"Good morning, Danny Meadow Mouse," replied Peter Rabbit. "Don't you +want to take a walk with me this fine morning?" + +"I'll be delighted to go," said Danny Meadow Mouse, reaching for his +hat. + +So they started out to walk and presently they came to the big tussock +of grass. + +Peter Rabbit stopped. "Excuse me, while I tie up my shoe. You go ahead +and I'll join you in a minute," said Peter Rabbit. + +So Danny Meadow Mouse went ahead. As soon as his back was turned Peter +Rabbit clapped both hands over his mouth to keep from laughing, for you +see he expected to see Danny Meadow Mouse come flying back in great +fright the minute he turned the big tussock and saw Mr. Blacksnake's old +suit. + +Peter Rabbit waited and waited, but no Danny Meadow Mouse. What did it +mean? Peter stopped laughing and peeped around the big tussock. There +sat Danny Meadow Mouse with both hands clapped over his mouth, and +laughing till the tears rolled down his cheeks, and Mr. Blacksnake's old +suit was nowhere to be seen. + +"He laughs best who laughs last," said Danny Meadow Mouse to himself, +late that afternoon, as he sat on his doorstep and chuckled softly. + +When he had first heard from a Merry Little Breeze that Peter Rabbit and +Johnny Chuck were planning to play a joke on him and scare him into fits +with a suit of Mr. Blacksnake's old clothes, he had tried very hard to +think of some way to turn the joke on the jokers. Then he had remembered +Cresty the Fly-catcher and had sent for him. + +Now Cresty the Fly-catcher is a handsome fellow. In fact he is quite the +gentleman, and does not look at all like one who would be at all +interested in any one's old clothes. But he is. He is never satisfied +until he has lined the hollow in the old apple-tree, which is his home, +with the old clothes of Mr. Snake. + +So when Danny Meadow Mouse sent for him and whispered in his ear Cresty +the Fly-catcher smiled broadly and winked knowingly. "I certainly will +be there, Danny Meadow Mouse, I certainly will be there," said he. And +he was there. He had hidden in a tree close by the big tussock of grass, +behind which Peter Rabbit had planned to place Mr. Blacksnake's old suit +so as to scare Danny Meadow Mouse. His eyes had sparkled when he saw +what a fine big suit it was. "My, but this will save me a lot of +trouble," said he to himself. "It's the finest old suit I've ever seen." + +The minute Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck had turned their backs down +dropped Cresty the Fly-catcher, picked up Mr. Blacksnake's old suit, +and taking it with him, once more hid in the tree. Presently back came +Peter Rabbit with Danny Meadow Mouse. You know what had happened then. + +Cresty the Fly-catcher had nearly dropped his prize, it tickled him so +to see Peter Rabbit on one side of the big tussock laughing fit to kill +himself at the scare he thought Danny Meadow Mouse would get when he +first saw Mr. Blacksnake's old suit, and on the other side of the big +tussock Danny Meadow Mouse laughing fit to kill himself over the +surprise Peter Rabbit would get when he found that Mr. Blacksnake's old +clothes had disappeared. + +Pretty soon Peter Rabbit had stopped laughing and peeped around the big +tussock. There sat Danny Meadow Mouse laughing fit to kill himself, but +not a trace of the old suit which was to have given him such a scare. +Peter couldn't believe his own eyes, for he had left it there not three +minutes before. Of course it wouldn't do to say anything about it, so he +had hurried around the big tussock as if he was merely trying to catch +up. + +"What are you laughing at, Danny Meadow Mouse?" asked Peter Rabbit. + +"I was thinking what a joke it would be if we could only find an old +suit of Mr. Blacksnake's and fool old Mr. Toad into thinking that it was +Mr. Blacksnake himself," replied Danny Meadow Mouse. "What are you +looking for, Peter Rabbit? Have you lost something?" + +"No," said Peter Rabbit. "I thought I heard footsteps, and I was looking +to see if it could be Reddy Fox creeping through the grass." + +Danny Meadow Mouse had stopped laughing. "Excuse me, Peter Rabbit," +said he hurriedly, "I've just remembered an important engagement." And +off he started for home as fast as he could go. + +And to this day Peter Rabbit doesn't know what became of Mr. +Blacksnake's old clothes. + + + + +VIII + +THE FUSS IN THE BIG PINE + + +Peter Rabbit hopped down the Crooked Little Path to the Lone Little Path +and down the Lone Little Path to the home of Johnny Chuck. Johnny Chuck +sat on his doorstep dreaming. They were very pleasant dreams, very +pleasant dreams indeed. They were such pleasant dreams that for once +Johnny Chuck forgot to put his funny little ears on guard. So Johnny +Chuck sat on his doorstep dreaming and heard nothing. + +Lipperty-lipperty-lip down the Lone Little Path came Peter Rabbit. He +saw Johnny Chuck and he stopped long enough to pluck a long stem of +grass. Then very, very softly he stole up behind Johnny Chuck. Reaching +out with the long stem of grass, he tickled one of Johnny Chuck's ears. + +Johnny Chuck slapped at his ear with a little black hand, for he thought +a fly was bothering him, just as Peter Rabbit meant that he should. +Peter tickled the other ear. Johnny Chuck shook his head and slapped at +this with the other little black hand. Peter almost giggled. He sat +still a few minutes, then tickled Johnny Chuck again. Johnny slapped +three or four times at the imaginary fly. This time Peter clapped both +hands over his mouth to keep from laughing. + +Once more he tickled Johnny Chuck. This time Johnny jumped clear off his +doorstep. Peter laughed before he could clap his hands over his mouth. +Of course Johnny Chuck heard him and whirled about. When he saw Peter +Rabbit and the long stem of grass he laughed, too. + +"Hello, Peter Rabbit! You fooled me that time. Where'd you come from?" +asked Johnny Chuck. + +"Down the Lone Little Path from the Crooked Little Path and down the +Crooked Little Path from the top of the Hill," replied Peter Rabbit. + +Then they sat down side by side on Johnny Chuck's doorstep to watch +Reddy Fox hunting for his dinner on the Green Meadows. + +Pretty soon they heard Blacky the Crow cawing very loudly. They could +see him on the tip-top of a big pine in the Green Forest on the edge of +the Green Meadows. + +"Caw, caw, caw," shouted Blacky the Crow, at the top of his lungs. + +In a few minutes they saw all of Blacky's aunts and uncles and cousins +flying over to join Blacky at the big pine in the midst of the Green +Forest. Soon there was a big crowd of crows around the big pine, all +talking at once. Such a racket! Such a dreadful racket! Every few +minutes one of them would fly into the big pine and yell at the top of +his lungs. Then all would caw together. Another would fly into the big +pine and they would do it all over again. + +Peter Rabbit began to get interested, for you know Peter has a very +great deal of curiosity. + +"Now I wonder what Blacky the Crow and his aunts and his uncles and his +cousins are making such a fuss about," said Peter Rabbit. + +"I'm sure I don't know," replied Johnny Chuck. "They seem to be having a +good time, anyway. My gracious, how noisy they are!" + +Just then along came Sammy Jay, who is, as you know, first cousin to +Blacky the Crow. He was coming from the direction of the big pine. + +"Sammy! Oh, Sammy Jay! What is all that fuss about over in the big +pine?" shouted Peter Rabbit. + +Sammy Jay stopped and carefully brushed his handsome blue coat, for +Sammy Jay is something of a dandy. He appeared not to have heard Peter +Rabbit. + +"Sammy Jay, are you deaf?" inquired Peter Rabbit. + +Now of course Sammy Jay had seen Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck all the +time, but he looked up as if very much surprised to find them there. + +"Oh, hello, Peter Rabbit!" said Sammy Jay. "Did you speak to me?" + +"No, oh, no," replied Peter Rabbit in disgust. "I was talking to +myself, just thinking out loud. I was wondering how many nuts a Jay +could steal if he had the chance." + +Johnny Chuck chuckled and Sammy Jay looked foolish. He couldn't find a +word to say, for he knew that all the little meadow people knew how he +once was caught stealing Happy Jack's store of nuts. + +"I asked what all that fuss over in the big pine is about," continued +Peter Rabbit. + +"Oh," said Sammy Jay, "my cousin, Blacky the Crow, found Hooty the Owl +asleep over there, and now he and his aunts and his uncles and his +cousins are having no end of fun with him. You know Hooty the Owl cannot +see in the daytime very well, and they can do almost anything to him +that they want to. It's great sport." + +"I don't see any sport in making other people uncomfortable," said +Johnny Chuck. + +"Nor I," said Peter Rabbit. "I'd be ashamed to own a cousin like Blacky +the Crow. I like people who mind their own affairs and leave other +people alone." + +Sammy Jay ran out his tongue at Peter Rabbit. + +"You are a nice one to talk about minding other folk's affairs!" jeered +Sammy Jay. + + "Peter Rabbit's ears are long; + I wonder why! I wonder why! + Because to hear what others say + He's bound to try! he's bound to try." + +It was Peter Rabbit's turn to look discomfited. + +"Anyway, I don't try to bully and torment others and I don't steal," he +retorted. + + "Sammy Jay's a handsome chap + And wears a coat of blue. + I wonder if it's really his + Or if he stole _that_, too." + +Just then Johnny Chuck's sharp eyes caught sight of something stealing +along the edge of the Green Meadows toward the Green Forest and the big +pine. + +"There's Farmer Brown's boy with a gun," cried Johnny Chuck. "There's +going to be trouble at the big pine if Blacky the Crow doesn't watch +out. That's what comes of being so noisy." + +Peter Rabbit and Sammy Jay stopped quarreling to look. Sure enough, +there was Farmer Brown's boy with his gun. He had heard Blacky the Crow +and his aunts and his uncles and his cousins and he had hurried to get +his gun, hoping to take them by surprise. + +But Blacky the Crow has sharp eyes, too. Indeed, there are none +sharper. Then, too, he is a mischief-maker. Mischief-makers are always +on the watch lest they get caught in their mischief. So Blacky the Crow, +sitting on the tip-top of the big pine, kept one eye out for trouble +while he enjoyed the tormenting of Hooty the Owl by his aunts and his +uncles and his cousins. He had seen Farmer Brown's boy even before +Johnny Chuck had. But he couldn't bear to spoil the fun of tormenting +Hooty the Owl, so he waited just as long as he dared. Then he gave the +signal. + +"Caw, caw, caw, caw!" shouted Blacky at the top of his lungs. + +"Caw, caw, caw, caw!" replied all his aunts and uncles and cousins, +rising into the air in a black cloud. Then, with Blacky in the lead, +they flew over on to the Green Meadows, laughing and talking noisily as +they went. + +Farmer Brown's boy did not try to follow them, for he knew that it was +of not the least bit of use. But he was curious to learn what the crows +had been making such a fuss about, so he kept on towards the big pine. + +Johnny Chuck watched him go. Suddenly he remembered Hooty the Owl, and +that Hooty cannot see well in the daytime. Very likely Hooty would think +that the crows had become tired of tormenting him and had gone off of +their own accord. Farmer Brown's boy would find him there and +then--Johnny Chuck shuddered as he thought of what might happen to Hooty +the Owl. + +"Run, Peter Rabbit, run as fast as you can down on the Green Meadows +where the Merry Little Breezes are at play and send one of them to tell +Hooty the Owl that Farmer Brown's boy is coming with a gun to the big +pine! Hurry, Peter, hurry!" cried Johnny Chuck. + +Peter did not need to be told twice. He saw the danger of Hooty the Owl, +and he started down the Lone Little Path on to the Green Meadows so fast +that in a few minutes all Johnny Chuck and Sammy Jay could see of him +was a little spot of white, which was the patch on the seat of Peter's +pants, bobbing through the grass on the Green Meadows. + +Johnny Chuck would have gone himself, but he is round and fat and +roly-poly and cannot run fast, while Peter Rabbit's legs are long and +meant for running. In a few minutes Johnny Chuck saw one of the Merry +Little Breezes start for the big pine as fast as he could go. Johnny +gave a great sigh of relief. + +Farmer Brown's boy kept on to the big pine. When he got there he found +no one there, for Hooty the Owl had heeded the warning of the Merry +Little Breeze and had flown into the deepest, darkest part of the Green +Forest, where not even the sharp eyes of Blacky the Crow were likely to +find him. + +And back on his doorstep Johnny Chuck chuckled to himself, for he was +happy, was Johnny Chuck, happy because he possessed the best thing in +the world, which is contentment. + +And this is all I am going to tell you about the fuss in the big +pine. + + + + +IX + +JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS A USE FOR HIS BACK DOOR + + +Johnny Chuck sat in his doorway looking over the Green Meadows. He felt +very fine. He had had a good breakfast in the sweet-clover patch. He had +had a good nap on his own doorstep. By and by he saw the Merry Little +Breezes of old Mother West Wind hurrying in his direction. They seemed +in a very great hurry. They didn't stop to kiss the buttercups or tease +the daisies. Johnny pricked up his small ears and watched them hurry up +the hill. + +"Good morning, Johnny Chuck," panted the first Merry Little Breeze to +reach him, "have you heard the news?" + +"What news?" asked Johnny Chuck. + +"The news about old Mother Chuck," replied the Merry Little Breezes. + +Johnny shook his head. + +"No," said he. "What is it?" + +The Merry Little Breezes grew very, very sober. + +"It is bad news," they replied. + +"What is it? Tell me quick!" begged Johnny. + +Just then Reddy Fox came hopping and skipping down the Lone Little Path. + +"Hi, Johnny Chuck, have you heard the news?" + +"No," said Johnny Chuck, "do tell me quick!" + +Reddy Fox grinned maliciously, for Reddy likes to torment others. "It's +about old Mrs. Chuck," said Reddy. + +"I know that already," replied Johnny, "but, please, what is it?" + +"Farmer Brown's boy has caught old Mrs. Chuck, and now I wouldn't wonder +but what he will come up here and catch you," replied Reddy, turning a +somersault. + +Johnny Chuck grew pale. He had not seen Mother Chuck to speak to since +he ran away from home. Now he was glad that he had run away, and yet +sorry, oh, so sorry that anything had happened to Mrs. Chuck. Two big +tears came into his eyes and ran down his funny little black nose. The +Merry Little Breezes saw this, and one of them hurried over and +whispered in Johnny Chuck's ear. + +"Don't cry, Johnny Chuck," whispered the Merry Little Breeze. "Old +Mother Chuck got away, and Farmer Brown's boy is still wondering how she +did it." + +Johnny's heart gave a great throb of relief. "I don't believe that +Farmer Brown's boy will catch me," said Johnny Chuck, "for my house has +two back doors." + +Johnny Chuck awoke very early the next morning. He stretched and yawned +and then just lay quietly enjoying himself for a few minutes. His +bedchamber, way down underground, was snug and warm and very, very +comfortable. By and by, Johnny Chuck heard a noise up by his front door. + +"I wonder what is going on out there," said Johnny Chuck to himself, and +jumping up, he tiptoed softly up the long hall until he had almost +reached his doorway. Then he heard a voice which he had heard before, +and it made little shivers run all over him. It was the voice of Granny +Fox. + +"So this is where that fat little Chuck has made his home," said Granny +Fox. + +"Yes," replied another voice, "this is where Johnny Chuck lives, for I +saw him here yesterday." + +Johnny pricked up his ears, for that was the voice of Reddy Fox. + +"Do you think he is in here now?" inquired Granny Fox. + +"I am sure of it," replied Reddy, "for I have been watching ever since +jolly, round, red Mr. Sun threw his nightcap off this morning, and +Johnny Chuck has not put his nose out yet." + +"Good," said Granny Fox, "I think fat Chuck will taste good for +breakfast." + +Johnny felt the cold shivers run over him again as he heard Granny Fox +and Reddy Fox smack their lips. Then Granny Fox spoke again: + +"You lie down behind that bunch of grass over there, Reddy, and I will +lie down behind the old apple-tree. When he comes out, you just jump +into his doorway and I will catch him before he can say Jack Robinson." + +Johnny waited and listened and listened, but all was as still as still +could be. Then Johnny Chuck tiptoed back along the hall to his bedroom +and sat down to think. He felt sure that Granny Fox and Reddy were +waiting for him, just as he had heard them plan. + +"However am I going to know when they leave?" said Johnny Chuck to +himself. Then he remembered the back doors which he had taken such care +to make, and which Peter Rabbit had laughed at him for taking the +trouble to make. He had hidden one so cunningly in the long grass and +had so carefully removed all sand from around it that he felt quite sure +that no one had found it. + +Very softly Johnny Chuck crept along the back passageway. Very, very +cautiously he stuck his little black nose out the doorway and sniffed. +Yes, he could smell foxes, but he knew that they were not at his back +door. Little by little he crept out until he could peep through the +grass. There lay Reddy Fox behind a big clump of grass, his eyes fixed +on Johnny Chuck's front door, and there behind the apple-tree lay Granny +Fox taking her ease, but all ready to jump when Reddy should give the +word. Johnny Chuck almost giggled out loud as he saw how eagerly Reddy +Fox was watching for him. Then Johnny Chuck had an idea that made him +giggle harder. His black eyes snapped and he chuckled to himself. + +Pretty soon along came Bumble the Bee, looking for honey. He came +bustling and humming through the tall grass and settled on a dandelion +right on the doorstep of Johnny Chuck's back door. + +"Good morning," grumbled Bumble the Bee. + +Johnny put a hand on his lips and beckoned Bumble to come inside. + +Now Bumble the Bee is a gruff and rough fellow, but he is a good fellow, +too, when you know him. Johnny Chuck had many times told him of places +where the flowers grew thick and sweet, so when Johnny beckoned to him, +Bumble came at once. + +"Will you do something for me, Bumble?" whispered Johnny Chuck. + +"Of course, I will," replied Bumble, in his gruff voice. "What is it?" + +Then Johnny Chuck told Bumble the Bee how Granny and Reddy Fox were +waiting for him to come out for his breakfast and how they had planned +to gobble him up for their own breakfast. Bumble the Bee grew very +indignant. + +"What do you want me to do, Johnny Chuck?" he asked. "If I can help you, +just tell me how." + +Johnny whispered something to Bumble the Bee, and Bumble laughed right +out loud. Then he buzzed up out of the doorway, and Johnny crept up to +watch. Straight over to where Reddy Fox was squatting behind the clump +of grass flew Bumble the Bee, so swiftly that Johnny could hardly see +him. Suddenly Reddy gave a yelp and sprang into the air. Johnny Chuck +clapped both hands over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud, for +you see Bumble the Bee had stuck his sharp little lance into one of the +ears of Reddy Fox. + +Granny Fox looked up and scowled. "Keep still," she whispered. + +Just then Reddy yelped louder than before, for Bumble had stung him in +the other ear. + +"What's the matter?" snapped Granny Fox. + +"I don't know," cried Reddy Fox, hanging on to both ears. + +"You are--" began Granny Fox, but Johnny Chuck never knew what she was +going to say Reddy Fox was, for you see just then Bumble the Bee thrust +his sharp little lance into one of her ears, and before she could turn +around he had done the same thing to the other ear. + +Granny Fox didn't wait for any more. She started off as fast as she +could go, with Reddy Fox after her, and every few steps they rubbed +their ears and shook their heads as if they thought they could shake out +the pain. + + + + +X + +BILLY MINK GOES DINNERLESS + + +Down the Laughing Brook came Billy Mink. He was feeling very good that +morning, was Billy Mink, pleased with the world in general and with +himself in particular. When he reached the Smiling Pool he swam out to +the Big Rock. Little Joe Otter was already there, and not far away, +lazily floating, with his head and back out of water, was Jerry Muskrat. + +"Hello, Billy Mink," cried Little Joe Otter. + +"Hello yourself," replied Billy Mink, with a grin. + +"Where are you going?" asked Little Joe Otter. + +"Nowhere in particular," replied Billy Mink. + +"Let's go fishing down to the Big River," said Little Joe Otter. + +"Let's!" cried Billy, diving from the highest point on the Big Rock. + +So off they started across the Green Meadows towards the Big River. Half +way there they met Reddy Fox. + +"Hello, Reddy! Come on with us to the Big River, fishing," called Billy +Mink. + +[Illustration: "Come on with us to the Big River, fishing," called Billy +Mink.] + +Now Reddy Fox is no fisherman, though he likes fish to eat well enough. +He remembered the last time he went fishing and how Billy Mink had +laughed at him when he fell into the Smiling Pool. He was just about to +say "no" when he changed his mind. + +"All right, I'll go," said Reddy Fox. + +So the three of them raced merrily across the Green Meadows until +they came to the Big River. Now Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter are +famous fishermen and can swim even faster than the fish themselves. But +Reddy Fox is a poor swimmer and must depend upon his wits. When they +reached the bank of the Big River they very carefully crawled down to a +sandy beach. There, just a little way out from shore, a school of little +striped perch were at play. Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter prepared to +dive in and each grab a fish, but Reddy Fox knew that he could not swim +well enough for that. + +"Wait a minute," whispered Reddy. "Billy Mink, you go up the river a +little way and swim out beyond where the fish are at play. Little Joe +Otter, you go down the river a little way and swim out to join Billy +Mink. Then both together rush in as fast as you can swim. The fish will +be so frightened they will rush in where the water is shallow. Of course +you will each catch one, anyway, and perhaps I may be so lucky as to +catch one in the shallow water." + +Billy Mink and little Joe Otter agreed, and did just as Reddy Fox had +told them to. When they were between the playing fish and deep water +they started in with a rush. The little striped perch were young and +foolish. When they saw Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter they rushed madly +away from them without looking to see where they were going to. As Reddy +Fox had foreseen would be the case, a lot of them became stranded where +the water was too shallow for swimming, and there they jumped and +flapped helplessly. + +Reddy was waiting for them and in a twinkling his little black paw had +scooped half a dozen fish high and dry on the beach. Billy Mink and +Little Joe Otter were too busy watching the fish to see what Reddy was +doing. He had caught six fish and these he hid under a log. When Billy +Mink and Little Joe Otter swam ashore, Reddy was the picture of +disappointment, for he had nothing to show, while the others each had a +plump little fish. + +"Never mind," said Little Joe Otter, "I'll give you the next one I +catch." + +But Billy Mink jeered at Reddy Fox. "Pooh! you're no fisherman, Reddy +Fox! If I couldn't catch fish when they are chased right into my hands +I'd never go fishing." + +Reddy Fox pretended to be indignant. "I tell you what, Billy Mink," said +he, "if I don't catch more fish than you do to-day I'll bring you the +plumpest chicken in Farmer Brown's dooryard, but if I do catch more fish +than you do you will give me the biggest one you catch. Do you agree?" + +Now Billy Mink is very fond of plump chicken and here was a chance to +get one without danger of meeting Bowser the Hound, who guards Farmer +Brown's chickens. So Billy Mink agreed to give Reddy Fox the biggest +fish he caught that day if Reddy could show more fish than he could at +the end of the day. All the time he chuckled to himself, for you know +Billy Mink is a famous fisherman, and he knew that Reddy Fox is a poor +swimmer and does not like the water. + +By and by they came to another sandy beach like the first one. They +could see another school of foolish young fish at play. As before, Reddy +Fox remained on shore while the others swam out and drove the fish in. +As before Reddy caught half a dozen, while Billy Mink and Little Joe +Otter each caught one this time. Reddy hid five and then pretended to be +so tickled over catching one, the smallest of the lot, that Billy Mink +didn't once suspect a trick. + +Two or three times more Reddy Fox repeated this. Then he discovered a +big pickerel sunning himself beside an old log floating in deep water. +Reddy couldn't catch Mr. Pickerel, for the water was deep. What should +he do? Reddy sat down to think. Finally he thought of a plan. Very +cautiously he backed away so as not to scare the big fish. Then he +called Billy Mink. When Billy saw the big pickerel, his mouth watered, +too, and his little black eyes sparkled. + +Very quietly Billy slipped into the water back of the old log. There was +not so much as a ripple to warn the big pickerel. Drawing a long breath, +Billy dived under the log, and coming up under the big pickerel, seized +it by the middle. There was a tremendous thrashing and splashing, and +then Billy Mink swam ashore and proudly laid the big fish on the bank. + +"Don't you wish it was yours?" asked Billy Mink. + +"It ought to be mine, for I saw it first," said Reddy Fox. + +"But you didn't catch it and I did," retorted Billy Mink. "I'm going to +have it for my dinner. My, but I do like fat pickerel!" Billy smacked +his lips. + +Reddy Fox said nothing, but tried his best to look disappointed and +dejected. All the time he was chuckling inwardly. + +For the rest of the day the fishing was poor. Just as Old Mother West +Wind started for the Green Meadows to take her children, the Merry +Little Breezes, to their home behind the Purple Hills, the three little +fishermen started to count up their catch. Then Reddy brought out all +the fish that he had hidden. When they saw the pile of fish Reddy Fox +had, Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter were so surprised that their eyes +popped out and their jaws dropped. Very foolish they looked, very +foolish indeed, for Reddy had four times as many as either of them. + +Reddy walked over to the big pickerel and picking it up, carried it over +to his pile. "What are you doing with my fish?" shouted Billy Mink +angrily. + +"It isn't yours, it's mine!" retorted Reddy Fox. + +Billy Mink fairly danced up and down he was so angry. "It's not yours!" +he shrieked. "It's mine, for I caught it!" + +"And you agreed that your biggest fish should be mine if I caught more +fish than you did. I've caught four times as many, so the pickerel is +mine," retorted Reddy, winking at Little Joe Otter. + +Then Billy Mink did a very foolish thing; he lost his temper completely. +He called Reddy Fox bad names. But he did not dare try to take the big +pickerel away from Reddy, for Reddy is much bigger than he. Finally he +worked himself into such a rage that he ran off home leaving his pile of +fish behind. + +Reddy Fox and Little Joe Otter took care not to touch Billy Mink's fish, +but Reddy divided his big pile with Little Joe Otter. Then they, too, +started for home, Reddy carrying the big pickerel. + +Late that night, when he had recovered his temper, Billy Mink began to +grow hungry. The more he thought of his fish the hungrier he grew. +Finally he could stand it no longer and started for the Big River to +see what had become of his fish. He reached the strip of beach where he +had so foolishly left them just in time to see the last striped perch +disappear down the long throat of Mr. Night Heron. + +And this is how it happened that Billy Mink went dinnerless to bed. But +he had learned three things, had Billy, and he never forgot them--that +wit is often better than skill; that it is not only mean but is very +foolish to sneer at another; and that to lose one's temper is the most +foolish thing in the world. + + + + +XI + +GRANDFATHER FROG'S JOURNEY + + +Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily-pad in the Smiling Pool +and--Grandfather Frog was asleep! There was no doubt about it, +Grandfather Frog was really and truly asleep. His hands were folded +across his white and yellow waistcoat and his eyes were closed. Three +times the Merry Little Breezes blew a foolish green fly right past his +nose;--Grandfather Frog didn't so much as blink. + +Presently Billy Mink discovered that Grandfather Frog was asleep. +Billy's little black eyes twinkled with mischief as he hurried over to +the slippery slide in search of Little Joe Otter. Then the two scamps +hunted up Jerry Muskrat. They found him very busy storing away a supply +of food in his new house. At first Jerry refused to listen to what they +had to say, but the more they talked the more Jerry became interested. + +"We won't hurt Grandfather Frog, not the least little bit," protested +Billy Mink. "It will be just the best joke and the greatest fun ever, +and no harm done." + +The more Jerry thought over Billy Mink's plan, the funnier the joke +seemed. Finally Jerry agreed to join Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter. +Then the three put their heads together and with a lot of giggling and +chuckling they planned their joke on Grandfather Frog. + +Now Jerry Muskrat can stay a very long time under water, and his teeth +are long and sharp in order to cut the roots on which he depends for +much of his food. So Jerry swam out to the big green lily-pad on which +sat Grandfather Frog fast asleep. Diving way to the bottom of the +Smiling Pool, Jerry cut off the stem of the big green lily-pad close to +its root way down in the mud. + +While Jerry was at work doing this, Billy Mink sent the Merry Little +Breezes hurrying over the Green Meadows to call all the little meadow +people to the Smiling Pool. Then, when Jerry Muskrat came up for a +breath of air, Billy Mink dived down and, getting hold of the end of the +lily-pad stem, he began to swim, towing the big green lily-pad after him +very slowly and gently so as not to waken Grandfather Frog. When Billy +had to come up for air, Little Joe Otter took his place. Then Jerry +Muskrat took his turn. + +Across the Smiling Pool, past the Big Rock, they towed the big green +lily-pad, while Grandfather Frog slept peacefully, his hands folded +over his white and yellow waistcoat. Past the bulrushes and Jerry +Muskrat's new house, past Little Joe Otter's slippery slide sailed +Grandfather Frog, and still he slept and dreamed of the days when the +world was young. + +Out of the Smiling Pool and into the Laughing Brook, where the brown +water flows smoothly, the three little swimmers towed the big green +lily-pad. It floated along of itself now, and all they had to do was to +steer it clear of rocks and old logs. Once it almost got away from them, +on the edge of a tiny waterfall, but all three pulling together towed it +out of danger. At last, in a dear little pool with a mossy green bank, +they anchored the big green lily-pad. + +Then Billy Mink hurried back to the Smiling Pool to tell the little +meadow people where to find Grandfather Frog. Little Joe Otter climbed +out on the mossy green bank and Jerry Muskrat joined him there to rest +and dry off. One by one the little meadow people came hurrying up. Reddy +Fox was the first. Then came Johnny Chuck and Striped Chipmunk. Of +course Peter Rabbit was on hand. You can always count Peter in, when +there is anything going on among the little meadow people. Danny Meadow +Mouse and Happy Jack Squirrel arrived quite out of breath. Sammy Jay and +Blacky the Crow were not far behind. Last of all came Jimmy Skunk, who +never hurries. + +Each in turn peeped over the edge of the mossy green bank to see +Grandfather Frog still sleeping peacefully on his big green lily-pad in +the dear little pool. Then all hid where they could see him when he +awoke, but where he could not see them. + +Presently Billy Mink reached out with a long straw and tickled +Grandfather Frog on the end of his nose. Grandfather Frog opened his +eyes and yawned sleepily. Right over his head he saw jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun smiling down on him just as he last saw him before falling +asleep. He yawned again and then looked to see if Billy Mink was sitting +on the Big Rock. + +Where was the Big Rock? Grandfather Frog sat up very suddenly and rubbed +his eyes. There wasn't any Big Rock! Grandfather Frog pinched himself to +make sure that he was awake. Then he rubbed his eyes again and looked +down at the big green lily-pad. Yes, that was his, the very same +lily-pad on which he sat every day. + +Grandfather Frog was more perplexed than ever. Slowly he looked around. +Where were the slippery slide and Jerry Muskrat's new house? Where were +the bulrushes and where--where was the _Smiling Pool_? Grandfather +Frog's jaw dropped as he looked about him. His own big green lily-pad +was the only lily-pad in sight. Had the world turned topsy-turvy while +he slept? + +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "This is very strange, very +strange, indeed!" + +Then he turned around three times and pinched himself again. "Very +strange, very strange, indeed," muttered Grandfather Frog over and over +again. He scratched his head first with one hand and then with the +other, and the more he scratched the stranger it all seemed. + +Just then he heard a giggle up on the mossy green bank. Grandfather Frog +whirled around. "Chug-a-rum!" he exclaimed. "Billy Mink, come out from +behind that tall grass and tell me where I am and what this means! I +might have known that you were at the bottom of it." + +Then out jumped all the little meadow people and the Merry Little +Breezes to shout and laugh and dance and roll over and over on the mossy +green bank. Grandfather Frog looked at one and then at another and +gradually he began to smile. Pretty soon he was laughing as hard as any +of them, as Billy Mink told how they had towed him down to the dear +little pool. + +"And now, Grandfather Frog, we'll take you home again," concluded Billy +Mink. + +So, as before, Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat took +turns towing the big green lily-pad, while in the middle of it sat +Grandfather Frog, catching foolish green flies which the Merry Little +Breezes blew over to him. + +Reddy Fox, Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, Danny Meadow Mouse, Striped +Chipmunk, Happy Jack Squirrel and Jimmy Skunk raced and capered along +the bank and shouted encouragement to the three little swimmers, while +over-head flew Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow. And, never once losing his +balance, Grandfather Frog sat on the big green lily-pad, enjoying his +strange ride and smacking his lips over the foolish green flies. + +And so they came once more to the Smiling Pool, past the slippery slide, +past the bulrushes and Jerry Muskrat's new house and the Big Rock, until +Grandfather Frog and his queer craft were once more anchored safe and +sound in the old familiar place. + +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "I think I'd like to go again." + + + + +XII + +WHY BLACKY THE CROW WEARS MOURNING + + +Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily-pad in the Smiling Pool. +Grandfather Frog felt very good that morning, very good indeed, +because--why, because his white and yellow waistcoat was full of foolish +green flies. It is doubtful, very, very doubtful if Grandfather Frog +could have swallowed another foolish green fly to save his life. So he +sat with his hands folded across his white and yellow waistcoat, and +into his eyes, his great goggly eyes, there crept a far, far, far away +look. Grandfather Frog was dreaming of the days when the world was young +and the frogs ruled the world. + +Pretty soon the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind came over +to the Smiling Pool to rock Mrs. Redwing's babies to sleep in their +cradle in the bulrushes. But when they saw Grandfather Frog they forgot +all about Mrs. Redwing and her babies. + +"Good morning, Grandfather Frog!" they shouted. + +Grandfather Frog awoke from his dream with a funny little jump. + +"Goodness, how you startled me!" said Grandfather Frog, smoothing down +his white and yellow waistcoat. + +The Merry Little Breezes giggled. "We didn't mean to, truly we didn't," +said the merriest one of all. "We just wanted to know how you do this +fine morning, and--and--" + +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog, "you want me to tell you a story." + +The Merry Little Breezes giggled again. "How did you ever guess it?" +they cried. "It must be because you are so very, very wise. Will you +tell us a story, Grandfather Frog? Will you please?" + +Grandfather Frog looked up and winked one big, goggly eye at jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun, who was smiling down from the blue sky. Then he sat +still so long that the Merry Little Breezes began to fear that +Grandfather Frog was out of sorts and that there would be no story that +morning. They fidgeted about among the bulrushes and danced back and +forth across the lily-pads. They had even begun to think again of Mrs. +Redwing's babies. + +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog suddenly. "What shall I tell you +about?" + +Just then a black shadow swept across the Smiling Pool. "Caw, caw, caw, +caw!" shouted Blacky the Crow noisily, as he flew over toward Farmer +Brown's cornfield. + +"Tell us why Blacky the Crow always wears a coat of black, as if he were +in mourning," shouted the Merry Little Breezes. + +Grandfather Frog watched Blacky disappear behind the Lone Pine. Then, +when the Merry Little Breezes had settled down, each in the golden heart +of a white water-lily, he began: + +"Once upon a time, when the world was young, old Mr. Crow, the +grandfather a thousand times removed of Blacky, whom you all know, lived +in the Green Forest on the edge of the Green Meadows, just as Blacky +does now, and with him lived his brothers and sisters, his uncles and +aunts, his cousins and all his poor relations. + +"Now Mr. Crow was very smart. Indeed, he was the smartest of all the +birds. There wasn't anything that old Mr. Crow couldn't do or didn't +know. At least he thought there wasn't. All the little meadow people and +forest folks began to think so, too, and one after another they got in +the habit of coming to him for advice, until pretty soon they were +bringing all their affairs to Mr. Crow for settlement. + +"Now for a while Mr. Crow showed great wisdom, and this so pleased Old +Mother Nature that she gave him a suit of pure, dazzling white, so that +all seeing him might look up to him as a shining example of wisdom and +virtue. Of course all his brothers and sisters, his uncles and aunts, +his cousins and all his poor relations at once put on white, that all +might know that they were of Mr. Crow's family. And of course every one +showed them the greatest attention out of respect to old Mr. Crow, so +that presently they began to hold their heads very high and to think +that because they were related to old Mr. Crow they were a little better +than any of the other little meadow people and forest folks. When they +met old Mr. Rabbit they would pretend not to see him, because he wore a +white patch on the seat of his trousers. When old Mr. Woodchuck said +'good morning,' they would pretend not to hear, for you know Mr. +Woodchuck wore a suit of dingy yellow and lived in a hole in the ground. +Old Mr. Toad was ugly to look upon. Besides, he worked for his living in +a garden. So when they happened to meet him on the road they always +turned their backs. + +"For a long time old Mr. Crow himself continued to be a very fine +gentleman and to hold the respect of all his neighbors. He was polite to +every one, and to all who came to him he freely gave of his advice as +wisely as he knew how. Of course it wasn't long before he knew all about +his neighbors and their private affairs. Now it isn't safe to know too +much about your neighbors and what they are doing. It is dangerous +knowledge, very dangerous knowledge indeed," said Grandfather Frog +solemnly. + +"To be sure it would have been safe enough," he continued, "if Mr. Crow +had kept it to himself. But after a while Mr. Crow became vain. Yes, +Sir, that is just what happened to old Mr. Crow--he became vain. He +liked to feel that all the little meadow people and forest folks looked +up to him with respect, and whenever he saw one of them coming he would +brush his white coat, swell himself up and look very important. After a +while he began to brag among his relatives of how much he knew about his +neighbors. Of course they were very much interested, very much +interested indeed, and this flattered Mr. Crow so that almost before he +knew it he was telling some of the private affairs which had been +brought to him for his advice. Oh, dear me, Mr. Crow began to gossip. + +"Now, gossiping is one of the worst habits in all the world, one of the +very worst. No good ever comes of it. It just makes trouble, trouble, +trouble. It was so now. Mr. Crow's relatives repeated the stories that +they heard. But they took great care that no one should know where they +came from. My, my, my, how trouble did spread on the Green Meadows and +in the Green Forest! No one suspected old Mr. Crow, so he was more in +demand than ever to straighten matters out. His neighbors came to him so +much that they began to be ashamed to ask his advice for nothing, so +they brought him presents so that no more need Mr. Crow hunt for things +to eat. Instead, he lived on the fat of the land without working, and +grew fat and lazy. + +"As I have told you, Mr. Crow was smart. Yes, indeed, he certainly was +smart. It did not take him long to see that the more trouble there was +among his neighbors the more they would need his advice, and the more +they needed his advice the more presents he would receive. He grew very +crafty. He would tell tales just to make trouble, and sometimes, when he +saw a chance, he would give advice that he knew would make more trouble. +The fact is, old Mr. Crow became a mischief-maker, the very worst kind +of a mischief-maker. And all the time he appeared to be the fine +gentleman that he used to be. He wore his fine white coat as proudly as +ever. + +"Matters grew worse and worse. Never had there been so much trouble on +the Green Meadows or so many quarrels in the Green Forest. Old Mr. Mink +never met old Mr. Otter without picking a fight. Old Mrs. Skunk wouldn't +speak to old Mrs. Coon. Old Mr. Chipmunk turned his back on his cousin, +old Mr. Red Squirrel, whenever their paths crossed. Even my grandfather +a thousand times removed, old Mr. Frog, refused to see his nearest +relative, old Mr. Toad. And all the time old Mr. Crow wore his beautiful +suit of white and grew rich and fat, chuckling to himself over his +ill-gotten wealth. + +"Then one day came Old Mother Nature to visit the Green Meadows. It +didn't take her long to find that something was wrong, very wrong +indeed. Old Mr. Crow and all his relatives hastened to pay their +respects and to tell her how much they appreciated their beautiful +white suits. Old Mr. Crow made a full report of all the troubles that +had been brought to him, but he took great care not to let her know that +he had had any part in making trouble. He looked very innocent, oh, +very, very innocent, but not once did he look her straight in the face. + +"Now the eyes of Old Mother Nature are wonderfully sharp and they seemed +to bore right through old Mr. Crow. You can't fool Old Mother Nature. +No, Sir, you can't fool Old Mother Nature, and it's of no use to try. +She listened to all that Mr. Crow had to say. Then she sent Mr. North +Wind to blow his great trumpet and call together all the little people +of the Green Meadows and all the little folks of the Green Forest. + +"When they had all come together she told them all that had happened. +She told just how Mr. Crow had started the stories in order to make +trouble so that they would seek his advice and bring him presents to pay +for it. When the neighbors of old Mr. Crow heard this they were very +angry, and they demanded of Old Mother Nature that Mr. Crow be punished. + +"'Look!' said Old Mother Nature, pointing at old Mr. Crow. 'He has been +punished already.' + +"Every one turned to look at Mr. Crow. At first they hardly knew him. +Instead of his suit of spotless white his clothes were black, as black +as the blackest night. So were the clothes of his uncles and aunts, his +brothers and sisters, his cousins and all his poor relations. + +"And ever since that long-ago day, when the world was young, the Crows +have been mischief-makers and have worn black, that all who look may +know that they bring nothing but trouble," concluded Grandfather Frog. + +"Thank you! Thank you, Grandfather Frog," shouted the Merry Little +Breezes, jumping up to go rock the Redwing babies. + +"Caw, caw, caw, caw!" shouted Blacky the Crow, flying over their heads +with a mouthful of corn he had stolen from Farmer Brown's cornfield. + + + + +XIII + +STRIPED CHIPMUNK FOOLS PETER RABBIT + + +Peter Rabbit sat at the top of the Crooked Little Path where it starts +down the hill. He was sitting there when jolly, round, red Mr. Sun threw +his nightcap off and began his daily climb up into the blue, blue sky. +He saw Old Mother West Wind hurry down from the Purple Hills and turn +her Merry Little Breezes out to play on the Green Meadows. + +Peter yawned. The fact is, Peter had been out nearly all night, and now +he didn't know just what to do with himself. Presently he saw Striped +Chipmunk whisk up on top of an old log. As usual the pockets in Striped +Chipmunk's cheeks were stuffed so full that his head looked to be twice +as big as it really is, and as usual he seemed to be very busy, very +busy indeed. He stopped just long enough to wink one of his saucy black +eyes and shout: "Good morning, Peter Rabbit!" + +Then he disappeared as suddenly as he had come. A few minutes later he +was back on the old log, but this time his cheeks were empty. + +"Fine day, Peter Rabbit," said Striped Chipmunk, and whisked out of +sight. + +Peter Rabbit yawned again. Then he closed his eyes for just a minute. +When he opened them there was Striped Chipmunk on the old log just as +before, and the pockets in both cheeks were so full that it seemed as if +they would burst. + +"Nice morning to work, Peter Rabbit," said Striped Chipmunk, in spite of +his full cheeks. Then he was gone. + +Once more Peter Rabbit closed his eyes, but hardly were they shut when +Striped Chipmunk shouted: + +"Oh, you Peter Rabbit, been out all night?" + +Peter snapped his eyes open just in time to see the funny little tail of +Striped Chipmunk vanish over the side of the old log. Peter scratched +one of his long ears and yawned again, for Peter was growing more and +more sleepy. It was a long yawn, but Peter cut it off right in the +middle, for there was Striped Chipmunk back on the old log, and both +pockets in his cheeks were stuffed full. + +Now Peter Rabbit is as curious as he is lazy, and you know he is very, +very lazy. The fact is, Peter Rabbit's curiosity is his greatest fault, +and it gets him into a great deal of trouble. It is because of this and +the bad, bad habit of meddling in the affairs of other people into +which it has led him that Peter Rabbit has such long ears. + +For a while Peter watched busy Striped Chipmunk. Then he began to wonder +what Striped Chipmunk could be doing. The more he wondered the more he +felt that he really must know. The next time Striped Chipmunk appeared +on the old log, Peter shouted to him. + +"Hi, Striped Chipmunk, what are you so busy about? Why don't you play a +little?" + +Striped Chipmunk stopped a minute. "I'm building a new house," said he. + +"Where?" asked Peter Rabbit. + +"That's telling," replied Striped Chipmunk, and whisked out of sight. + +Now Peter Rabbit knew where Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk and Bobby Coon and +Happy Jack Squirrel and Johnny Chuck and Danny Meadow Mouse lived. He +knew all the little paths leading to their homes. But he did not know +where Striped Chipmunk lived. He never had known. He thought of this as +he watched Striped Chipmunk hurrying back and forth. The more he thought +of it the more curious he grew. He really _must_ know. Pretty soon along +came Jimmy Skunk, looking for some beetles. + +"Hello, Jimmy Skunk," said Peter Rabbit. + +"Hello, Peter Rabbit," said Jimmy Skunk. + +"Do you know where Striped Chipmunk lives?" asked Peter Rabbit. + +"No, I don't know where Striped Chipmunk lives, and I don't care; it's +none of my business," replied Jimmy Skunk. "Have you seen any beetles +this morning?" + +Peter Rabbit hadn't seen any beetles, so Jimmy Skunk went on down the +Crooked Little Path, still looking for his breakfast. + +By and by along came Johnny Chuck. + +"Hello, Johnny Chuck!" said Peter Rabbit. + +"Hello, yourself!" said Johnny Chuck. + +"Do you know where Striped Chipmunk lives?" asked Peter Rabbit. + +"No, I don't, for it's none of my business," said Johnny Chuck, and +started on down the Crooked Little Path to the Green Meadows. + +Then along came Bobby Coon. + +"Hello, Bobby Coon!" said Peter Rabbit. + +"Hello!" replied Bobby Coon shortly, for he too had been out all night +and was very sleepy. + +"Do you know where Striped Chipmunk lives?" asked Peter Rabbit. + +"Don't know and don't want to; it's none of my business," said Bobby +Coon even more shortly than before, and started on for his hollow +chestnut tree to sleep the long, bright day away. + +Peter Rabbit could stand it no longer. Curiosity had driven away all +desire to sleep. He simply had to know where Striped Chipmunk lived. + +"I'll just follow Striped Chipmunk and see for myself where he lives," +said Peter to himself. + +So Peter Rabbit hid behind a tuft of grass close by the old log and sat +very, very still. It was a very good place to hide, a very good place. +Probably if Peter Rabbit had not been so brimming over with curiosity he +would have succeeded in escaping the sharp eyes of Striped Chipmunk. But +people full of curiosity are forever pricking up their ears to hear +things which do not in the least concern them. It was so with Peter +Rabbit. He was so afraid that he would miss something that both his +long ears were standing up straight, and they came above the grass +behind which Peter Rabbit was hiding. + +Of course Striped Chipmunk saw them the very instant he jumped up on the +old log with both pockets in his cheeks stuffed full. He didn't say a +word, but his sharp little eyes twinkled as he jumped off the end of the +old log and scurried along under the bushes, for he guessed what Peter +Rabbit was hiding for, and though he did not once turn his head he knew +that Peter was following him. You see Peter runs with big jumps, +lipperty-lipperty-lip, and people who jump must make a noise. + +So, though he tried very hard not to make a sound, Peter was in such a +hurry to keep Striped Chipmunk in sight that he really made a great deal +of noise. The more noise Peter made, the more Striped Chipmunk chuckled +to himself. + +Presently Striped Chipmunk stopped. Then he sat up very straight and +looked this way and looked that way, just as if trying to make sure that +no one was watching him. Then he emptied two pocketfuls of shining +yellow gravel on to a nice new mound which he was building. Once more he +sat up and looked this way and looked that way. Then he scuttled back +towards the old log. As he ran Striped Chipmunk chuckled and chuckled to +himself, for all the time he had seen Peter Rabbit lying flat down +behind a little bush and knew that Peter Rabbit was thinking to himself +how smart he had been to find Striped Chipmunk's home when no one else +knew where it was. + +No sooner was Striped Chipmunk out of sight than up jumped Peter Rabbit. +He smiled to himself as he hurried over to the shining mound of yellow +gravel. You see Peter's curiosity was so great that not once did he +think how mean he was to spy on Striped Chipmunk. + +"Now," thought Peter, "I know where Striped Chipmunk lives. Jimmy Skunk +doesn't know. Johnny Chuck doesn't know. Bobby Coon doesn't know. But +_I_ know. Striped Chipmunk may fool all the others, but he can't fool +me." + +By this time Peter Rabbit had reached the shining mound of yellow +gravel. At once he began to hunt for the doorway to Striped Chipmunk's +home. But there wasn't any doorway. No, Sir, there wasn't any doorway! +Look as he would, Peter Rabbit could not find the least sign of a +doorway. He walked 'round and 'round the mound and looked here and +looked there, but not the least sign of a door was to be seen. There +was nothing but the shining mound of yellow gravel, the green grass, the +green bushes and the blue, blue sky, with jolly, round, red Mr. Sun +looking down and laughing at him. + +Peter Rabbit sat down on Striped Chipmunk's shining mound of yellow +gravel and scratched his left ear with his left hindfoot. Then he +scratched his right ear with his right hindfoot. It was very perplexing. +Indeed, it was so perplexing that Peter quite forgot that Striped +Chipmunk would soon be coming back. Suddenly right behind Peter's back +Striped Chipmunk spoke. + +"How do you like my sand pile, Peter Rabbit? Don't you think it is a +pretty nice sand pile?" asked Striped Chipmunk politely. And all the +time he was chuckling away to himself. + +Peter was so surprised that he very nearly fell backward off the +shining mound of yellow gravel. For a minute he didn't know what to +say. Then he found his tongue. + +[Illustration: Peter was so surprised that he nearly fell backward.] + +"Oh," said Peter Rabbit, apparently in the greatest surprise, "is this +your sand pile, Striped Chipmunk? It's a very nice sand pile indeed. Is +this where you live?" + +Striped Chipmunk shook his head. "No, oh, my, no!" said he. "I wouldn't +think of living in such an exposed place! My goodness, no indeed! +Everybody knows where this is. I'm building a new home, you know, and of +course I don't want the gravel to clutter up my dooryard. So I've +brought it all here. Makes a nice sand pile, doesn't it? You are very +welcome to sit on my sand pile whenever you feel like it, Peter Rabbit. +It's a good place to take a sun bath; I hope you'll come often." + +All the time Striped Chipmunk was saying this his sharp little eyes +twinkled with mischief and he chuckled softly to himself. + +Peter Rabbit was more curious than ever. "Where is your new home, +Striped Chipmunk?" he asked. + +"Not far from here; come call on me," said Striped Chipmunk. + +Then with a jerk of his funny little tail he was gone. It seemed as if +the earth must have swallowed him up. Striped Chipmunk can move very +quickly, and he had whisked out of sight in the bushes before Peter +Rabbit could turn his head to watch him. + +Peter looked behind every bush and under every stone, but nowhere could +he find Striped Chipmunk or a sign of Striped Chipmunk's home, excepting +the shining mound of yellow gravel. At last Peter pushed his inquisitive +nose right into the doorway of Bumble the Bee. Now Bumble the Bee +happened to be at home, and being very short of temper, he thrust a +sharp little needle into the inquisitive nose of Peter Rabbit. + +"Oh! oh! oh!" shrieked Peter, clapping both hands to his nose, and +started off home as fast as he could go. + +And though he didn't know it and doesn't know it to this day, he went +right across the doorstep of Striped Chipmunk's home. So Peter still +wonders and wonders where Striped Chipmunk lives, and no one can tell +him, not even the Merry Little Breezes. You see there is not even a sign +of a path leading to his doorway, for Striped Chipmunk never goes or +comes twice the same way. His doorway is very small, just large enough +for him to squeeze through, and it is so hidden in the grass that often +the Merry Little Breezes skip right over it without seeing it. + +Every grain of sand and gravel from the fine long halls and snug +chambers Striped Chipmunk has built underground he has carefully carried +in the pockets in his cheeks to the shining mound of yellow gravel found +by Peter Rabbit. Not so much as a grain is dropped on his doorstep to +let his secret out. + +So in and out among the little meadow people skips Striped Chipmunk all +the long day, and not one has found out where he lives. But no one +really cares excepting Peter Rabbit, who is still curious. + + + + +XIV + +JERRY MUSKRAT'S NEW HOUSE + + +Jerry Muskrat wouldn't play. Billy Mink had tried to get him to. Little +Joe Otter had tried to get him to. The Merry Little Breezes had tried to +get him to. It was of no use, no use at all. Jerry Muskrat wouldn't +play. + +"Come on, Jerry, come on play with us," they begged all together. + +But Jerry shook his head. "Can't," said he. + +"Why not? Won't your mother let you?" demanded Billy Mink, making a long +dive into the Smiling Pool. He was up again in time to hear Jerry +reply: + +"Yes, my mother will let me. It isn't that. It's because we are going to +have a long winter and a cold winter and I must prepare for it." + +Every one laughed, every one except Grandfather Frog, who sat on his big +green lily-pad watching for foolish green flies. + +"Pooh!" exclaimed Little Joe Otter. "A lot you know about it, Jerry +Muskrat! Ho, ho, ho! A lot you know about it! Are you clerk of the +weather? It is only fall now--what can you know about what the winter +will be? Oh come, Jerry Muskrat, don't pretend to be so wise. I can swim +twice across the Smiling Pool while you are swimming across once--come +on!" + +Jerry Muskrat shook his head. "Haven't time," said he. "I tell you we +are going to have a long winter and a hard winter, and I've got to +prepare for it. When it comes you'll remember what I have told you." + +Little Joe Otter made a wry face and slid down his slippery slide, +splash into the Smiling Pool, throwing water all over Jerry Muskrat, who +was sitting on the end of a log close by. Jerry shook the water from his +coat, which is water-proof, you know. Everybody laughed, that is, +everybody but Grandfather Frog. He did not even smile. + +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog, who is very wise. "Jerry Muskrat +knows. If Jerry says that we are going to have a long cold winter you +may be sure that he knows what he is talking about." + +Billy Mink turned a back somersault into the Smiling Pool so close to +the big green lily-pad on which Grandfather Frog sat that the waves +almost threw Grandfather Frog into the water. + +"Pooh," said Billy Mink, "how can Jerry Muskrat know anything more about +it than we do?" + +Grandfather Frog looked at Billy Mink severely. He does not like Billy +Mink, who has been known to gobble up some of Grandfather Frog's +children when he thought that no one was looking. + +"Old Mother Nature was here and told him," said Grandfather Frog +gruffly. + +"Oh!" exclaimed Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter together. "That's +different," and they looked at Jerry Muskrat with greater respect. + +"How are you going to prepare for the long cold winter, Jerry Muskrat?" +asked one of the Merry Little Breezes. + +"I'm going to build a house, a big, warm house," replied Jerry Muskrat, +"and I'm going to begin right now." + +[Illustration: "I'm going, to build a house," replied Jerry Muskrat.] + +Splash! Jerry had disappeared into the Smiling Pool. Presently, over on +the far side where the water was shallow, it began to bubble and boil +as if a great fuss was going on underneath the surface. Jerry Muskrat +had begun work. The water grew muddy, very muddy indeed, so muddy that +Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink climbed out on the Big Rock in disgust. +When finally Jerry Muskrat swam out to rest on the end of a log they +shouted to him angrily. + +"Hi, Jerry Muskrat, you're spoiling our swimming water! What are you +doing anyway?" + +"I'm digging for the foundations for my new house, and it isn't your +water any more than it's mine," replied Jerry Muskrat, drawing a long +breath before he disappeared under water again. + +The water grew muddier and muddier, until even Grandfather Frog began to +look annoyed. Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter started off up the +Laughing Brook, where the water was clear. The Merry Little Breezes +danced away across the Green Meadows to play with Johnny Chuck, and +Grandfather Frog settled himself comfortably on his big green lily-pad +to dream of the days when the world was young and the frogs ruled the +world. + +But Jerry Muskrat worked steadily, digging and piling sods in a circle +for the foundation of his house. In the center he dug out a chamber from +which he planned a long tunnel to his secret burrow far away in the +bank, and another to the deepest part of the Smiling Pool, where even in +the coldest weather the water would not freeze to the bottom as it would +do in the shallow places. + +All day long while Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and the Merry Little +Breezes and Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit and Danny Meadow Mouse and all +the other little meadow people were playing or lazily taking sun naps, +Jerry Muskrat worked steadily. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, looking down +from the blue, blue sky, smiled to see how industrious the little fellow +was. That evening, when Old Mother West Wind hurried across the Green +Meadows on her way to her home behind the Purple Hills, she found Jerry +Muskrat sitting on the end of a log eating his supper of fresh-water +clams. Showing just above the water on the edge of the Smiling Pool was +the foundation of Jerry Muskrat's new house. + +The next morning Jerry was up and at work even before Old Mother West +Wind, who is a very early riser, came down from the Purple Hills. Of +course every one was interested to see how the new house was coming +along and to offer advice. + +"Are you going to build it all of mud?" asked one of the Merry Little +Breezes. + +"No," said Jerry Muskrat, "I'm going to use green alder twigs and willow +shoots and bulrush stalks. It's going to be two stories high, with a +room down deep under water and another room up above with a beautiful +bed of grass and soft moss." + +"That will be splendid!" cried the Merry Little Breezes. + +Then one of them had an idea. He whispered to the other Little Breezes. +They all giggled and clapped their hands. Then they hurried off to find +Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter. They even hunted up Johnny Chuck and +Peter Rabbit and Danny Meadow Mouse. + +Jerry Muskrat was so busy that he paid no attention to any one or +anything else. He was attending strictly to the business of building a +house that would keep him warm and comfortable when the long cold winter +should freeze up tight the Smiling Pool. + +Pretty soon he was ready for some green twigs to use in the walls of the +new house. He swam across the Smiling Pool to the Laughing Brook, where +the alders grow, to cut the green twigs which he needed. What do you +think he found when he got there? Why, the nicest little pile of green +twigs, all cut ready to use, and Johnny Chuck cutting more. + +"Hello, Jerry Muskrat," said Johnny Chuck. "I've cut all these green +twigs for your new house. I hope you can use them." + +Jerry was so surprised that he hardly knew what to say. He thanked +Johnny Chuck, and with the bundle of green twigs swam back to his new +house. When he had used the last one he swam across to the bulrushes on +the edge of the Smiling Pool. + +"Good morning, Jerry Muskrat," said some one almost hidden by a big pile +of bulrushes, all nicely cut. "I want to help build the new house." + +It was Danny Meadow Mouse. + +Jerry Muskrat was more surprised than ever. "Oh, thank you, Danny Meadow +Mouse, thank you!" he said, and pushing the pile of bulrushes before him +he swam back to his new house. + +When he had used the rushes, Jerry wanted some young willow shoots, so +he started for the place where the willows grow. Before he reached them +he heard some one shouting: + +"Hi, Jerry Muskrat! See the pile of willow shoots I've cut for your new +house." It was Peter Rabbit, who is never known to work. + +Jerry Muskrat was more surprised than ever and so pleased that all he +could say was, "Thank you, thank you, Peter Rabbit!" + +Back to the new house he swam with the pile of young willow shoots. When +he had placed them to suit him he sat up on the walls of his house to +rest. He looked across the Smiling Pool. Then he rubbed his eyes and +looked again. Could it be--yes, it certainly was a bundle of green alder +twigs floating straight across the Smiling Pool towards the new house! +When they got close to him Jerry spied a sharp little black nose pushing +them along, and back of the little black nose twinkled two little black +eyes. + +"What are you doing with those alder twigs, Billy Mink?" cried Jerry. + +"Bringing them for your new house," shouted Billy Mink, popping out from +behind the bundle of alder twigs. + +And that was the beginning of the busiest day that the Smiling Pool had +ever known. Billy Mink brought more alder twigs and willow shoots and +bulrushes as fast as Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit and Danny Meadow +Mouse could cut them. Little Joe Otter brought sods and mud to hold them +in place. + +Thick and high grew the walls of the new house. In the upper part Jerry +built the nicest little room, and lined it with grass and soft moss, so +that he could sleep warm and comfortable through the long cold winter. +Over all he built a strong, thick roof beautifully rounded. + +An hour before it was time for Old Mother West Wind to come for the +Merry Little Breezes, Jerry Muskrat's new house was finished. Then such +a frolic as there was in and around the Smiling Pool! Little Joe Otter +made a new slippery slide down one side of the roof. Billy Mink said +that the new house was better to dive off of than the Big Rock. Then the +two of them, with Jerry Muskrat, cut up all sorts of monkey-shines in +the water, while Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, Danny Meadow Mouse and the +Merry Little Breezes danced on the shore and shouted themselves hoarse. + +When at last jolly, round, red Mr. Sun went to bed behind the Purple +Hills, and the black shadows crept ever so softly out across the Smiling +Pool, Jerry Muskrat sat on the roof of his house eating his supper of +fresh-water clams. He was very tired, was Jerry Muskrat, very tired +indeed, but he was very happy, for now he had no fear of the long cold +winter. Best of all his heart was full of love--love for his little +playmates of the Smiling Pool and the Green Meadows. + + + + +XV + +PETER RABBIT'S BIG COUSIN + + +Jumper the Hare had come down out of the Great Woods to the Green +Meadows. He is first cousin to Peter Rabbit, you know, and he looks just +like Peter, only he is twice as big. His legs are twice as long and he +can jump twice as far. + +All the little meadow people were very polite to Jumper the Hare, all +but Reddy Fox, who is never polite to any one unless he has a favor to +ask. Peter Rabbit was very proud of his big cousin, very proud indeed. +He showed Jumper the Hare all the secret paths in the Green Forest and +across the Green Meadows. He took him to the Smiling Pool and the +Laughing Brook, and everywhere Jumper the Hare was met with the greatest +politeness. + +But Jumper the Hare was timid, oh, very timid indeed. Every few jumps he +sat up very straight to look this way and look that way, and to listen +with his long ears. He jumped nervously at the least little noise. Yes, +Sir, Jumper the Hare certainly was very timid. + +"He's a coward!" sneered Reddy Fox. + +And Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and Jimmy Skunk, even Johnny Chuck, +seeing Jumper the Hare duck and dodge at the shadow of Blacky the Crow, +agreed with Reddy Fox. Still, they were polite to him for the sake of +Peter Rabbit and because Jumper really was such a big, handsome fellow. +But behind his back they laughed at him. Even little Danny Meadow Mouse +laughed. + +Now it happens that Jumper the Hare had lived all his life in the Great +Woods, where Mr. Panther and Tufty the Lynx and fierce Mr. Fisher were +always hunting him, but where the shadows were deep and where there were +plenty of places to hide. Indeed, his whole life had been a game of hide +and seek, and always he had been the one sought. So on the Green +Meadows, where hiding places were few and far between, Jumper the Hare +was nervous. + +But the little meadow people, not knowing this, thought him a coward, +and while they were polite to him they had little to do with him, for no +one really likes a coward. Peter Rabbit, however, could see no fault in +his big cousin. He showed him where Farmer Brown's tender young carrots +grow, and the shortest way to the cabbage patch. He made him acquainted +with all his own secret hiding places in the old brier patch. + +Then one bright sunny morning something happened. Johnny Chuck saw it. +Jimmy Skunk saw it. Happy Jack Squirrel saw it. Sammy Jay saw it. And +they told all the others. + +Very early that morning Reddy Fox had started out to hunt for his +breakfast. He was tiptoeing softly along the edge of the Green Forest +looking for wood mice when whom should he see but Peter Rabbit. Peter +was getting his breakfast in the sweet-clover bed, just beyond the old +brier patch. + +Reddy Fox squatted down behind a bush to watch. Peter Rabbit looked +plump and fat. Reddy Fox licked his chops. "Peter Rabbit would make a +better breakfast than wood mice, a very much better breakfast," said +Reddy Fox to himself. Beside, he owed Peter Rabbit a grudge. He had not +forgotten how Peter had tried to save his little brother from Reddy by +bringing up Bowser the Hound. + +Reddy Fox licked his chops again. He looked this way and he looked that +way, but he could see no one watching. Old Mother West Wind had gone +about her business. The Merry Little Breezes were over at the Smiling +Pool to pay their respects to Grandfather Frog. Even jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun was behind a cloud. From his hiding place Reddy could not see +Johnny Chuck or Jimmy Skunk or Happy Jack Squirrel or Sammy Jay. "No one +will know what becomes of Peter Rabbit," thought Reddy Fox. + +Very cautiously Reddy Fox crept out from behind the bush into the tall +meadow grass. Flat on his stomach he crawled inch by inch. Every few +minutes he stopped to listen and to peep over at the sweet-clover bed. +There sat Peter Rabbit, eating, eating, eating the tender young clover +as if he hadn't a care in the world but to fill his little round +stomach. + +Nearer and nearer crawled Reddy Fox. Now he was almost near enough to +spring. "Thump, thump, thump!" The sound came from the brier patch. + +"Thump, thump!" + +This was Peter Rabbit hitting the ground with one of his hind feet. He +had stopped eating and was sitting up very straight. + +"Thump, thump, thump!" came the signal from the brier patch. + +"Thump, thump!" responded Peter Rabbit, and started to run. + +With a snarl Reddy Fox sprang after him. Then the thing happened. Reddy +Fox caught a glimpse of something going over him and at the same time +he received a blow that rolled him over and over in the grass. + +In an instant he was on his feet and had whirled about, his eyes yellow +with anger. There right in front of him sat Jumper the Hare. Reddy Fox +could hardly believe his own eyes! Could it be that Jumper the Hare, the +coward, had dared to strike him such a blow? Reddy forgot all about +Peter Rabbit. With a snarl he rushed at Jumper the Hare. + +Then it happened again. As light as a feather Jumper leaped over him, +and as he passed, those big hind legs, at which Reddy Fox had laughed, +came back with a kick that knocked all the breath out of Reddy Fox. + +Reddy Fox was furious. Twice more he sprang, and twice more he was sent +sprawling, with the breath knocked out of his body. That was enough. +Tucking his tail between his legs, Reddy Fox sneaked away towards the +Green Forest. As he ran he heard Peter Rabbit thumping in the old brier +patch. + +"I'm safe," signaled Peter Rabbit. + +"Thump, thump, thump, thump! The coast is clear," replied Jumper the +Hare. + +Reddy Fox looked back from the edge of the Green Forest and gnashed his +teeth. Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare were rubbing noses and +contentedly eating tender young clover leaves. + +"Now who's the coward?" jeered Sammy Jay from the top of the Lone Pine. + +Reddy Fox said nothing, but slunk out of sight. Late that afternoon he +sat on the hill at the top of the Crooked Little Path, and looked down +on the Green Meadows. Over near the Smiling Pool were gathered all the +little meadow people having the jolliest time in the world. While he +watched they joined hands in a big circle and began to dance, Johnny +Chuck, Jimmy Skunk, Bobby Coon, Little Joe Otter, Billy Mink, Happy Jack +Squirrel, Striped Chipmunk, Danny Meadow Mouse, Peter Rabbit, Spotty the +Turtle, even Grandfather Frog and old Mr. Toad. And in the middle, +sitting very straight, was Jumper the Hare. + +And since that day Peter Rabbit has been prouder than ever of his big +cousin, Jumper the Hare, for now no one calls him a coward. + + +THE END + + * * * * * + +BOOKS BY THORNTON W. BURGESS + +BEDTIME STORY-BOOKS + + + 1. THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX + + 2. THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY CHUCK + + 3. THE ADVENTURES OF PETER COTTONTAIL + + 4. THE ADVENTURES OF UNC' BILLY POSSUM + + 5. THE ADVENTURES OF MR. MOCKER + + 6. THE ADVENTURES OF JERRY MUSKRAT + + 7. THE ADVENTURES OF DANNY MEADOW MOUSE + + 8. THE ADVENTURES OF GRANDFATHER FROG + + 9. THE ADVENTURES OF CHATTERER, THE RED SQUIRREL + + 10. THE ADVENTURES OF SAMMY JAY + + 11. THE ADVENTURES OF BUSTER BEAR + + 12. THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MR. TOAD + + 13. THE ADVENTURES OF PRICKLY PORKY + + 14. THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MAN COYOTE + + 15. THE ADVENTURES OF PADDY THE BEAVER + + 16. THE ADVENTURES OF POOR MRS. QUACK + + 17. THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY COON + + 18. THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY SKUNK + + 19. THE ADVENTURES OF BOB WHITE + + 20. THE ADVENTURES OF OL' MISTAH BUZZARD + + +MOTHER WEST WIND SERIES + + + 1. OLD MOTHER WEST WIND + + 2. MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN + + 3. MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS + + 4. MOTHER WEST WIND'S NEIGHBORS + + 5. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHY" STORIES + + 6. MOTHER WEST WIND "HOW" STORIES + + 7. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHEN" STORIES + + 8. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHERE" STORIES + + +GREEN MEADOW SERIES + + + 1. HAPPY JACK + + 2. MRS. PETER RABBIT + + 3. BOWSER THE HOUND + + 4. OLD GRANNY FOX + + +THE BURGESS BIRD BOOK FOR CHILDREN + + +THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mother West Wind's Animal Friends, by +Thornton W. Burgess + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS *** + +***** This file should be named 39706.txt or 39706.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/9/7/0/39706/ + +Produced by K Nordquist, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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