Books: Mrs. Peter Rabbit
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Thornton W. Burgess >> Mrs. Peter Rabbit
At last it was time to start. Peter led the way. Very big and brave and
strong and important he felt, and very timid and frightened felt little
Miss Fuzzytail, hopping after him close at his heels. You see, she felt
that she was going out into the Great World, of which she knew nothing
at all.
"Oh, Peter," she whispered, "supposing we should meet Reddy Fox! I
wouldn't know where to run or hide."
"We are not going to meet Reddy Fox," replied Peter, "but if we should,
all you have to do is to just keep your eyes on the white patch on the
seat of my trousers and follow me. I have fooled Reddy so many times
that I'm not afraid of him."
Never in all his life had Peter been so watchful and careful. That was
because he felt his re-sponsi-bil-ity. Every few jumps he would stop to
sit up and look and listen. Then little Miss Fuzzytail would nestle up
close to him, and Peter's heart would swell with happiness, and he would
feel, oh, so proud and important. Once they heard the sharp bark of
Reddy Fox, but it was a long way off, and Peter smiled, for he knew that
Reddy was hunting on the edge of the Green Forest.
Once a dim shadow swept across the meadow grass ahead of them. Peter
dropped flat in the grass and kept perfectly still, and little Miss
Fuzzytail did just as he did, as she had promised she would.
"Wha--what was it?" she whispered.
"I think it was Hooty the Owl," Peter whispered back, "but he didn't see
us." After what seemed like a long, long time they heard Hooty's fierce
hunting call, but it came from way back of them on the edge of the Old
Pasture. Peter hopped to his feet.
"Come on," said he. "There's nothing to fear from him now."
So slowly and watchfully Peter led the way down across the Green Meadows
while the little Stars looked down and twinkled in the most friendly
way, and just as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun started to kick off his
bedclothes behind the Purple Hills they reached the dear Old Briar-
patch.
"Here we are!" cried Peter.
"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried little Miss Fuzzytail, hopping along one of
Peter's private little paths.
CHAPTER XXII
SAMMY JAY BECOMES CURIOUS
Learn all you can about others, but keep your own affairs to yourself.
Peter Rabbit.
Of course it was Sammy Jay who first found out that Peter Rabbit was
back in the dear Old Briar-patch. Sammy took it into his head to fly
over there the very morning of Peter's home-coming. Indeed, little Miss
Fuzzytail hadn't had time to half see the clear Old Briar-patch which,
you know, was to be her new home, when Peter saw Sammy Jay coming. Now
Peter was not quite ready to have all the world know that there was a
Mrs. Peter, for of course that was what little Miss Fuzzytail was now
that she had come to make her home with Peter. They wanted to keep by
themselves for a little while and just be happy with each other. So as
soon as Peter saw Sammy Jay headed towards the Old Briar-patch, he hid
little Miss Fuzzytail under the thickest sweet-briar bush, and then
hurried out to the nearest sweet-clover patch.
Of course Sammy Jay saw him right away, and of course Sammy was very
much surprised.
"Hello, Peter Rabbit! Where'd you come from?" he shouted, as he settled
himself comfortably in a little poplar-tree growing on the edge of the
Old Briar-patch.
"Oh," said Peter with a very grand air, "I've been on a long journey to
see the Great World."
"Which means," said Sammy Jay with a chuckle, "that you've been in the
Old Pasture all this time, and let me tell you, Peter Rabbit, the Old
Pasture is a very small part of the Great World. By the way, Tommy Tit
the Chickadee was down here the other day and told us all about you. He
said that you had fallen in love with little Miss Fuzzytail, and he
guessed that you were going to make your home up there. What's the
matter? Did her father, Old Jed Thumper, drive you out?"
"No, he didn't!" snapped Peter angrily, "It's none of your business what
I came home for, Sammy Jay, but I'll tell you just the same. I came home
because I wanted to."
Sammy chuckled, for he dearly loves to tease Peter and make him angry.
Then the imp of mischief, who seems always to live just under that smart
cap of Sammy's, prompted him to ask: "Did you come home alone?"
Now Peter couldn't say "yes" for that would be an untruth, and whatever
faults Peter may have, he is at least truthful. So he just pretended not
to have heard Sammy's question.
Now when Sammy had asked the question he had thought nothing about it.
It had just popped into his head by way of something to say. But Sammy
Jay is sharp, and he noticed right away that Peter didn't answer but
began to talk about other things,
"Ha, ha!" thought Sammy to himself, "I believe he didn't come alone, I
wonder now if he brought Miss Fuzzytail with him."
Right away Sammy began to peer down into the Old Briar-patch, twisting
and turning so that he could see in every direction, and all the time
talking as fast as his tongue could go. Two or three times he flew out
over the Old Briar-patch, pretending to try to catch moths, but really
so that he could look down into certain hiding-places. The last time
that he did this he spied little Mrs. Peter, who was, you know, Miss
Fuzzytail. At once Sammy Jay started for the Green Forest, screaming at
the top of his voice:
"Peter Rabbit's married! Peter Rabbit's married!"
CHAPTER XXIII
PETER INTRODUCES MRS. PETER
It's what you do for others,
Not what they do for you,
That makes you feel so happy
All through and through and through.
Peter Rabbit.
Peter Rabbit made a wry face as he listened to Sammy Jay shrieking at
the top of his voice as he flew through the Green Forest and over the
Green Meadows," Peter Rabbit's married!" "Peter Rabbit's married!" He
saw the Merry Little Breezes who, you know, are the children of Old
Mother West Wind, start for the dear Old Briar-patch as soon as they
heard Sammy Jay, and he knew that they would be only the first of a lot
of visitors. He hurried to where Mrs. Peter was hiding under a sweet-
briar bush.
"Do you hear what that mischief-maker, Sammy Jay, is screaming?" asked
Peter.
Mrs. Peter nodded. "Don't--don't you think it sounds kind of--well, kind
of NICE, Peter?" she asked in a bashful sort of way.
Peter chuckled. "It sounds more than KIND of nice to me," said he. "Do
you know, I used to think that Sammy Jay never did and never could say
anything nice, but I've just changed my mind. Though he isn't saying it
to be nice, it really is the nicest thing I've ever heard him say. We
haven't been able to keep our secret, so I think the very best thing we
can do is to invite everybody to call. Then we can get it over with and
have a little time to ourselves. Here come the Merry Little Breezes, and
I know that they will be glad to take the invitations for us."
Mrs. Peter agreed, for she thought that anything Peter did or suggested
was just about right. So the Merry Little Breezes were soon skipping and
dancing over the Green Meadows and through the Green Forest with this
message:
"Mr. and Mrs. Peter Rabbit will be at home in the Old Briar-patch to
their friends to-morrow after-noon at shadow-time."
"Why did you make it at shadow-time?" asked Mrs. Peter.
"Because that will give all our friends a chance to come," replied
Peter. "Those who sleep through the day will have waked up, and those
who sleep through the night will not have gone to bed. Besides, it will
be safer for some of the smallest of them if the Black Shadows are about
for them to hide in on their way here."
"How thoughtful you are," said little Mrs. Peter with a little sigh of
happiness.
Of course, every one who could walk, creep, or fly headed for the Old
Briar-patch the next day at shadow-time, for almost every one knows and
loves Peter Rabbit, and of course every one was very anxious to meet
Mrs. Peter. From the Smiling Pool came Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter,
Jerry Muskrat, Spotty the Turtle, and old Grandfather Frog. From the
Green Forest came Bobby Coon, Unc' Billy Possum and Mrs. Possum, Prickly
Porky the Porcupine, Whitefoot the Woodmouse, Happy Jack the Gray
Squirrel, Chatterer the Red Squirrel, Blacky the Crow, Sammy Jay, Ol'
Mistah Buzzard, Mistah Mockingbird, and Sticky-toes the Treetoad. From
the Green Meadows came Danny Meadow Mouse, Old Mr. Toad, Digger the
Badger, Jimmy Skunk, and Striped Chipmunk, who lives near the old stone-
wall between the edge of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest. Johnny
and Polly Chuck came down from the Old Orchard and Drummer the
Woodpecker came from the same place.
Of course Old Man Coyote paid his respects, and when he came everybody
but Prickly Porky and Digger the Badger and Jimmy Skunk made way for him
with great respect. Granny and Reddy Fox and Hooty the Owl didn't call,
but they sat where they could look on and make fun. You see, Peter had
fooled all three so many times that they felt none too friendly.
Very proud looked Peter as he stood under a bramble-bush with Mrs. Peter
by his side and introduced her to his many friends, and very sweet and
modest and retiring looked little Mrs. Peter as she sat beside him.
Everybody said that she was "too sweet for anything", and when Reddy Fox
overheard that remark he grinned and said:
"Not for me! She can't be too sweet for me, and I hope I'll have a
chance to find out just how sweet she is."
What do you suppose he meant?
CHAPTER XXIV
DANNY MEADOW MOUSE WARNS PETER RABBIT
Good advice Is always needed
But, alas! is seldom heeded,
Peter Rabbit.
Danny Meadow Mouse waited until all the rest of Peter Rabbit's friends
had left the Old Briar-patch after paying their respects to Peter and
Mrs. Peter, He waited for two reasons, did Danny Meadow Mouse. In the
first place, he had seen old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox hanging about a
little way off, and though they had disappeared after a while, Danny had
an idea that they were not far away, but were hiding so that they might
catch him on his way home. Of course, he hadn't the slightest intention
of giving them the chance. He had made up his mind to ask Peter if he
might spend the night in a corner of the Old Briar-patch, and he was
very sure that Peter would say he might, for he and Peter are very good
friends, very good friends indeed.
The second good reason Danny had for waiting was this very friendship.
You see, Peter had been away from the Green Meadows so long that Danny
felt sure he couldn't know all about how things were there now, and so
he wanted to warn Peter that the Green Meadows were not nearly as safe
as before Old Man Coyote had come there to live. So Danny waited, and
when all the rest of the callers had left he called Peter to one side
where little Mrs. Peter couldn't hear. Danny stood up on his hind legs
so as to whisper in one of Peter's ears.
"Do you know that Old Man Coyote is the most dangerous enemy we have,
Peter Rabbit? Do you know that?" he asked.
Peter Rabbit shook his head. "I don't believe that, Danny," said he.
"His terrible voice has frightened you so that you just think him as bad
as he sounds. Why, Old Man Coyote is a friend of mine."
Then he told Danny how Old Man Coyote had done him a good turn In the
Old Pasture in return for a good turn Peter had once done him, and how
he said that he always paid his debts.
Danny Meadow Mouse looked doubtful. "What else did he say?" he demanded.
"Nothing, excepting that we were even now," replied Peter.
"Ha!" said Danny Meadow Mouse.
The way he said it made Peter turn to look at him sharply.
"Ha!" said Danny again. "If you are even, why you don't owe him
anything, and he doesn't owe you anything. Watch out, Peter Rabbit!
Watch out! I would stick pretty close to the Old Briar-patch with Mrs.
Peter if I were you. I would indeed. You used to think old Granny Fox
pretty smart, but Old Man Coyote is smarter. Yes, Sir, he is smarter!
And every one of the rest of us has got to be smarter than ever before
to keep out of his clutches. Watch out, Peter Rabbit, if you and Old Man
Coyote are even. Now, if you don't mind, I'll curl up in my old hiding-
place for the night. I really don't dare go back home to-night."
Of course Peter told Danny Meadow Mouse that he was welcome to spend the
night in the Old Briar-patch, and thanked Danny for his warning as he
bade him good-night. But Peter never carries his troubles with him for
long, and by the time he had rejoined little Mrs. Peter he was very much
inclined to laugh at Danny's fear.
"What did that funny little Meadow Mouse have to say?" asked Mrs. Peter.
Peter told her and then added, "But I don't believe we have anything to
fear from Old Man Coyote. You know he is my friend."
"But I don't know that he is mine!" replied little Mrs. Peter, and the
way she said it made Peter look at her anxiously. "I believe Danny
Meadow Mouse is right," she continued, "Oh, Peter, you will watch out,
won't you?"
And Peter promised her that he would.
CHAPTER XXV
PETER RABBIT'S HEEDLESSNESS
Heedlessness is just the twin
of thoughtlessness, you know,
And where you find them both at once,
there trouble's sure to grow.
Peter Rabbit.
Peter Rabbit didn't mean to be heedless. No, indeed! Oh, my, no! Peter
thought so much of Mrs. Peter, he meant to be so thoughtful that she
never would have a thing to worry about. But Peter was heedless. He
always was heedless. This is the worst of a bad habit--you can try to
let go of it, but it won't let go of you.
So it was with Peter. He had been heedless so long that now he actually
didn't know when he was heedless.
When there was nobody but himself to think about, and no one to worry
about him, his heedlessness didn't so much matter. If anything had
happened to him then, there would have been no one to suffer. But now
all this was changed. You see, there was little Mrs. Peter. At first
Peter had been perfectly content to stay with her in the dear Old Briar-
patch. He had led her through all his private little paths, and they had
planned where they would make two or three more. He had showed her all
his secret hiding-places and the shortest way to the sweet-clover patch.
He had pointed out where the Lone Little Path came down to the edge of
the Green Forest and so out on to the Green Meadows. He had shown her
where the Crooked Little Path came down the hill. Little Mrs. Peter had
been delighted with everything, and not once had she complained of being
homesick for the Old Pasture.
But after a little while Peter began to get uneasy. You see in the days
before Old Man Coyote had come to live on the Green Meadows, Peter had
come and gone about as he pleased. Of course he had had to watch out for
Granny and Reddy Fox, but he had had to watch out for them ever since he
was a baby, so he didn't fear them very much in spite of their
smartness. He felt quite as smart as they and perhaps a little bit
smarter. Anyway, they never had caught him, and he didn't believe they
ever would. So he had come and gone as he pleased, and poked his nose
into everybody's business, and gossiped with everybody.
Of course it was quite natural that Peter should want to call on all his
old friends and visit the Green Forest, the Old Orchard, the Laughing
Brook, and the Smiling Pool. Probably Mrs. Peter wouldn't have worried
very much if it hadn't been for the warning left by Danny Meadow Mouse.
Danny had said that Old Man Coyote was more to be feared than all the
Hawk family and all the Fox family together, because he was smarter and
slyer than any of them. At first Peter had looked very serious, but
after Danny had gone back to his own home Peter had laughed at Danny for
being so afraid, and he began to go farther and farther away from the
safe Old Briar-patch.
One day he had ventured as far as halfway up the Crooked Little Path. He
was thinking so hard of a surprise he was planning for little Mrs. Peter
that he forgot to watch out and almost ran into Old Man Coyote before he
saw him. There was a hungry look, such a hungry look in Old Man Coyote's
eyes as he grinned and said "Good morning" that Peter didn't even stop
to be polite. He remembered that Jimmy Skunk's old house was near, and
he reached it just one jump ahead of Old Man Coyote.
"I thought you said that we were friends," panted Peter, as he heard Mr.
Coyote sniffing at the doorway.
"So we were until I had paid my debt to you. Now that I've paid that, we
are even, and it is everybody watch out for himself," replied Old Man
Coyote. "But don't forget that I always pay my debts, Peter Rabbit."
CHAPTER XXVI
PETER RABBIT LISTENS TO MRS. PETER
Safety first is a wise rule for those who would live long.
Peter Rabbit.
Peter Rabbit was glad enough to get back to the dear Old Briar-patch
after his narrow escape from Old Man Coyote by dodging into Jimmy
Skunk's old house halfway up the hill. And little Mrs. Peter was glad
enough to have him, you may be sure. She had been watching Peter when he
so heedlessly almost ran into Old Man Coyote, and it had seemed to her
as if her heart stopped beating until Peter reached the safety of that
old house of Jimmy Skunk just one jump ahead. Then she saw Old Man
Coyote hide in the grass near by and she was terribly, terribly afraid
that Peter would be heedless again and come out, thinking that Mr.
Coyote had gone.
Poor little Mrs. Peter! She was so anxious that she couldn't sit still.
She felt that she just had to do something to warn Peter. She stole out
from the dear Old Briar-patch and halfway to where Old Man Coyote was
hiding. He was so busy watching the doorway of the old house where Peter
was hiding that he didn't notice her at all. Little Mrs. Peter found a
bunch of tall grass behind which she could sit up and still not be seen.
So there she sat without moving for a long, long time, never once taking
her eyes from Old Man Coyote and the doorway of the old house. By and by
she saw Peter poke his nose out to see if the way was clear. Old Man
Coyote saw him too, and began to grin. It was a hungry, wicked-looking
grin, and it made little Mrs. Peter very, very angry indeed.
She waited just a minute longer to make sure that Peter was where he
could see her, and then she thumped the ground very hard, which, you
know, is the way Rabbits signal to each other. Peter heard it right away
and thumped back that he would stay right where he was, though right
down in his heart Peter thought that little Mrs. Peter was just nervous
and foolish, for he was sure that Old Man Coyote had given up and gone
away long ago.
Now of course Old Man Coyote heard those thumps, and he knew just what
they meant. He knew that he never, never could catch Peter so long as
Mrs. Peter was watching him and ready to warn Peter, So he came out of
his hiding-place with an ugly snarl and sprang toward little Mrs. Peter
just to frighten her. He laughed as he watched her run and, all
breathless, dive into the dear, Old Briar-patch, and then he trotted
away to his favorite napping-place.
As soon as Peter was sure that he was safe he started for home, and
there little Mrs. Peter scolded him soundly for being so heedless and
thoughtless.
Peter didn't have a word to say. For a long time he sat thinking and
thinking, every once in a while scratching his head as if puzzled.
Little Mrs. Peter noticed it.
"What's the matter with you, Peter?" she asked finally.
"I'm just studying what Old Man Coyote means by telling me one day that
he is my friend, and proving it by doing me a good turn, and then trying
to catch me the very next time he sees me. I don't understand it," said
Peter, shaking his head,
"Oh, you dear old stupid!" replied little Mrs. Peter. "Now, you listen
to me. You did Old Man Coyote a good turn and he paid you back by doing
you a good turn. That made you even, didn't it?"
Peter nodded.
"Well, then you are right back where you started from, and Old Man
Coyote doesn't see any reason why he should treat you any differently
than at first, and I don't see why he should either, when I come to
think it over. I tell you what, Peter, the thing for you to do is to
keep doing good turns to Old Man Coyote so that he will always be in
debt to you. Then he will always be your friend,"
As little Mrs. Peter stopped speaking, Peter sprang to his feet. "The
very thing!" he cried. "It's sort of a Golden Rule, and I do believe it
will work."
"Of course it will," replied little Mrs. Peter.
CHAPTER XXVII
MISTAH MOCKER PLAYS A JOKE ON MRS. PETER
This little point remember, please--
There's little gained by those who tease.
Peter Rabbit.
Mistah Mocker the Mockingbird had been very late in coming up to the
Green Meadows from way down South. The truth is, he had almost decided
not to come. You see, he loves the sunny south-land so much, and all who
live there love him so much, that if it hadn't been for Unc' Billy
Possum and Ol' Mistah Buzzard he never, never would have thought of
leaving, even for a little while. Unc' Billy and Ol' Mistah Buzzard are
particular friends of his, very particular friends, and he felt that he
just had to come up for a little visit.
Now Mistah Mocker reached the Green Meadows just after Peter Rabbit had
brought little Mrs. Peter down from the Old Pasture to live with him in
the dear Old Briar-patch. He knew that little Mrs. Peter didn't know
anything about him, for he never had visited the Old Pasture where she
had spent her life. But he knew all the bird people who do live there,
for he had met them in the sunny southland, where they spent the winter,
"I believe I'll go pay my respects to Mrs. Peter," said Mistah Mocker
one day, winking at Ol' Mistah Buzzard. Ol' Mistah Buzzard chuckled and
winked back.
"Ah cert'nly hopes yo'all will behave yo'self right proper and not
forget that yo' is a member of one of the oldest families in the Souf,"
said he.
Mistah Mocker looked quite solemn as he promised to behave himself, but
there was a twinkle in his eyes as he flew toward the Old Briar-patch.
There he hid in a thick tangle of vines. Now it happened that Peter
Rabbit had gone over to the sweet-clover patch, and little Mrs. Peter
was quite alone. Somehow she got to thinking of her old home, and for
the first time she began to feel just a wee, wee bit homesick. It was
just then that she heard a familiar voice. Little Mrs. Peter pricked up
her ears and smiled happily.
"That's the voice of Tommy Tit the Chickadee, and it must be that his
wife is with him, for I hear him calling 'Phoebe! Phoebe!' How lovely of
them to come down to see me so soon."
Just then she heard another voice, a deep, beautiful, ringing voice, a
voice that she loved. It was the voice of Veery the Thrush. "Oh!" cried
little Mrs. Peter, and then held her breath so as not to miss one note
of the beautiful song. Hardly had the song ended when she heard the
familiar voice of Redeye the Vireo. Little Mrs. Peter clapped her hands
happily. "It must be a surprise party by my old friends and neighbors of
the Old Pasture!" she cried. "How good of them to come way down here,
and how glad I shall be to see them!"
With that little Mrs. Peter hurried over to the tangle of vines from
which all the voices seemed to come and eagerly peered this way and that
way for a sight of her friends. But all she saw was a stranger wearing a
very sober-colored suit. He was very polite and told her that he was an
old friend of Peter Rabbit.
"If you are a friend of Peter, then you are a friend of mine." said
little Mrs. Peter very prettily. "Have you seen anybody in this tangle
of vines since you arrived? I am sure some friends of mine are here, but
I haven't been able to find them."
"No," said the stranger, who was, of course, Mistah Mocker the
Mockingbird. "I haven't seen any one here, and I don't think there has
been any one here but myself."
"Oh, yes, indeed there has!" cried little Mrs. Peter. "I heard their
voices, and I couldn't possibly be mistaken in those, especially the
beautiful voice of Veery the Thrush, I--I would like very much to find
them."
Mistah Mocker had the grace to look ashamed of himself when saw how
disappointed little Mrs. Peter was. Very softly he began to sing the
song of Veery the Thrush.
Little Mrs. Peter looked up quickly. "There it is!" she cried. "There"--
she stopped with her mouth gaping wide open. She suddenly realized that
it was Mistah Mocker who was singing.
"I--I'm very sorry," he stammered. "I did it just for a joke and not to
make you feel bad. Will you forgive me?"
"Yes," replied little Mrs. Peter, "if you will come here often at
shadow-time and sing to me." And Mistah Mocker promised that he would.
CHAPTER XXVIII
NEWS FROM THE OLD BRIAR-PATCH
To use your eyes is very wise
And much to be commended;
But never see what cannot be
For such as you intended.
Peter Rabbit.