Books: Old Mother West Wind
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Thornton W. Burgess >> Old Mother West Wind
When she had gone, the willful little Breeze left behind suddenly
felt very lonely--very lonely indeed! The sleepy daisies didn't
want to play. The nodding buttercups were cross. Great round
bright Mr. Sun, who had been shining and shining all day long,
went to bed and put on his night cap of golden clouds. Black
shadows came creeping, creeping out into the Green Meadows.
The willful little Breeze began to wish that he was safe in Old
Mother West Wind's big bag with all the other Merry Little
Breezes.
So he started across the Green Meadows to find the Purple Hills.
But all the hills were black now and he could not tell which he
should look behind to find his home with Old Mother West Wind and
the Merry Little Breezes. How he did wish that he had minded Old
Mother West Wind.
By and by he curled up under a bayberry bush and tried to go to
sleep, but he was lonely, oh, so lonely! And he couldn't go to
sleep. Old Mother Moon came up and flooded all the Green Meadows
with light, but it wasn't like the bright light of jolly round
Mr. Sun, for it was cold and white and it made many black
shadows.
Pretty soon the willful little Breeze heard Hooty the Owl out
hunting for a meadow mouse for his dinner. Then down the Lone
Little Path which ran close to the bayberry bush trotted Reddy
Fox. He was trotting very softly and every minute or so he turned
his head and looked behind him to see if he was followed. It was
plain to see that Reddy Fox was bent on mischief.
When he reached the bayberry bush Reddy Fox sat down and barked
twice. Hooty the Owl answered him at once and flew over to join
him. They didn't see the willful little Breeze curled up under the
bayberry bush, so intent were these two rogues in plotting
mischief. They were planning to steal down across the Green
Meadows to the edge of the Brown Pasture where Mr. Bob White and
pretty Mrs. Bob White and a dozen little Bob Whites had their
home.
"When they run along the ground I'll catch 'em, and when they fly
up in the air you'll catch 'em, and we'll gobble 'em all up," said
Reddy Fox to Hooty the Owl. Then he licked his chops and Hooty
the Owl snapped his bill, just as if they were tasting tender
little Bob Whites that very minute. It made the willful little
Breeze shiver to see them. Pretty soon they started on towards
the Brown Pasture.
When they were out of sight the willful little Breeze jumped up
and shook himself. Then away he sped across the Green Meadows to
the Brown Pasture. And because he could go faster and because he
went a shorter way he got there first. He had to hunt and hunt to
find Mrs. and Mr. Bob White and all the little Bob Whites, but
finally he did find them, all with their heads tucked under their
wings fast asleep.
The willful little Breeze shook Mr. Bob White very gently. In an
instant he was wide awake.
"Sh-h-h," said the willful little Breeze. "Reddy Fox and Hooty the
Owl are coming to the Brown Pasture to gobble up you and Mrs. Bob
White and all the little Bob Whites."
"Thank you, little Breeze," said Mr. Bob White, "I think I'll
move my family."
Then he woke Mrs. Bob White and all the little Bob Whites. With
Mr. Bob White in the lead away they all flew to the far side of
the Brown Pasture where they were soon safely hidden under a
juniper tree.
The willful little Breeze saw them safely there, and when they
were nicely hidden hurried back to the place where the Bob Whites
had been sleeping. Reddy Fox was stealing up through the grass
very, very softly. Hooty the Owl was flying as silently as a
shadow. When Reddy Fox thought he was near enough he drew himself
together, made a quick spring and landed right in Mr. Bob White's
empty bed. Reddy Fox and Hooty the Owl looked so surprised and
foolish when they found the Bob Whites were not there that the
willful little Breeze nearly laughed out loud.
Then Reddy Fox and Hooty the Owl hunted here and hunted there,
all over the Brown Pasture, but they couldn't find the Bob
Whites.
And the willful little Breeze went back to the juniper tree and
curled himself beside Mr. Bob White to sleep, for he was lonely
no longer.
CHAPTER VI REDDY FOX GOES FISHING
One morning when Mr. Sun was very, very bright and it was very,
very warm, down on the Green Meadows Reddy Fox came hopping and
skipping down the Lone Little Path that leads to the Laughing
Brook. Hoppity, skip, skippity hop! Reddy felt very much pleased
with himself that sunny morning. Pretty soon he saw Johnny Chuck
sitting up very straight close by the little house where he
lives.
"Johnny Chuck, Chuck, Chuck! Johnny Chuck, Chuck, Chuck! Johnny
Woodchuck!" called Reddy fox.
Johnny Chuck pretended not to hear. His mother had told him not
to play with Reddy Fox, for Reddy Fox was a bad boy.
"Johnny Chuck, Chuck, Chuck! Johnny Woodchuck!" called Reddy
again.
This time Johnny turned and looked. He could see Reddy Fox
turning somersaults and chasing his tail and rolling over and
over in the little path.
"Come on!" said Reddy Fox. "Let's go fishing!"
"Can't," said Johnny Chuck, because you know, his mother had told
him not to play with Reddy Fox.
"I'll show you how to catch a fish," said Reddy Fox, and tried to
jump over his own shadow.
"Can't," said good little Johnny Chuck again, and turned away so
that he couldn't see Reddy Fox chasing Butterflies and playing
catch with Field Mice children.
So Reddy Fox went down to the Laughing Brook all alone. The Brook
was laughing and singing on its way to join the Big River. The
sky was blue and the sun was bright. Reddy Fox jumped on the Big
Rock in the middle of the Laughing Brook and peeped over the
other side. What do you think he saw? Why, right down below in a
Dear Little Pool were Mr. And Mrs. Trout and all the little
Trouts.
Reddy Fox wanted some of those little Trouts to take home for his
dinner, but he didn't know how to catch them. He lay flat down
on the Big Rock and reached way down into the Dear Little Pool,
but all the little Trouts laughed at Reddy Fox and not one came
within reach. Then Mr. Trout swam up so quickly that Reddy Fox
didn't see him coming and bit Reddy's little black paw hard.
"Ouch!" cried Reddy Fox, pulling his little black paw out of the
water. And all the little Trouts laughed at Reddy Fox.
Just then along came Billy Mink.
"Hello, Reddy Fox!" said Billy Mink. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm trying to catch a fish," said Reddy Fox.
"Pooh! That's easy!" said Billy Mink. "I'll show you how."
So Billy Mink lay down on the Big Rock side of Reddy Fox and
peeped over into the Dear Little Pool where all the little Trouts
were laughing at Reddy Fox and having such a good time. But Billy
Mink took care, such very great care, that Mr. Trout and Mrs.
Trout should not see him peeping over into the Dear Little Pool.
When Billy Mink saw all those little Trouts playing in the Dear
Little Pool he laughed. "You count three, Reddy Fox," said he,
"and I'll show you how to catch a fish."
"One!" said Reddy Fox, "Two! Three!"
Splash! Billy Mink had dived head first into the Dear Little
Pool. He spattered water way up onto Reddy Fox, and he frightened
old Mr. Frog so that he fell over backwards off the lily pad
where he was taking a morning nap right into the water. In a
minute Billy Mink climbed out on the other side of the Dear
Little Pool and sure enough, he had caught one of the little
Trouts.
"Give it to me," cried Reddy Fox.
"Catch one yourself," said Billy Mink. "Old Grandpa Mink wants a
fish for his dinner, so I am going to take this home. You're
afraid, Reddy Fox! 'Fraid-cat! Fraid-cat!"
Billy Mink shook the water off of his little brown coat, picked
up the little Trout and ran off home.
Reddy Fox lay down again on the Big Rock and peeped into the Dear
Little Pool. Not a single Trout could he see. They were all
hiding safely with Mr. and Mrs. Trout. Reddy Fox watched and
watched. The sun was warm, the Laughing Brook was singing a
lullaby and--what do you think? Why, Reddy Fox went fast asleep
on the edge of the great Big Rock.
By and by Reddy Fox began to dream. He dreamed that he had a nice
little brown coat that was waterproof, just like the little brown
coat that Billy Mink wore. Yes, and he dreamed that he had
learned to swim and to catch fish just as Billy Mink did. He
dreamed that the Dear Little Pool was full of little Trouts and
that he was just going to catch one when--splash! Reddy Fox had
rolled right off of the Big Rock into the Dear Little Pool.
The water went into the eyes of Reddy Fox, and it went up his
nose and he swallowed so much that he felt as if he never, never
would want another drink of water. And his beautiful red coat,
which old Mother Fox had told him to be very, very careful of
because he couldn't have another for a whole year, was oh so wet!
And his pants were wet and his beautiful bushy tail, of which he
was so proud, was so full of water that he couldn't hold it up,
but had to drag it up the bank after him as he crawled out of the
Dear Little Pool.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Mr. Kingfisher, sitting on a tree.
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" laughed old Mr. Frog, who had climbed back on his
lily pad.
"He! He! He!" laughed all the little Trouts and Mr. Trout and
Mrs. Trout, swimming round and round in the Dear Little Pool.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho! He! He! He!" laughed Billy Mink, who had
come back to the Big Rock just in time to see Reddy Fox tumble
in.
Reddy Fox didn't say a word, he was so ashamed. He just crept up
the Lone Little Path to his home, dragging his tail, all wet and
muddy, behind him, and dripping water all the way.
Johnny Chuck was still sitting by his door as his mother had told
him to. Reddy Fox tried to go past without being seen, but Johnny
Chuck's bright little eyes saw him.
"Where are your fish, Reddy Fox?" called Johnny Chuck.
"Why don't you turn somersaults, and jump over your shadow and
chase Butterflies and play with the little Field Mice, Reddy
Fox?" called Johnny Chuck.
But Reddy Fox just walked faster. When he got almost home he saw
old Mother Fox sitting in the doorway with a great big switch
across her lap, for Mother Fox had told Reddy Fox not to go near
the Laughing Brook.
And this is all I am going to tell you about how Reddy Fox went
fishing.
CHAPTER VII JIMMY SKUNK LOOKS FOR BEETLES
Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out
of his snug little house on the hill. Big, round Mr. Sun, with a
very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.
Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows
with her big bag over her shoulder. In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew
she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she
was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.
"Good morning, Mother West Wind," said Jimmy Skunk, politely.
"Did you see any beetles as you came down the hill?"
Old Mother West Wind said, no, she hadn't seen any beetles as she
came down the hill.
"Thank you," said Jimmy Skunk politely. "I guess I'll have to go
look myself, for I'm very, very hungry."
So Jimmy Skunk brushed his handsome black and white coat, and
washed his face and hands, and started out to try to find some
beetles for his breakfast. First he went down to the Green
Meadows and stopped at Johnny Chuck's house. But Johnny Chuck was
still in bed and fast asleep. Then Jimmy Skunk went over to see
if Reddy Fox would go with him to help find some beetles for his
breakfast. But Reddy Fox had been out very, very late the night
before and was still in bed fast asleep, too.
So Jimmy Skunk set out all alone along the Crooked Little Path up
the hill to find some beetles for his breakfast. He walked very
slowly, for Jimmy Skunk never hurries. He stopped and peeped
under every old log to see if there were any beetles. By and by
he came to a big piece of bark beside the Crooked Little Path.
Jimmy Skunk took hold of the piece of bark with his two little
black paws and pulled and pulled. All of a sudden, the big piece
of bark turned over so quickly that Jimmy Skunk fell flat on his
back.
When Jimmy Skunk had rolled over onto his feet again, there sat
old Mr. Toad right in the path, and old Mr. Toad was very, very
cross indeed. He swelled and he puffed and he puffed and he
swelled, till he was twice as big as Jimmy Skunk had ever seen
him before.
"Good morning, Mr. Toad," said Jimmy Skunk. "Have you seen any
beetles?"
But Mr. Toad blinked his great round goggly eyes and he said:
"What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk, by pulling the roof off my
house?"
"Is that the roof of your house?" asked Jimmy Skunk politely. "I
won't do it again."
Then Jimmy Skunk stepped right over old Mr. Toad, and went on up
the Crooked Little Path to look for some beetles.
By and by he came to an old stump of a tree which was hollow and
had the nicest little round hole in one side. Jimmy Skunk took
hold of one edge with his two little black paws and pulled and
pulled. All of a sudden the whole side of the old stump tore open
and Jimmy Skunk fell flat on his back.
When Jimmy Skunk had rolled over onto his feet again there was
Striped Chipmunk hopping up and down right in the middle of the
path, he was so angry.
"Good morning, Striped Chipmunk," said Jimmy Skunk. "Have you
seen any beetles?"
But Striped Chipmunk hopped faster than ever and he said: "What
do you mean, Jimmy Skunk, by pulling the side off my house?"
"Is that the side of your house?" asked Jimmy Skunk, politely. "I
won't do it again."
Then Jimmy Skunk stepped right over Striped Chipmunk, and went
on up the Crooked Little Path to look for some beetles.
Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit hopping along down the Crooked
Little Path. "Good morning, Jimmy Skunk, where are you going so
early in the morning?" said Peter Rabbit.
"Good morning, Peter Rabbit. Have you seen any beetles?" asked
Jimmy Skunk, politely.
"No, I haven't seen any beetles, but I'll help you find some,"
said Peter Rabbit. So he turned about and hopped ahead of Jimmy
Skunk up the Crooked Little Path.
Now because Peter Rabbit's legs are long and he is always in a
hurry, he got to the top of the hill first. When Jimmy Skunk
reached the end of the Crooked Little Path on the top of the hill
he found Peter Rabbit sitting up very straight and looking and
looking very hard at a great flat stone.
"What are you looking at, Peter Rabbit?" asked Jimmy Skunk.
"Sh-h-h!" said Peter Rabbit, "I think there are some beetles
under that great flat stone where that little black string is
sticking out. Now when I count three you grab that string and
pull hard perhaps you'll find a beetle at the other end."
So Jimmy Skunk got ready and Peter Rabbit began to count.
"One!" said Peter. "Two!" said Peter. "Three!"
Jimmy Skunk grabbed the black string and pulled as hard as ever
he could and out came--Mr. Black Snake! The string Jimmy Skunk had
pulled was Mr. Black Snake's tail, and Mr. Black Snake was very,
very angry indeed.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Peter Rabbit.
"What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk," said Mr. Black Snake, "by
pulling my tail?"
"Was that your tail?" said Jimmy Skunk, politely. "I won't do it
again. Have you seen any beetles?"
But Mr. Black Snake hadn't seen any beetles, and he was so cross
that Jimmy Skunk went on over the hill to look for some beetles.
Peter Rabbit was still laughing and laughing and laughing. And
the more he laughed the angrier grew Mr. Black Snake, till
finally he started after Peter Rabbit to teach him a lesson.
Then Peter Rabbit stopped laughing, for Mr. Black Snake can run
very fast. Away went Peter Rabbit down the Crooked Little Path as
fast as he could go, and away went Mr. Black Snake after him.
But Jimmy Skunk didn't even look once to see if Mr. Black Snake
had caught Peter Rabbit to teach him a lesson, for Jimmy Skunk had
found some beetles and was eating his breakfast.
CHAPTER VIII BILLY MINK'S SWIMMING PARTY
Billy Mink was coming down the bank of the Laughing Brook. Billy
Mink was feeling very good indeed. He had had a good breakfast,
the sun was warm, little white cloud ships were sailing across
the blue sky and their shadows were sailing across the Green
Meadows, the birds were singing and the bees were humming. Billy
Mink felt like singing too, but Billy Mink's voice was not meant
for singing.
By and by Billy Mink came to the Smiling Pool. Here the Laughing
Brook stopped and rested on its way to join the Big River. It
stopped its noisy laughing and singing and just lay smiling and
smiling in the warm sunshine. The little flowers on the bank
leaned over and nodded to it. The beech tree, which was very old,
sometimes dropped a leaf into it. The cat-tails kept their feet
cool in the edge of it.
Billy Mink jumped out on the Big Rock and looked down into the
Smiling Pool. Over on a green lily pad he saw old Grandfather
Frog.
"Hello, Grandfather Frog," said Billy Mink.
"Hello, Billy Mink," said Grandfather Frog. "What mischief are
you up to this fine sunny morning?"
Just then Billy Mink saw a little brown head swimming along one
edge of the Smiling Pool.
"Hello, Jerry Muskrat!" shouted Billy Mink.
"Hello your own self, Billy Mink," shouted Jerry Muskrat, "Come
in and have a swim; the water's fine!"
"Good," said Billy Mink. "We'll have a swimming party."
So Billy Mink called all the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother
West Wind, who were playing with the flowers on the bank, and
sent them to find Little Joe Otter and invite him to come to the
swimming party. Pretty soon back came the Little Breezes and with
them came Little Joe Otter.
"Hello, Billy Mink," said Little Joe Otter. "Here I am!"
"Hello, Little Joe Otter," said Billy Mink. "Come up here on the
Big Rock and see who can dive the deepest into the Smiling Pool."
So Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat climbed up on the Big Rock
side of Billy Mink and they all stood side by side in their
little brown bathing suits looking down into the Smiling Pool.
"Now when I count three we'll all dive into the Smiling Pool
together and see who can dive the deepest. One!" said Billy Mink.
"Two!" said Billy Mink. "Three!" said Billy Mink.
And when he said "Three!" in they all went head first. My such a
splash as they did make! They upset old Grandfather Frog so that
he fell off his lily pad. They frightened Mr. and Mrs. Trout so
that they jumped right out of the water. Tiny Tadpole had such a
scare that he hid way, way down in the mud with only the tip of
his funny little nose sticking out.
"Chug-a-rum," said old Grandfather Frog, climbing out of his lily
pad. "If I wasn't so old I would show you how to dive."
"Come on, Grandfather Frog!" cried Billy Mink. "Show us how to
dive."
And what do you think? Why, old Grandfather Frog actually got so
excited that he climbed up on the Big Rock to show them how to
dive. Splash! Went Grandfather Frog into the Smiling Pool.
Splash! Went Billy Mink right behind him. Splash! Splash! Went
Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat, right at Billy Mink's heels.
"Hurrah!" shouted Mr. Kingfisher, sitting on a branch of the old
beech tree. And then just to show them that he could dive, too,
splash! He went into the Smiling Pool.
Such a noise as they did make! All the Little Breezes of Old
Mother West Wind danced for joy on the bank. Blacky the Crow and
Sammy Jay flew over to see what was going on.
"Now let's see who can swim the farthest under water," cried
Billy Mink.
So they all stood side by side on one edge of the Smiling Pool.
"Go!" shouted Mr. Kingfisher, and in they all plunged. Little
ripples ran across the Smiling Pool and then the water became as
smooth and smiling as if nothing had gone into it with a plunge.
Now old Grandfather Frog began to realize that he wasn't as young
as he used to be, and he couldn't swim as fast as the others
anyway. He began to get short of breath, so he swam up to the top
and stuck just the tip of his nose out to get some more air.
Sammy Jay's sharp eyes saw him.
"There's Grandfather Frog!" he shouted.
So then Grandfather Frog popped his head out and swam over to his
green lily pad to rest.
Way over beyond the Big Rock little bubbles in three long rows
kept coming up to the top of the Smiling Pool. They showed just
where Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat were
swimming way down out of sight. It was the air from their lungs
making the bubbles. Straight across the Smiling Pool went the
lines of little bubbles and then way out on the farther side two
little heads bobbed out of water close together. They were Billy
Mink and Little Joe Otter. A moment later Jerry Muskrat bobbed up
beside them.
You see, they had swum clear across the Smiling Pool and of course
they could swim no farther.
So Billy Mink's swimming party was a great success.
CHAPTER IX PETER RABBIT PLAYS A JOKE
One morning when big round Mr. Sun was climbing up in the sky and
Old Mother West Wind had sent all her Merry Little Breezes to
play in the Green Meadows, Johnny Chuck started out for a walk.
First he sat up very straight and looked and looked all around to
see if Reddy Fox was anywhere about, for you know Reddy Fox liked
to tease Johnny Chuck.
But Reddy Fox was nowhere to be seen, so Johnny Chuck trotted down
the Lone Little Path to the wood. Mr. Sun was shining as brightly
as ever he could and Johnny Chuck, who was very, very fat, grew
very, very warm. By and by he sat down on the end of a log under
a big tree to rest.
Thump! Something hit Johnny Chuck right on the top of his round
little head. It made Johnny Chuck jump.
"Hello, Johnny Chuck!" said a voice that seemed to come right out
of the sky. Johnny Chuck tipped his head way, way back and looked
up. He was just in time to see Happy Jack Squirrel drop a nut.
Down it came and hit Johnny Chuck right on the tip of his funny,
black, little nose.
"Oh!" said Johnny Chuck, and tumbled right over back off the log.
But Johnny Chuck was so round and so fat and so roly-poly that it
didn't hurt him a bit.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Happy Jack up in the tree.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Johnny Chuck, picking himself up. Then they
both laughed together. It was such a good joke.
"What are you laughing at?" asked a voice so close to Johnny
Chuck that he rolled over three times he was so surprised. It was
Peter Rabbit.
"What are you doing in my wood?" asked Peter Rabbit.
"I'm taking a walk," said Johnny Chuck.
"Good," said Peter Rabbit, "I'll come along too."
So Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit set out along the Lone Little
Path through the wood. Peter Rabbit hopped along with great big
jumps, for Peter's legs are long and meant for jumping, but
Johnny Chuck couldn't keep up though he tried very hard, for
Johnny's legs are short. Pretty soon Peter Rabbit came back,
walking very softly. He whispered in Johnny Chuck's ear.
"I've found something," said Peter Rabbit.
"What is it?" asked Johnny Chuck.
"I'll show you," said Peter Rabbit, "but you must be very, very
still, and not make the least little bit of noise."
Johnny Chuck promised to be very, very still for he wanted very
much to see what Peter Rabbit had found. Peter Rabbit tip-toed
down the Lone Little Path through the wood, his funny long ears
pointing right up to the sky. And behind him tip-toed Johnny
Chuck, wondering and wondering what it could be that Peter Rabbit
had found.
Pretty soon they came to a nice mossy green log right across the
Lone Little Path. Peter Rabbit stopped and sat up very straight.
He looked this way and looked that way. Johnny Chuck stopped too
and he sat up very straight and looked this way and looked that
way, but all he could see was the mossy green log across the Lone
Little Path.
"What is it, Peter Rabbit?" whispered Johnny Chuck.
"You can't see it yet," whispered Peter Rabbit, "for first we
have to jump over that mossy green log. Now I'll jump first, and
then you jump just the way I do, and then you'll see what it is
I've found," said Peter Rabbit.
So Peter Rabbit jumped first, and because his legs are long and
meant for jumping, he jumped way, way over the mossy green log.
Then he turned around and sat up to see Johnny Chuck jump over
the mossy green log, too.
Johnny Chuck tried to jump very high and very far, just as he had
seen Peter Rabbit jump, but Johnny Chuck's legs are very short
and not meant for jumping. Besides, Johnny Chuck was very, very
fat. So though he tried very hard indeed to jump just like Peter
Rabbit, he stubbed his toes on the top of the mossy green log and
over he tumbled, head first, and landed with a great big thump
right on Reddy Fox, who was lying fast asleep on the other side
of the mossy green log.
Peter Rabbit laughed and laughed until he had to hold his sides.
My, how frightened Johnny Chuck was when he saw what he had done!
Before he could get on his feet he had rolled right over behind a
little bush, and there he lay very, very still.
Reddy Fox awoke with a grunt when Johnny Chuck fell on him so
hard, and the first thing he saw was Peter Rabbit laughing so
that he had to hold his sides. Reddy Fox didn't stop to look
around. He thought that Peter Rabbit had jumped on him. Up jumped
Reddy Fox and away ran Peter Rabbit. Away went Reddy Fox after
Peter Rabbit. Peter dodged behind the trees, and jumped over the
bushes, and ran this way and ran that way, just as hard as ever
he could, for Peter Rabbit was very much afraid of Reddy Fox. And
Reddy Fox followed Peter Rabbit behind the trees and over the
bushes this way and that way, but he couldn't catch Peter Rabbit.
Pretty soon Peter Rabbit came to the house of Jimmy Skunk. He
knew that Jimmy Skunk was over in the pasture, so he popped right
in and then he was safe, for the door of Jimmy Skunk's house was
too small for Reddy Fox to squeeze in. Reddy Fox sat down and
waited, but Peter Rabbit didn't come out. By and by Reddy Fox
gave it up and trotted off home where old Mother Fox was waiting
for him.