But Peter, who always had been so happy-go-lucky, with no one to thinkabout but himself, now felt for the first time re-sponsi-bil-ity. That'sa big word, but it is a word that everybody has to learn the meaning ofsometime. Johnny Chuck learned it when he made a home for Polly Chuck inFarmer Brown's orchard, and tried to keep it a secret, so that no harmwould come to Polly. It means taking care of other people or otherpeople's things, and feeling that you must take even greater care thanyou would of yourself or your own things, So, while Peter himself wouldhave been willing to take chances, and might even have made the journeydown to the dear Old Briar-patch in broad daylight, he felt that thatwouldn't do at all for little Miss Fuzzytail; that he must avoid everypossible chance of danger for her.
So Peter waited for a dark night, not too dark, you know, but a nightwhen there was no moon to make great patches of light, but only thekindly little Stars looking down and twinkling in the friendly way theyhave. At last there was just such a night. All the afternoon little MissFuzzytail went about in the Old Pasture saying good-by to her friendsand visiting each one of her favorite little paths and hiding-places,and I suspect that in each one she dropped a tear or two, for you seeshe felt sure that she never would see them again, although Peter hadpromised that he would bring her back to the Old Pasture for a visitwhenever she wanted to come.
At last it was time to start. Peter led the way. Very big and brave andstrong and important he felt, and very timid and frightened felt littleMiss Fuzzytail, hopping after him close at his heels. You see, she feltthat she was going out into the Great World, of which she knew nothingat all.
"Oh, Peter," she whispered, "supposing we should meet Reddy Fox! Iwouldn'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 theseat of my trousers and follow me. I have fooled Reddy so many timesthat I'm not afraid of him."
Never in all his life had Peter been so watchful and careful. That wasbecause he felt his re-sponsi-bil-ity. Every few jumps he would stop tosit up and look and listen. Then little Miss Fuzzytail would nestle upclose to him, and Peter's heart would swell with happiness, and he wouldfeel, oh, so proud and important. Once they heard the sharp bark ofReddy Fox, but it was a long way off, and Peter smiled, for he knew thatReddy was hunting on the edge of the Green Forest.
Once a dim shadow swept across the meadow grass ahead of them. Peterdropped flat in the grass and kept perfectly still, and little MissFuzzytail 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 seeus." After what seemed like a long, long time they heard Hooty's fiercehunting call, but it came from way back of them on the edge of the OldPasture. 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 Meadowswhile the little Stars looked down and twinkled in the most friendlyway, and just as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun started to kick offhis bedclothes behind the Purple Hills they reached the dear OldBriar-patch.
"Here we are!" cried Peter.
"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried little Miss Fuzzytail, hopping along one ofPeter'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 wasback in the dear Old Briar-patch. Sammy took it into his head to flyover there the very morning of Peter's home-coming. Indeed, little MissFuzzytail 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. NowPeter was not quite ready to have all the world know that there was aMrs. Peter, for of course that was what little Miss Fuzzytail was nowthat she had come to make her home with Peter. They wanted to keep bythemselves for a little while and just be happy with each other. So assoon as Peter saw Sammy Jay headed towards the Old Briar-patch, he hidlittle Miss Fuzzytail under the thickest sweet-briar bush, and thenhurried out to the nearest sweet-clover patch.
Of course Sammy Jay saw him right away, and of course Sammy was verymuch surprised.
"Hello, Peter Rabbit! Where'd you come from?" he shouted, as he settledhimself comfortably in a little poplar-tree growing on the edge of theOld Briar-patch.
"Oh," said Peter with a very grand air, "I've been on a long journey tosee the Great World."
"Which means," said Sammy Jay with a chuckle, "that you've been in theOld Pasture all this time, and let me tell you, Peter Rabbit, the OldPasture is a very small part of the Great World. By the way, Tommy Titthe 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, andhe guessed that you were going to make your home up there. What's thematter? Did her father, Old Jed Thumper, drive you out?"
"No, he didn't!" snapped Peter angrily, "It's none of your business whatI came home for, Sammy Jay, but I'll tell you just the same. I came homebecause 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 smartcap 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 whateverfaults Peter may have, he is at least truthful. So he just pretended notto 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 SammyJay is sharp, and he noticed right away that Peter didn't answer butbegan to talk about other things.
"Ha, ha!" thought Sammy to himself, "I believe he didn't come alone, Iwonder now if he brought Miss Fuzzytail with him."
Right away Sammy began to peer down into the Old Briar-patch, twistingand turning so that he could see in every direction, and all the timetalking as fast as his tongue could go. Two or three times he flew outover the Old Briar-patch, pretending to try to catch moths, but reallyso that he could look down into certain hiding-places. The last timethat he did this he spied little Mrs. Peter, who was, you know, MissFuzzytail. At once Sammy Jay started for the Green Forest, screaming atthe 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 atthe top of his voice as he flew through the Green Forest and over theGreen Meadows," Peter Rabbit's married!" "Peter Rabbit's married!" Hesaw the Merry Little Breezes who, you know, are the children of OldMother West Wind, start for the dear Old Briar-patch as soon as theyheard Sammy Jay, and he knew that they would be only the first of alot of visitors. He hurried to where Mrs. Peter was hiding under asweet-briar bush.
"Do you hear what that mischief-maker, Sammy Jay, is screaming?" askedPeter.
Mrs. Peter nodded. "Don't--don't you think it sounds kind of--well, kindof NICE, Peter?" she asked in a bashful sort of way.
Peter chuckled. "It sounds more than KIND of nice to me," said he. "Doyou know, I used to think that Sammy Jay never did and never could sayanything nice, but I've just changed my mind. Though he isn't saying itto be nice, it really is the nicest thing I've ever heard him say. Wehaven't been able to keep our secret, so I think the very best thing wecan do is to invite everybody to call. Then we can get it over with andhave a little time to ourselves. Here come the Merry Little Breezes, andI know that they will be glad to take the invitations for us."
Mrs. Peter agreed, for she thought that anything Peter did or suggestedwas just about right. So the Merry Little Breez
es were soon skipping anddancing over the Green Meadows and through the Green Forest with thismessage:
"Mr. and Mrs. Peter Rabbit will be at home in the Old Briar-patch totheir 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," repliedPeter. "Those who sleep through the day will have waked up, and thosewho sleep through the night will not have gone to bed. Besides, it willbe safer for some of the smallest of them if the Black Shadows are aboutfor them to hide in on their way here."
"How thoughtful you are," said little Mrs. Peter with a little sigh ofhappiness.
Of course, every one who could walk, creep, or fly headed for the OldBriar-patch the next day at shadow-time, for almost every one knows andloves Peter Rabbit, and of course every one was very anxious to meetMrs. Peter. From the Smiling Pool came Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter,Jerry Muskrat, Spotty the Turtle, and old Grandfather Frog. From theGreen Forest came Bobby Coon, Unc' Billy Possum and Mrs. Possum, PricklyPorky the Porcupine, Whitefoot the Woodmouse, Happy Jack the GraySquirrel, Chatterer the Red Squirrel, Blacky the Crow, Sammy Jay, Ol'Mistah Buzzard, Mistah Mockingbird, and Sticky-toes the Treetoad. Fromthe Green Meadows came Danny Meadow Mouse, Old Mr. Toad, Digger theBadger, Jimmy Skunk, and Striped Chipmunk, who lives near the oldstone-wall between the edge of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest.Johnny and Polly Chuck came down from the Old Orchard and Drummer theWoodpecker came from the same place.
Of course Old Man Coyote paid his respects, and when he came everybodybut Prickly Porky and Digger the Badger and Jimmy Skunk made way for himwith 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 hadfooled all three so many times that they felt none too friendly.
Very proud looked Peter as he stood under a bramble-bush with Mrs. Peterby his side and introduced her to his many friends, and very sweet andmodest and retiring looked little Mrs. Peter as she sat beside him.Everybody said that she was "too sweet for anything", and when Reddy Foxoverheard that remark he grinned and said:
"Not for me! She can't be too sweet for me, and I hope I'll have achance 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 friendshad left the Old Briar-patch after paying their respects to Peter andMrs. Peter, He waited for two reasons, did Danny Meadow Mouse. In thefirst place, he had seen old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox hanging about alittle way off, and though they had disappeared after a while, Danny hadan idea that they were not far away, but were hiding so that they mightcatch him on his way home. Of course, he hadn't the slightest intentionof giving them the chance. He had made up his mind to ask Peter if hemight spend the night in a corner of the Old Briar-patch, and he wasvery sure that Peter would say he might, for he and Peter are very goodfriends, 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 Dannyfelt sure he couldn't know all about how things were there now, and sohe wanted to warn Peter that the Green Meadows were not nearly as safeas before Old Man Coyote had come there to live. So Danny waited, andwhen all the rest of the callers had left he called Peter to one sidewhere little Mrs. Peter couldn't hear. Danny stood up on his hind legsso 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 badas 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 theOld Pasture in return for a good turn Peter had once done him, and howhe 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 himanything, 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 Foxpretty 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 beforeto keep out of his clutches. Watch out, Peter Rabbit, if you and OldMan Coyote are even. Now, if you don't mind, I'll curl up in my oldhiding-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 thenight in the Old Briar-patch, and thanked Danny for his warning as hebade him good-night. But Peter never carries his troubles with him forlong, and by the time he had rejoined little Mrs. Peter he was very muchinclined 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 tofear from Old Man Coyote. You know he is my friend."
"But I don't know that he is mine!" replied little Mrs. Peter, andthe way she said it made Peter look at her anxiously. "I believe DannyMeadow 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! Peterthought so much of Mrs. Peter, he meant to be so thoughtful that shenever would have a thing to worry about. But Peter was heedless. Healways was heedless. This is the worst of a bad habit--you can try tolet 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 actuallydidn't know when he was heedless.
When there was nobody but himself to think about, and no one to worryabout him, his heedlessness didn't so much matter. If anything hadhappened to him then, there would have been no one to suffer. But nowall this was changed. You see, there was little Mrs. Peter. At firstPeter had been perfectly content to stay with her in the dear OldBriar-patch. He had led her through all his private little paths, andthey had planned where they would make two or three more. He hadshowed her all his secret hiding-places and the shortest way to thesweet-clover patch. He had pointed out where the Lone Little Path camedown 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 hadshe complained of being homesick for the Old Pasture.
But after a little while Peter began to get uneasy. You see in the daysbefore Old Man Coyote had come to live on the Green Meadows, Peter hadcome and gone about as he pleased. Of course he had had to watch out forGranny and Reddy Fox, but he had had to watch out for them ever sincehe was a baby, so he didn't fear them very much in spite of theirsmartness. He felt quite as smart as they and perhaps a little bitsmarter. Anyway, they never had caught him, and he didn't believe theyever would. So he had come and gone as he pleased, and poked his noseinto everybody's business, and gossiped with everybody.
Of course it was quite natural that Peter should want to call on all hisold friends and visit the Green Forest, the Old Orchard, the LaughingBrook, and the Smiling Pool. Probably Mrs. Peter wouldn't have worriedvery much if it hadn't been for the warning left by Danny Meadow Mouse.
Da
nny had said that Old Man Coyote was more to be feared than all theHawk family and all the Fox family together, because he was smarterand slyer than any of them. At first Peter had looked very serious, butafter Danny had gone back to his own home Peter had laughed at Danny forbeing so afraid, and he began to go farther and farther away from thesafe Old Briar-patch.
One day he had ventured as far as halfway up the Crooked Little Path. Hewas thinking so hard of a surprise he was planning for little Mrs. Peterthat he forgot to watch out and almost ran into Old Man Coyote before hesaw him. There was a hungry look, such a hungry look in Old Man Coyote'seyes as he grinned and said "Good morning" that Peter didn't even stopto be polite. He remembered that Jimmy Skunk's old house was near, andhe 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 ManCoyote. "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-patchafter his narrow escape from Old Man Coyote by dodging into JimmySkunk's old house halfway up the hill. And little Mrs. Peter was gladenough to have him, you may be sure. She had been watching Peter when heso heedlessly almost ran into Old Man Coyote, and it had seemed to heras if her heart stopped beating until Peter reached the safety of thatold house of Jimmy Skunk just one jump ahead. Then she saw Old ManCoyote hide in the grass near by and she was terribly, terribly afraidthat Peter would be heedless again and come out, thinking that Mr.Coyote had gone.