`` Chug-a-rum , '' said Grandfather Frog . `` Oh , Grandfather Frog , '' cried the Merry Little Breezes all together , `` do tell us why it is that Peter Rabbit has such long ears . '' Grandfather Frog cleared his throat . He looked to the east and cleared his throat again . Then he looked to the west , and cleared his throat . He looked north and he looked south , and each time he cleared his throat , but said nothing . Finally he folded his hands once more over his white and yellow waistcoat , and looking straight up at jolly , round , red Mr. Sun he remarked in his very deepest Voice and to no one in particular : `` If I had four fat , foolish , green flies , it is just possible that I might remember how it happens that Peter Rabbit has such long ears . '' Then up jumped all the Merry Little Breezes and away they raced . Some of them went east , some of them went west , some of them went north , some of them went south , all looking for fat , foolish , green flies for Grandfather Frog . By and by they came skipping back , one by one , to the edge of the Smiling Pool , each with a fat , foolish , green fly , and each stopping to give Mrs. Redwing 's cradle a gentle push . When Grandfather Frog had swallowed all the fat , foolish , green flies brought by the Merry Little Breezes , he settled himself comfortably on his big lily pad once more and began : `` Once upon a time , very long ago , when the world was young , Mr. Rabbit -- not our Peter Rabbit , but his grandfather a thousand times removed -- had short ears like all the other meadow people , and also his four legs were all of the same length , just exactly the same length . `` Now Mr. Rabbit had a great deal of curiosity , a very great deal , indeed . He was forever pushing his prying little nose into other people 's affairs , which , you know , is a most unpleasant habit . In fact , Mr. Rabbit had become a nuisance . '' -LSB- Illustration : Mr. Rabbit had a great deal of curiosity , a very great deal , indeed . -RSB- `` Whenever Billy Mink stopped to pass the time of day with Jerry Muskrat they were sure to find Mr. Rabbit standing close by , listening to all they said . If Johnny Chuck 's mother ran over to have a few minutes ' chat with Jimmy Skunk 's mother , the first thing they knew Mr. Rabbit would be squatting down in the grass right behind them . `` The older he grew the worse Mr. Rabbit became . He would spend his evenings going from house to house , tiptoeing softly up to the windows to listen to what the folks inside were saying . And the more he heard the more Mr. Rabbit 's curiosity grew .
`` Now , like most people who meddle in other folks ' affairs , Mr. XXXXX had no time to tend to his own business .
Frog Mink Muskrat Rabbit Redwing Skunk Sun first minutes right