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THE ADVENTURES OF PETER COTTONTAIL

By Thornton W. Burgess

Author of "The Adventures of Reddy Fox"

"Old Mother West Wind," etc.

With Illustrations by Harrison Cady

Boston

Little, Brown, And Company

1917




THE ADVENTURES OF PETER COTTONTAIL




I. PETER RABBIT DECIDES TO CHANGE HIS NAME

|PETER RABBIT! Peter Rabbit! I don't see what Mother Nature ever gave
me such a common sounding name as that for. People laugh at me, but if I
had a fine sounding name they wouldn't laugh. Some folks say that a name
doesn't amount to anything, but it does. If I should do some wonderful
thing, nobody would think anything of it. No, Sir, nobody would think
anything of it at all just because--why just because it was done by
Peter Rabbit."

Peter was talking out loud, but he was talking to himself. He sat in the
dear Old Briar-patch with an ugly scowl on his usually happy face. The
sun was shining, the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were
dancing over the Green Meadows, the birds were singing, and happiness,
the glad, joyous happiness of springtime, was everywhere but in Peter
Rabbit's heart. There there seeded to be no room for anything but
discontent. And such foolish discontent--discontent with his name! And
yet, do you know, there are lots of people just as foolish as Peter
Rabbit.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?"

The voice made Peter Rabbit jump and turn around hastily. There was
Jimmy Skunk poking his head in at the opening of one of Peter's private
little paths. He was grinning, and Peter knew by that grin that Jimmy
had heard what he had said. Peter didn't know what to say. He hung his
head in a very shame-faced way.

"You've got something to learn," said Jimmy Skunk.

"What is it?" asked Peter.

"It's just this," replied Jimmy.

               "There's nothing in a name except

                   Just what we choose to make it.

               It lies with us and no one else

                   How other folks shall take it.

               It's what we do and what we say

               And how we live each passing day

               That makes it big or makes it small

               Or even worse than none at all.

               A name just stands for what we are;

                   It's what we choose to make it.

               And that's the way and only way

               That other folks will take it."

Peter Rabbit made a face at Jimmy Skunk. "I don't like being preached
to."

"I'm not preaching; I'm just telling you what you ought to know without
being told," replied Jimmy Skunk. "If you don't like your name, why
don't you change it?"

"What's that?" cried Peter sharply.

"If you don't like your name, why don't you change it?" repeated Jimmy.

Peter sat up and the disagreeable frown had left his face. "I--I--hadn't
thought of that," he said slowly. "Do you suppose I could, Jimmy Skunk?"

"Easiest thing in the world," replied Jimmy Skunk. "Just decide what
name you like and then ask all your friends to call you by it."

"I believe I will!" cried Peter Rabbit.

"Well, let me know what it is when you have decided," said Jimmy, as
he started for home. And all the way up the Crooked Little Path, Jimmy
chuckled to himself as he thought of foolish Peter Rabbit trying to
change his name.




II. PETER FINDS A NAME

|PETER RABBIT had quite lost his appetite. When Peter forgets to eat you
may make up your mind that Peter has something very important to
think about. At least he has something on his mind that he thinks is
important. The fact is, Peter had fully made up his mind to change his
name. He thought Peter Rabbit too common a name. But when he tried to
think of a better one, he found that no name that he could think of
really pleased him any more. So he thought and he thought and he thought
and he thought. And the more he thought the less appetite he had.

Now Jimmy Skunk was the only one to whom Peter had told how discontented
he was with his name, and it was Jimmy who had suggested to Peter that
he change it. Jimmy thought it a great joke, and he straightway passed
the word along among all the little meadow and forest people that Peter
Rabbit was going to change his name. Everybody laughed and chuckled over
the thought of Peter Rabbit's foolishness, and they planned to have
a great deal of fun with Peter as soon as he should tell them his new
name.

Peter was sitting on the edge of the Old Briar-patch one morning when
Ol' Mistah Buzzard passed, flying low. "Good mo'ning, Brer Cottontail,"
said Ol' Mistah Buzzard, with a twinkle in his eye.

At first Peter didn't understand that Ol' Mistah Buzzard was speaking
to him, and by the time he did it was too late to reply, for Ol' Mistah
Buzzard was way, way up in the blue, blue sky. "Cottontail, Cottontail."
said Peter over and over to himself and began to smile. Every time he
said it he liked it better.

[Illustration: 0024]

"Cottontail, Peter Cottontail! How much better sounding that is than
Peter Rabbit! That sounds as if I really was somebody. Yes, Sir, that's
the very name I want. Now I must send word to all my friends that
hereafter I am no longer Peter Rabbit, but Peter Cottontail."

Peter kicked up his heels in just the funny way he always does when he
is pleased. Suddenly he remembered that such a fine, long, high-sounding
name as Peter Cottontail demanded dignity. So he stopped kicking up his
heels and began to practise putting on airs. But first he called to the
Merry Little Breezes and told them about his change of name and asked
them to tell all his friends that in the future he would not answer to
the name of Peter Rabbit, but only to the name of Peter Cottontail. He
was very grave and earnest and important as he explained it to the Merry
Little Breezes. The Merry Little Breezes kept their faces straight while
he was talking, but as soon, as they had left him to carry his message
they burst out laughing. It was such a joke!

And they giggled as they delivered this message to each of the little
forest and meadow people:

               "Peter Rabbit's changed his name.

                   In the future without fail

               You must call him, if you please,

                   Mr. Peter Cottontail."

While they were doing this, Peter was back in the Old Briar-patch
practising new airs and trying to look very high and mighty and
important, as became one with such a fine sounding name as Peter
Cottontail.




III. THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE OLD NAME AFTER ALL

|BOBBY <DW53> and Jimmy Skunk had their heads together. Now when these
two put their heads together, you may make up your mind that they are
planning mischief. Yes, Sir, there is sure to be mischief afoot when
Bobby <DW53> and Jimmy Skunk put their heads together as they were doing
now. Had Peter Rabbit seen them, he might not have felt so easy in his
mind as he did. But Peter didn't see them. He was too much taken up with
trying to look as important as his new name sounded. He was putting on
airs and holding his head very high as he went down to the Smiling Pool
to call on Jeny Muskrat.

Whenever any one called him by his old name, Peter pretended not to
hear. He pretended that he had never heard that name and didn't know
that he was being spoken to. Bobby <DW53> and Jimmy Skunk thought it a
great joke and they made up their minds that they would have some fun
with Peter and perhaps make him see how very foolish he was. Yes, Sir,
they planned to teach Peter a lesson. Bobby <DW53> hurried away to find
Reddy Fox and tell him that Peter had gone down to the Smiling Pool, and
that if he hid beside the path, he might catch Peter on the way back.

Jimmy Skunk hunted up Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay and told them of his
plan and what he wanted them to do to help. Of course they promised that
they would. Then he went to Ol' Mistah Buzzard and told him. Ol' Mistah
Buzzard grinned and promised that he would do his share. Then Bobby <DW53>
and Jimmy Skunk hid where they could see all that would happen.

Peter had reached the Smiling Pool and now sat on the bank admiring his
own reflection in the water and talking to Jerry Muskrat. He had just
told Jerry that when his old name was called out he didn't hear it any
more when along came Blacky the Crow.

"Hello, Peter Rabbit! You're just the fellow I am looking for; I've a
very important message for you," shouted Blacky.

Peter kept right on talking with Jerry Muskrat just as if he didn't
hear, although he was burning with curiosity to know what the message
was.

"I say, Peter Rabbit, are you deaf?" shouted Blacky the Crow.

Jerry Muskrat looked up at Blacky and winked. "Peter Rabbit isn't here,"
said he. "This is Peter Cottontail."

[Illustration: 0030]

"Oh!" said Blacky. "My message is for Peter Rabbit, and it's something
he really ought to know. I'm sorry he isn't here." And with that, away
flew Blacky the Crow, chuckling to himself.

Peter looked quite as uncomfortable as he felt, but of course he
couldn't say a word after boasting that he didn't hear people who called
him Peter Rabbit. Pretty soon along came Sammy Jay. Sammy seemed very
much excited.

"Oh, Peter Rabbit, I'm so glad I've found you!" he cried. "I've some
very important news for you."

Peter had all he could do to sit still and pretend not to hear, but he
did.

"This is Peter Cottontail," said Jerry Muskrat, winking at Sammy Jay.

"Oh," replied Sammy, "my news is for Peter Rabbit!" and off he flew,
chuckling to himself.

Peter looked and felt more uncomfortable than ever. He bade Jerry
Muskrat good-by and started for the dear Old Briar-patch to think things
over. When he was half way there, Ol' Mistah Buzzard came sailing down
out of the sky.

"Brer Cottontail," said he, "if yo' see anything of Brer Rabbit, yo'
tell him that Brer Fox am hiding behind that big bunch of grass just
ahead."

Peter stopped short, and his heart gave a great leap. There, behind the
clump of grass, was something red, sure enough. Peter didn't wait to see
more. He started for a hiding place he knew of in the Green Forest as
fast as he could go, and behind him raced Reddy Fox. As he ran, he heard
Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay laughing, and then he knew that this was
the news that they had had for him.

"I--I--guess that Peter Rabbit is a good enough name, after all," he
panted.




IV. PETER RABBIT FOOLS JIMMY SKUNK

|PETER RABBIT came hopping and skipping down the Crooked Little Path.
Unc' Billy Possum always calls him Brer Rabbit, but everybody else calls
him Peter. Peter was feeling very fine that morning, very fine indeed.
Every few minutes he jumped up in the air, and kicked his heels
together, just for fun. Presently he met Jimmy Skunk.

Jimmy was on his way back from Farmer Brown's corn field, where he had
been helping Blacky the Crow get free from a snare. Jimmy was still
tickling and laughing over the way Blacky the Crow had been caught. He
had to tell Peter Rabbit all about it.

Peter thought it just as good a joke as did Jimmy, and the two trotted
along side by side, planning how they would spread the news all over
the Green Meadows that Blacky the Crow, who thinks himself so smart, had
been caught.

"That reminds me," said Jimmy Skunk suddenly, "I haven't had my
breakfast yet. Have you seen any beetles this morning, Peter Rabbit?"

Peter Rabbit stopped and scratched his long left ear with his long left
hind foot.

"Now you speak of it, it seems to me that I did," said Peter Rabbit.

"Where?" asked Jimmy Skunk eagerly.

Peter pretended to think very hard.

"It seems to me that it was back at the top of the Crooked Little Path
up the hill," said Peter.

"I think I will go look for them at once," replied Jimmy.

"All right," replied Peter, "I'll show you the way."

So up the Crooked Little Path hopped Peter Rabbit, and right behind him
trotted Jimmy Skunk. By and by they came to an old pine stump. Peter
Rabbit stopped. He put one hand on his lips.

"Hush!" whispered Peter. "I think there is a whole family of beetles on
the other side of this stump. You creep around the other side, and I'll
creep around this side. When I thump the ground, you spring right around
and grab them before they can run away."

So Jimmy Skunk crept around one side of the stump, and Peter Rabbit
crept around the other side. Suddenly Peter thumped the ground hard,
twice. Jimmy Skunk was waiting and all ready to spring. When he heard
those thumps, he just sprang as quickly as he could. What do you think
happened?

Why, Jimmy Skunk landed _thump!_ right on Reddy Fox, who was taking a
sun nap on the other side of the pine stump!

"Ha, ha, ha," shouted Peter Rabbit, and started down the Crooked Little
Path as fast as his long legs could take him.




V. REDDY POX GETS INTO TROUBLE

|REDDY FOX, curled up behind the big pine stump, was dreaming of a coop
full of chickens, where there was no Bowser the Hound to watch over
them. Suddenly something landed on him with a thump that knocked all his
breath out. For an instant it frightened Reddy so that he just shook and
shook. Then he got his senses together and discovered that it was Jimmy
Skunk who had jumped on him.

Jimmy was very polite. He begged Reddy's pardon. He protested that it
was all a mistake. He explained how Peter Rabbit had played a trick
on both of them, and how he himself was just looking for beetles for
breakfast.

Now, Reddy Fox is very quick tempered, and as soon as he realized that
he had been made the victim of a joke, he lost his temper completely. He
glared at Jimmy Skunk. He was so angry that he stuttered.

"Y-y-you, y-y-y-you, y-y-y-you did that on p-p-purpose," said Reddy Fox.

"No such thing!" declared Jimmy Skunk. "I tell you it was a joke on the
part of Peter Rabbit, and if you don't believe me, just look down there
on the Green Meadows."

Reddy Fox looked. There sat Peter, his hands on his hips, his long ears
pointed straight up to the blue sky, and his mouth wide open, as he
laughed at the results of his joke.

Reddy shook his fist.

"Ha, ha, ha," shouted Peter Rabbit.

Reddy Fox looked hard at Jimmy Skunk, but like all the other little
meadow and forest people, he has a very great respect for Jimmy Skunk,
and though he would have liked to quarrel with Jimmy, he thought it
wisest not to. Instead, he started after Peter Rabbit as fast as his
legs could go.

Now, Reddy Fox can run very fast, and when Peter saw him coming, Peter
knew that he would have to use his own long legs to the very best of his
ability. Away they went across the Green Meadows. Jimmy Skunk, sitting
on top of the hill, could see the white patch on the seat of Peter
Rabbit's trousers bobbing this way and that way, and right behind him
was Reddy Fox. Now, Peter Rabbit could run fast enough to keep away from
Reddy for a while. You remember that Peter's eyes are so placed that he
can see behind him without turning his head. So he knew when Reddy was
getting too near.

In and out among the bushes along the edge of the Green Meadows they
dodged, and the more he had to run, the angrier Reddy Fox grew. He paid
no attention to where they were going; his whole thought was of catching
Peter Rabbit.

Now, when Peter began to grow tired he began to work over towards Farmer
Brown's corn field, where he knew that Farmer Brown's boy was hiding,
with Bowser the Hound. Dodging this way and that way, Peter worked over
to the fence corner, where Jimmy Skunk had watched Blacky the Crow get
caught in a snare. He let Reddy almost catch him, then he dodged out
into the open corn field, and Reddy, of course, followed him, "Bow-wow,
bow-wow-wow!"

Reddy did not need to turn to know what had happened. Bowser the Hound
had seen him and was after him. Peter just ducked behind a big bunch of
grass and sat down to get his breath, while Reddy started off as hard as
he could go, with Bowser the Hound behind him.




VI. REDDY FOOLS BOWSER THE HOUND

|AWAY across the Green Meadows and up the hill through the Green Forest
raced Reddy Fox at the top of his speed. Behind him, nose to the ground,
came Bowser the Hound, baying at the top of his lungs. Reddy ran along
an old stone wall and jumped as far out into the field as he could.

"I guess that will fool him for a while," panted Reddy, as he sat down
to get his breath.

When Bowser came to the place where Reddy had jumped on the stone wall,
he just grinned.

"That's too old a trick to fool me one minute," said Bowser to himself,
and he just made a big circle, so that in a few minutes he had found
Reddy's tracks again.

Every trick that Reddy had heard old Granny Fox tell about he tried,
in order to fool Bowser the Hound, but it was of no use at all. Bowser
seemed to know exactly what Reddy was doing, and wasted no time.

Reddy was beginning to get worried. He was getting dreadfully out of
breath. His legs ached. His big, plumey tail, of which he is very, very
proud, had become dreadfully heavy. Granny Fox had warned him never,
never to run into the snug house they had dug unless he was obliged to
to save his life, for that would tell Bowser the Hound where they lived,
and then they would have to move.

How Reddy did wish that wise old Granny Fox would come to his relief. He
was running along the back of Farmer Brown's pasture, and he could hear
Bowser the Hound altogether too near for comfort. He looked this way and
he looked that way for a chance to escape. Just ahead of him he saw
a lot of woolly friends. They were Farmer Brown's sheep. Reddy had a
bright idea. Like a flash he sprang on the back of one of the sheep. It
frightened the sheep as badly as Reddy had been frightened, when Jimmy
Skunk had landed on him that morning.

"Baa, baa, baa!" cried the sheep and started to run. Reddy hung on
tightly, and away they raced across the pasture.

Now Bowser the Hound trusts wholly to his nose to follow Reddy Fox or
Peter Rabbit or his master, Farmer Brown's boy. So he did not see Reddy
jump on the back of the sheep, and, of course, when he reached the
place where Reddy had found his strange horse, he was puzzled. Round and
round, and round and round Bowser worked in a circle, but no trace of
Reddy could he find.

And all the time Reddy sat behind the stone wall on the far side of the
pasture, getting his wind and laughing and laughing at the smart way in
which he had fooled Bowser the Hound.




VII. REDDY INVITES PETER RABBIT TO TAKE A WALK

|OLD GRANNY FOX was not feeling well. For three days she had been
unable to go out hunting, and for three days Reddy Fox had tried to find
something to tempt Granny's appetite. He had brought in a tender young
chicken from Farmer Brown's hen yard, and he had stolen a plump trout
from Billy Mink's storehouse, but Granny had just turned up her nose.

"What I need," said Granny Fox, "is a tender young rabbit."

Now, Reddy Fox is very fond of Granny Fox, and when she said that she
needed a tender young rabbit, Reddy made up his mind that he would get
it for her, though how he was going to do it he didn't know. Dozens of
times he had tried to catch Peter Rabbit, and every time Peter's long
legs had taken him to a place of safety. "I'll just have to fool Peter
Rabbit," said Reddy Fox, as he sat on his door-steps and looked over the
Green Meadows.

Reddy Fox is very sly. He is so sly that it is hard work to be sure
when he is honest and when he is playing a trick. As he sat on his
door-steps, looking across the Green Meadows, he saw the Merry Little
Breezes coming his way. Reddy smiled to himself. When they got near
enough, he shouted to them.

"Will you do something for me?" he asked.

"Of course we will," shouted the Merry Little Breezes, who are always
delighted to do something for others.

"I wish you would find Peter Rabbit and tell him that I have found a new
bed of tender young carrots in Farmer Brown's garden, and invite him to
go there with me to-morrow morning at sun-up," said Reddy Fox.

Away raced the Merry Little Breezes to find Peter Rabbit and give him
the invitation of Reddy Fox. Pretty soon back they came to tell Reddy
that Peter Rabbit would be delighted to meet Reddy on the edge of the
Old Briar-patch at sun-up the next morning, and go with him to get some
tender young carrots.

Reddy smiled to himself, for now he was sure that he would get Peter
Rabbit for Granny's breakfast.

Early the next morning, just before sun-up, Reddy Fox started down
the Lone Little Path and hurried across the Green Meadows to the Old
Briar-patch. Reddy was dressed in his very best suit of clothes, and
very smart and handsome he looked. When he reached the Old Briar-patch
he could see nothing of Peter Rabbit. He waited and waited and waited,
but still Peter Rabbit did not come. Finally he gave it up and decided
that he would go over and have a look at the young carrots in Farmer
Brown's garden. When he got there, what do you think he saw? Why,
all around that bed of tender young carrots were footprints, and the
footprints were Peter Rabbit's!

Reddy Fox ground his teeth and snarled wickedly, for he knew then that
instead of fooling Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit had fooled him. Just then
up came one of the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind.

"Good morning, Reddy Fox," said the Merry Little Breeze.

"Good morning," replied Reddy Fox, and if you could have seen him
and heard him, you would never have suspected how ill-tempered he was
feeling.

"Peter Rabbit asked me to come and tell you that he is very sorry that
he could not meet you at the Briar-patch this morning, but that he grew
so hungry thinking of those tender young carrots that he just had to
come and get some before sun-up, and he is very much obliged to you for
telling him about them. He says they are the finest young carrots that
he has ever tasted," said the Merry Little Breeze.

The heart of Reddy Fox was filled with rage, but he did not let the
Merry Little Breeze know it. He just smiled and sent the Merry Little
Breeze back to Peter Rabbit to tell him how glad he was that Peter
enjoyed the carrots, and to invite Peter to meet him the next morning on
the edge of the Old Briar-patch at sun-up, to go with him to a patch of
sweet clover which he had just found near the old hickory-tree.

The Merry Little Breeze danced off with the message. Pretty soon he
was back to say that Peter Rabbit would be delighted to go to the sweet
clover patch the next morning.

Reddy grinned as he trudged off home. "I'll just be at the clover patch
an hour before sun-up to-morrow morning, and then we'll see!" he said to
himself.




VIII. PETER RABBIT GETS AN EARLY BREAKFAST

|PETER RABBIT crept out of his snug little bed in the middle of the
Old Briar-patch two hours before sun-up and hurried over to the big
hickory-tree. Sure enough, close by, he found a beautiful bed of sweet
clover, just as Reddy Fox had said was there. Peter chuckled to himself
as he ate and ate and ate, until his little round stomach was so full
that he could hardly hop.

When he had eaten all that he could, he hurried back to the Old
Briar-patch to finish his morning nap, and all the time he kept
chuckling to himself. You see, Peter was suspicious of Reddy Fox, and so
he had gone over to the sweet clover bed alone two hours before sun-up.

Peter Rabbit had hardly left the sweet clover bed when Reddy Fox
arrived. Reddy lay down in the long meadow grass and grinned to himself
as he waited. Slowly the minutes went by, until up from behind the
Purple Hills came jolly, round, red Mr. Sun--but no Peter Rabbit. Reddy
stopped grinning.

"Perhaps," said he to himself, "Peter is waiting for me on the edge of
the Old Briar-patch and wasn't going to try to fool me."

So Reddy hurried over to the Old Briar-patch, and sure enough there was
Peter Rabbit'sitting on the edge of it. When Peter saw him coming, he
dodged in behind a big clump of friendly old brambles. Reddy came up
with his broadest smile.

"Good morning, Peter Rabbit," said Reddy. "Shall we go over to that
sweet clover bed?"

[Illustration: 0056]

Peter put one hand over his mouth to hide a smile. "Oh," said he, "I was
so dreadfully hungry for sweet clover that I couldn't wait until sun-up,
and so I went over two hours ago. I hope you will excuse me, Reddy Fox.
I certainly do appreciate your kindness in telling me of that new, sweet
clover bed and I hope I have not put you out."

"Certainly not," replied Reddy Fox, in his pleasantest manner, and you
know Reddy Fox can be very pleasant indeed when he wants to be. "It is a
very great pleasure to be able to give you pleasure. There is nothing
I so like to do as to give pleasure to others. By the way, I have just
heard that Farmer Brown has a new planting of young cabbage in the
corner of his garden. Will you meet me here at sun-up to-morrow morning
to go over there?"

"I will be delighted to, I will indeed!" replied Peter Rabbit, and all
the time he smiled to himself behind his hand.

Reddy Fox bade Peter Rabbit good-by in the pleasantest way you can
imagine, yet all the time, down in his heart, Reddy was so angry that he
hardly knew what to do, for you see he had got to go back to Granny Fox
without the tender young rabbit which he had promised her.

"This time I will be there two hours before sun-up, and then we will
see, Peter Rabbit, who is the smartest!" said Reddy Fox to himself.




IX. REDDY FOX GETS A SCARE

|PETER RABBIT looked up at the silvery moon and laughed aloud. Then he
kicked up his heels and laughed again as he started out across the Green
Meadows towards Fanner Brown's garden. You see, Peter was suspicious,
very suspicious indeed of Reddy Fox. So, as it was a beautiful night for
a walk, he thought he would just run over to Farmer Brown's garden and
see if he could find that bed of newly planted cabbage, about which
Reddy Fox had told him.

So Peter hopped and skipped across the Green Meadows, singing as he
went;

               "Hold, ol' Miss Moon, hold up your light!

                   Show the way! show the way!

               The little stars are shining bright;

                   Night folks all are out to play."

When Peter reached Farmer Brown's garden, he had no trouble in finding
the new planting of cabbage. It was tender. It was good. My, how good it
was! Peter started in to fill his little round stomach. He ate and ate
and ate and ate! By and by, just when he thought he couldn't eat another
mouthful, he happened to look over to a patch of moonlight. For just
a second Peter's heart stopped beating. There was Reddy Fox coming
straight over to the new cabbage bed!

Peter Rabbit didn't know what to do. Reddy Fox hadn't seen him yet, but
he would in a minute or two, unless Peter could hide. He was too far
from the dear Old Briar-patch to run there. Peter looked this way and
looked that way. Ha! ha! There lay Fanner Brown's boy's old straw hat,
just where he had left it when the supper horn blew. Peter crawled under
it. It covered him completely.

Peter peeped out from under one edge. He saw Reddy Fox standing in the
moonlight, looking at the bed of newly set cabbage. Reddy was smiling as
if his thoughts were very pleasant. Peter shivered. He could just guess
what Reddy was thinking--how he would gobble up Peter, when once he got
him away from the safety of the Old Briar-patch.

The thought made Peter so indignant that he forgot that he was hiding,
and he sat up on his hind legs. Of course, he lifted the straw hat with
him. Then he remembered and sat down again in a hurry. Of course, the
straw hat went down quite as quickly.

Presently Peter peeped out. Reddy Fox was staring and staring at the old
straw hat, and he wasn't smiling now. He actually looked frightened. It
gave Peter an idea. He made three long hops straight towards Reddy Fox,
all the time keeping the old straw hat over him. Of course the hat went
along with him, and, because it covered Peter all up, it looked for all
the world as if the hat was alive.

Reddy Fox gave one more long look at the strange thing coming towards
him through the cabbage bed, and then he started for home as fast as he
could go, his tail between his legs.

Peter Rabbit just lay down right where he was and laughed and laughed
and laughed. And it almost seemed as if the old straw hat laughed too.




X. PETER HAS ANOTHER GREAT LAUGH

|IT was just sun-up as Reddy Fox started down the Lone Little Path
to the Green Meadows. Reddy was late. He should be over at the Old
Briar-patch by this time. He was afraid now that Peter Rabbit would not
be there. When he came in sight of the Old Briar-patch, there sat Peter
on the edge of it.

"Good morning, Peter Rabbit," said Reddy Fox, in his politest manner.
"I am sorry to have kept you waiting; it is all because I had a terrible
fright last night."

"Is that so? What was it?" asked Peter, ducking down behind a big
bramble bush to hide his smile.

"Why, I went over to Farmer Brown's garden to see if that new planting
of young cabbage was all right, and there I met a terrible monster.
It frightened me so that I did not dare to come out this morning until
jolly, round Mr. Sun had begun to climb up in the sky, and so I am a
little late. Are you ready, Peter Rabbit, to go up to the new planting
of young cabbage with me?" asked Reddy, in his pleasantest manner.

Now, what do you think Peter Rabbit did? Why, Peter just began to laugh.
He laughed and laughed and shouted! He lay down on his back and kicked
his heels for very joy! But all the time he took care to keep behind a
big, friendly bramble bush.

Reddy Fox stared at Peter Rabbit. He just didn't know what to make of
it. He began to think that Peter had gone crazy. He couldn't see a thing
to laugh at, yet here was Peter laughing fit to kill himself. Finally
Peter stopped and sat up.

"Did--did--