The Adventures of Peter Cottontail

by Thornton W. Burgess

  Reddy Fox ground his teeth.

  XII. THE PLOT OF TWO SCAMPS

  |SAMMY JAY, looking around for mischief, found Reddy Fox sitting onhis door-step with his chin in both hands and looking as if he hadn't afriend in the world.

  "What are you doing?" asked Sammy Jay.

  "I'm just a-studying," replied Reddy Fox.

  "What are you studying? Perhaps I can help you," said Sammy Jay.

  Reddy Fox heaved a long sigh. "I'm a-studying how I can catch PeterRabbit," replied Reddy.

  Sammy Jay scratched his head thoughtfully. Reddy Fox still sat with hischin in his hands and thought and thought and thought. Sammy Jay saton one foot and scratched and scratched and scratched his head with theother. Suddenly Sammy looked up.

  "I have it!" said he. "You remember the hollow log over beyond the oldhickory-tree?"

  Reddy nodded his head.

  "Well, I'll go down and invite Peter Rabbit to come over there and seethe strangest thing in the world. You know what great curiosity PeterRabbit has. Now, you be hiding in the hollow log, and when you hear mesay to Peter Rabbit, 'the strangest thing in the world is waiting foryou over there, Peter,' you spring out, and you'll have Peter."

  Reddy Fox brightened up. This plan certainly did look good to Reddy.Peter had fooled him so many times that he was almost in despair. Heknew that if he sent another invitation to Peter, Peter would suspectright away that it meant mischief. But Peter wouldn't think that SammyJay was planning mischief, because he knew that Sammy is the greatestnews teller in the Green Forest.

  So Reddy Fox trotted off to the hollow log down by the big hickory-treeand crept inside. Sammy Jay flew over to the Old Briar-patch to look forPeter Rabbit. He found him sitting under a big bramble bush.

  "Good morning, Peter Rabbit," said Sammy Jay, with his finest manner.

  Peter looked at Sammy sharply as he returned his greeting. Sammy Jaywasn't in the habit of being so polite to Peter, and Peter began tostudy just what it could mean.

  "I saw the strangest thing in the world this morning," said Sammy Jay.

  Peter pricked up his ears. In spite of himself, he began to growcurious. "What was it, Sammy Jay?" he asked.

  Sammy looked very mysterious. "I really don't know what it is," hereplied, "but I can show it to you, if you want to see for yourself,Peter Rabbit."

  Of course Peter wanted to see it, so he started out across the GreenMeadows with Sammy Jay. Now the farther he went, the more time he had tothink, and by the time he had nearly reached the old hickory-tree, Peterbegan to suspect a trick.

  Sammy Jay motioned Peter to approach very carefully. "It's right overthere, in that hollow log, Peter," he whispered. "You go peep in, andyou'll see it." Then Sammy prepared to give the signal to Reddy Fox.

  Peter hopped a couple of steps nearer, and then he sat up very straightand gazed at the hollow log. Somehow he didn't just like the looks ofit. He didn't know why, but he just didn't. Then along came one of OldMother West Wind's Merry Little Breezes, dancing right past the hollowlog and up to Peter Rabbit, and with him he brought a funny smell.

  Peter's little wobbly nose wrinkled. That funny smell certainly remindedPeter of Reddy Fox. He wrinkled his nose again. Then he suddenly whirledabout. "Excuse me, Sammy Jay," he exclaimed. "I just remember somethingvery important!" And before Sammy Jay could open his mouth, Peter hadstarted like a little brown streak for the Old Briar-patch.

  XIII. REDDY FOX COMES TO LIFE

  |REDDY FOX lay on the side hill. Bobby Coon found him there, and whenBobby spoke to him, Reddy made no reply. Bobby went over and lookedat him. Reddy's eyes were closed. Bobby grinned to himself, then hetip-toed a little nearer and shouted "boo" right in one of Reddy'slittle black ears. Still Reddy did not move. Bobby Coon's face grewsober. He poked Reddy with his foot, but still Reddy did not move. Thenhe pulled Reddy's tail, and still Reddy did not move. "It must be thatReddy Fox is dead," thought Bobby Coon, and he hurried away to tell thenews.

  0082]

  There was great excitement on the Green Meadows and in the Green Forestwhen the little people there heard that Reddy Fox was dead. Of course,every one wanted to see Reddy, and soon there was a procession oflittle meadow and forest people hurrying across the Green Meadows tothe hillside where Reddy Fox lay. Jimmy Skunk, Johnny Chuck, Billy Mink,Little Joe Otter, Unc' Billy Possum, Danny Meadow Mouse, Spotty theTurtle, Old Mr. Toad, Grandfather Frog, Jerry Muskrat, Sammy Jay,Blacky the Crow, Happy Jack Squirrel, Striped Chipmunk, Jumper the Hare,Prickly Porky, all were there. They formed a big circle around ReddyFox.

  Then they began to talk about Reddy. Some told of the good things thatReddy had done and what a fine gentleman he was. Others told of the meanthings that Reddy Fox had done and how glad they were that they wouldno longer have to watch out for him. It was surprising the number of badthings that were said. But then, they felt safe in saying them, for wasnot Reddy lying right there before them, stone dead?

  Now, Peter Rabbit had not heard the news until late in the day, and whenhe did hear it, he started as fast as his long legs could take himto have a last look at Reddy. Half way there he suddenly stopped andscratched one of his long ears. Peter was thinking. It was mighty funnythat Reddy Fox should have died without any one having heard that he wassick. Peter started on again, but this time he did not hurry. Presentlyhe cut a long twig, which he carried along with him. When he reached thecircle around Reddy Fox, he stole up behind Prickly Porky the Porcupineand whispered in his ear.

  Prickly Porky took the long twig which Peter handed to him, while Peterwent off at a little distance and climbed up on an old stump where hecould see. Prickly Porky reached over and tickled one of Reddy's blackears. For a minute nothing happened. Then the black ear twitched.Prickly Porky tickled the end of Reddy's little black nose; then hetickled it again. What do you think happened? Why, Reddy Fox sneezed!

  My, my, my! How that circle around Reddy Fox did disappear! All thelittle people who were afraid of Reddy Fox scampered away as fast asthey could run, while all the other little people who were not afraidof Reddy Fox began to laugh, and the one who laughed loudest of all wasPeter Rabbit, as he started back to the Old Briar-patch.

  Of course, Reddy Fox knew then that it was of no use at all to pretendthat he was dead, so he sprang to his feet and started after PeterRabbit at the top of his speed, but when he reached the Old Briar-patch,Peter was safely inside, and Reddy could hear him laughing as if hewould split his sides.

  "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" shouted Peter Rabbit.

  XIV. PETER RABBIT IN A TIGHT PLACE

  "Hop along, skip along,

  The sun is shining bright;

  Hum a song, sing a song,

  My heart is always light."

  |IT is true, Peter Rabbit always is light-hearted. For days and daysReddy Fox had been trying to catch Peter, and Peter had had to keep hiswits very sharp indeed in order to keep out of Reddy's way. Still, itdidn't seem to worry Peter much. Just now he was hopping and skippingdown the Lone Little Path without a care in the world.

  Presently Peter found a nice, shady spot close by a big rock. Underneathone edge of the rock was a place just big enough for Peter to crawlin--it was just the place for a nap. Peter was beginning to feel sleepy,so he crawled in there and soon was fast asleep.

  By and by Peter began to dream. He dreamed that he had gone for a longwalk, way, way off from the safe Old Briar-patch, and that out frombehind a big bush had sprung Reddy Fox. Just as Reddy's teeth were aboutto close on Peter, Peter woke up. It was such a relief to find thathe was really snug and safe under the big rock that he almost shoutedaloud. But he didn't, and a minute later he was, oh, so glad he hadn't,for he heard a voice that seemed as if it was right in his ear. It wasthe voice of Reddy Fox. Yes, Sir, it was the voice of Reddy Fox.

  Peter hardly dared to breathe, and you may be sure that he did not makeeven the smallest sound, for Red
dy Fox was sitting on the very rockunder which Peter was resting. Reddy Fox was talking to Blacky the Crow.Peter listened with all his might, for what do you think Reddy Fox wassaying? Why, he was telling Blacky the Crow of a new plan to catch PeterRabbit and was asking Blacky to help him.

  Peter had never been so frightened in his life, for here was Reddy Foxso close to him that Peter could have reached out and touched one ofReddy's legs, as he kicked his heels over the edge of the big rock. Byand by Blacky the Crow spoke.

  "I saw Peter Rabbit coming down this way early this morning," saidBlacky, "and I don't think he has gone home. Why don't you go over andhide near the Old Briar-patch and catch Peter when he comes back? Iwill watch out, and if I see Peter, I will tell him that you have gonehunting your breakfast way over beyond the big hill. Then he will not beon the watch."

  "The very thing," exclaimed Reddy Fox, "and if I catch him, I willsurely do something for you, Blacky. I believe that I will go rightaway."

  Then the two rascals planned, and chuckled as they thought how theywould outwit Peter Rabbit.

  "I'm getting hungry," said Reddy Fox, as he arose and stretched. "Iwonder if there is a field mouse hiding under this old rock. I believeI'll look and see."

  Peter's heart almost stood still as he heard Reddy Fox slide down offthe big rock. He wriggled himself still further under the rock and heldhis breath. Just then Blacky the Crow gave a sharp "Caw, caw, caw!" Thatmeant that Blacky saw something, and almost at once Peter heard a soundthat sometimes filled his heart with fear but which now filled it withgreat joy. It was the voice of Bowser the Hound. Reddy Fox heard it,too, and he didn't stop to look under the big rock.

  A little later Peter very cautiously crawled out of his resting placeand climbed up where he could look over the Green Meadows. Way over onthe far side he could see Reddy Fox running at the top of his speed, andbehind him was Bowser the Hound.

  "My! but that was a tight place," said Peter Rabbit, as he stretchedhimself.

  XV. JOHNNY CHUCK HELPS PETER

  |JOHNNY CHUCK had watched Reddy Fox try to fool and catch Peter Rabbit,and sometimes Johnny had been very much afraid that Reddy would succeed.But Peter had been too smart for Reddy every time, and Johnny hadlaughed with the other little people of the Green Meadows whenever theMerry Little Breezes had brought a new story of how Peter had outwittedReddy.

  "Peter'll have to watch out sharper than ever now, for Granny Fox isalmost well, and she is very angry because Reddy could not catch PeterRabbit for her when she was ill. She says that she is going to show thatstupid Reddy how to do it and do it quickly," said Jimmy Skunk, when hestopped to chat with Johnny Chuck one fine morning.

  Johnny had just been laughing very hard over one of Peter Rabbit'stricks, but now his face grew very sober, very sober indeed. "It won'tdo to let old Granny Fox catch Peter. It won't do at all. We must allturn in and help Peter," said Johnny. "Why, what would the Green Meadowsand the Green Forest be like with no Peter Rabbit?" he added.

  Late that afternoon Johnny Chuck happened to find Peter Rabbit takinga nap. Yes, Sir, Peter had actually gone to sleep outside the dear OldBriar-patch. At first Johnny thought that he would waken him and tellhim that Reddy Fox was hunting right near. But just then Johnny'sbright eyes saw something that made him chuckle. It was the home of somehot-tempered friends of his, a beautiful home made of what looked likegray paper. It was fastened to a bush just above a little path leadingto the very spot where Peter lay fast asleep. Johnny chuckled again,then off he hurried. He sat down on top of a little hill. Pretty soonReddy Fox came along through the hollow below.

  "Hello, Reddy Fox! Do you want to know how you can catch Peter Rabbit?"asked Johnny.

  Reddy looked up. He didn't know just what to say. He knew that JohnnyChuck and Peter had always been the very best of friends. Still, friendsfall out sometimes, and perhaps Johnny and Peter had. Reddy decided thathe would be polite.

  "I certainly do, Johnny Chuck," he replied. "Can you tell me how to doit?"

  "Yes," said Johnny. "Peter is fast asleep over yonder behind that littlebunch of huckleberry bushes. There is a little path through them. Allyou have to do is to hurry up that little path as fast and as still asyou can."

  Reddy Fox waited to hear no more. His eyes glistened as he started offat the top of his speed up the little path. Just as Johnny had expected,Reddy went in such a hurry that he didn't use his eyes for anything butsigns of Peter Rabbit.

  Bang! Reddy had run head first into the paper house of Johnny Chuck'shot-tempered friends. In fact he had smashed the whole side in. Outpoured old Mrs. Hornet and all her family, and they had their littleneedles with them. Reddy forgot all about Peter Rabbit. He yelled at thetop of his lungs and started for home, slapping at old Mrs. Hornet,whom he never could hit, and stopping every few minutes to roll over andover.

  Of course when he yelled, Peter Rabbit awoke and sat up to see what allthe fuss was about. He saw Reddy running as if his life depended uponit. Over on the little hill he saw Johnny Chuck laughing so that thetears ran down his face. Then Peter began to laugh, too, and ran over toask Johnny Chuck to tell him all about it.

  XVI. REDDY FOX TELLS A WRONG STORY

  |REDDY FOX was a sight! There was no doubt about that. When he starteddown on to the Green Meadows that morning he limped like an old, oldman. Yes indeed, Reddy was a sorry looking sight. His head was swelledso that one eye was closed, and he could hardly see out of the other.Reddy never would have ventured out but that he just had to have somefresh mud from the Smiling Pool.

  Reddy had waited until most of the little meadow people were out of theway. Then he had tried to hurry so as to get back again as quickly aspossible. But Johnny Chuck's sharp eyes had spied Reddy, and Johnny hadguessed right away what the trouble was. He hurried over to tell PeterRabbit. Then the two little scalawags hunted up Jimmy Skunk and BobbyCoon to tell them, and the four hid near the Lone Little Path to waitfor Reddy's return.

  Pretty soon Reddy came limping along. Even Johnny Chuck was surprisedat the way Reddy's face had swelled. It was plastered all over with mud,and he was a sorry sight indeed.

  Bobby Coon appeared very much astonished to see Reddy in such condition,though of course Johnny Chuck had told him all about how Reddy hadrun head first into the home of old Mrs. Hornet and her family the daybefore.

  Bobby stepped out in the Lone Little Path.

  "Why, Reddy Fox, what has happened to you?" he exclaimed.

  Reddy didn't see the others hiding in the long grass. He didn't wantBobby Coon to know that he had been so careless as to run his head intoa hornets' nest, so he told a wrong story. He put on a long face. Thatis, it was as long as he could make it, considering that it was soswelled.

  "I've had a most terrible accident, Bobby Coon," said Reddy, sighingpitifully. "It happened yesterday as I was returning from an errand overbeyond the hill. Just as I was coming through the deepest part of thewood I heard some one crying. Of course I stopped to find out what thematter was."

  "Of course!" interrupted Bobby Coon. "Certainly! To be sure! Of course!"Reddy looked at him suspiciously, but went on with his tale. "Rightdown in the thickest, blackest place I found one of Unc' Billy Possum'schildren being worried to death by Digger the Badger. I couldn't seethat little Possum hurt."

  "Of course not!" broke in Bobby Coon.

  "So I jumped in and tackled old man Badger, and I had him almostwhipped, when I slipped over the edge of a big rock on the side of thehill. It took the skin off my face and bruised me something terrible.But I don't care, so long as I saved that little Possum child,"concluded Reddy, as he started on.

  Johnny Chuck stole up behind him and thrust a sharp brier into the seatof Reddy's pants. At the same time Johnny made a noise like a wholefamily of hornets. Reddy Fox forgot his limp. He never even turned hishead to look behind. Instead, he started off at his best speed, and itwasn't until he heard a roar of laughter behind him that he realizedthat he had been fooled again.

  XVII. REDDY ALMOST G
ETS PETER RABBIT

  |REDDY FOX really was almost ill from the effects of the stings whichold Mrs. Hornet and her family had given him when he knocked in theside of their house. For several days he limped around, his head badlyswollen. Yes, Sir, Reddy Fox was in a dreadful bad way. The worst of itwas that none of the other little meadow and forest people seemed to bethe least bit sorry for him. Some of them actually laughed at him. PeterRabbit did. Reddy Fox had made life very uncomfortable for Peter for along time, and now Peter was actually enjoying Reddy's discomfort. Now,while he was laid up this way, Reddy had plenty of time to think. Henoticed that when he went out to walk, all those who kept at a safedistance when he was well now hardly got out of his way. They knew thathe felt too sore and mean to try to catch them. Peter Rabbit hardlyturned out of his path. A bright idea came to Reddy. He would continueto appear to feel badly, even after he was well. He would keep his headbound up and would limp down to the Smiling Pool for some mud every day.Then, when Peter Rabbit came near enough, Reddy would catch him.

  So day after day Reddy limped down to the Smiling Pool. He kept his headtied up as if it was as bad as ever, and as he walked, he groaned asif in great pain. Even some of those who hated him most began to feela little bit sorry for Reddy Fox. Peter has a very soft heart, andalthough he knew that Reddy Fox would like nothing better than to gobblehim up, he began to feel sorry for Reddy.

  One morning Peter sat just outside the Old Briar-patch, when Reddy camelimping along. He looked more miserable than usual. Just as it had beenfor several days, one of Reddy's eyes was closed.