watching him change his suit. "If you'll turn your back to me and look
straight down the Crooked Little Path for five minutes, I'll disappear,"
said he. "More than that, I give you my word of honor that I will not hop
three feet from where I am sitting."
"All right," replied Peter promptly, turning his back to Old Mr. Toad.
"I'll look down the Crooked Little Path for five minutes and promise not to
peek."
So Peter sat and gazed straight down the Crooked Little Path. It was a
great temptation to roll his eyes back and peep behind him, but he had
given his word that he wouldn't, and he didn't. When he thought the five
minutes were up, he turned around. Old Mr. Toad was nowhere to be seen.
Peter looked hastily this way and that way, but there was not a sign of Old
Mr. Toad. He had disappeared as completely as if he never had been there.
XV
OLD MR. TOAD GIVES PETER A SCARE
If you play pranks on other folks
You may be sure that they
Will take the first chance that they get
A joke on you to play.
Old Mr. Toad was getting even with Peter for laughing at him. While Peter's
back had been turned, Old Mr. Toad had disappeared.
It was too much for Peter. Look as he would, he couldn't see so much as a
chip under which Old Mr. Toad might have hidden, excepting the old board,
and Old Mr. Toad had given his word of honor that he wouldn't hide under
that. Nevertheless, Peter hopped over to it and turned it over again,
because he couldn't think of any other place to look. Of course, Old Mr.
Toad wasn't there. Of course not. He had given his word that he wouldn't
hide there, and he always lives up to his word. Peter should have known
better than to have looked there.
Old Mr. Toad had also said that he would not go three feet from the spot
where he was sitting at the time, so Peter should have known better than to
have raced up the Crooked Little Path as he did. But if Old Mr. Toad had
nothing to hide under, of course he must have hopped away, reasoned Peter.
He couldn't hop far in five minutes, that was sure, and so Peter ran this
way and that way a great deal farther than it would have been possible for
Old Mr. Toad to have gone. But it was a wholly useless search, and
presently Peter returned and sat down on the very spot where he had last
seen Old Mr. Toad. Peter never had felt more foolish in all his life. He
began to think that Old Mr. Toad must be bewitched and had some strange
power of making himself invisible.
For a long time Peter sat perfectly still, trying to puzzle out how Old Mr.
Toad had disappeared, but the more he puzzled over it, the more impossible
it seemed. And yet Old Mr. Toad had disappeared. Suddenly Peter gave a
frightened scream and jumped higher than he ever had jumped before in all
his life. A voice, the voice of Old Mr. Toad himself, had said, "Well, now
are you satisfied?" _And that voice had come from right under Peter!_ Do
you wonder that he was frightened? When he turned to look, there sat Old
Mr. Toad right where he himself had been sitting a moment before. Peter
rubbed his eyes and stared very foolishly.
"Wh-wh-where did you come from?" he stammered at last.
Old Mr. Toad grinned. "I'll show you," said he. And right while Peter was
looking at him, he began to sink down into the ground until only the top of
his head could be seen. Then that disappeared. Old Mr. Toad had gone down,
and the sand had fallen right back over him. Peter just had to rub his eyes
again. He had to! Then, to make sure, he began to dig away the sand where
Old Mr. Toad had been sitting. In a minute he felt Old Mr. Toad, who at
once came out again.
Old Mr. Toad's beautiful eyes twinkled more than ever. "I guess we are even
now, Peter," said he.
Peter nodded. "More than that, Mr. Toad. I think you have a little the best
of it," he replied. "Now won't you tell me how you did it?"
Old Mr. Toad held up one of his stout hind feet, and on it was a kind of
spur. "There's another just like that on the other foot," said he, "and I
use them to dig with. You go into a hole headfirst, but I go in the other
way. I make my hole in soft earth and back into it at the same time, this
way." He began to work his stout hind feet, and as he kicked the earth out,
he backed in at the same time. When he was deep enough, the earth just fell
back over him, for you see it was very loose and not packed down at all.
When he once more reappeared, Peter thanked him. Then he asked one more
question.
"Is that the way you go into winter quarters?"
Old Mr. Toad nodded. "And it's the way I escape from my enemies."
XVI
JIMMY SKUNK IS SURPRISED
Jimmy Skunk ambled along the Crooked Little Path down the hill. He didn't
hurry because Jimmy doesn't believe in hurrying. The only time he ever
hurries is when he sees a fat beetle trying to get out of sight. Then Jimmy
_does_ hurry. But just now he didn't see any fat beetles, although he was
looking for them. So he just ambled along as if he had all the time in the
world, as indeed he had. He was feeling very good-natured, was Jimmy Skunk.
And why shouldn't he? There was everything to make him feel good-natured.
Summer had arrived to stay. On every side he heard glad voices. Bumble the
Bee was humming a song. Best of all, Jimmy had found three beetles that
very morning, and he knew that there were more if he could find them. So
why shouldn't he feel good?
Jimmy had laughed at Peter Rabbit for being so anxious for Summer to
arrive, but he was just as glad as Peter that she had come, although he
wouldn't have said so for the world. His sharp little eyes twinkled as he
ambled along, and there wasn't much that they missed. As he walked he
talked, quite to himself of course, because there was nobody near to hear,
and this is what he was saying:
"Beetle, beetle, smooth and smug,
You are nothing but a bug.
Bugs were made for Skunks to eat,
So come out from your retreat.
"Hello! There's a nice big piece of bark over there that looks as if it
ought to have a dozen fat beetles under it. It's great fun to pull over
pieces of bark and see fat beetles run all ways at once. I'll just have to
see what is under that piece."
Jimmy tiptoed softly over to the big piece of bark, and then as he made
ready to turn it over, he began again that foolish little verse.
"Beetle, beetle, smooth and smug,
You are nothing but a bug."
As he said the last word, he suddenly pulled the piece of bark over.
"Who's a bug?" asked a funny voice, and it sounded rather cross. Jimmy
Skunk nearly tumbled over backward in surprise, and for a minute he
couldn't find his tongue. There, instead of the fat beetles he had been so
sure of, sat Old Mr. Toad, and he didn't look at all pleased.
"Who's a bug?" he repeated.
Instead of answering, Jimmy Skunk began to laugh. "Who's a bug?" demanded
Old Mr. Toad, more crossly than before.
"There isn't any bug, Mr. Toad, and I beg your pardon," replied Jimmy,
remembering his politeness. "I just thought there was. You see, I didn't
know you were under that piece of bark. I hope you will excuse me, Mr.
Toad. Have you seen any fat beetles this morning?"
"No," said Old Mr. Toad grumpily, and yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"Why," exclaimed Jimmy Skunk, "I believe you have just waked up!"
"What if I have?" demanded Old Mr. Toad.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all, Mr. Toad," replied Jimmy Skunk, "only you are
the second one I've met this morning who had just waked up."
"Who was the other?" asked Old Mr. Toad.
"Mr. Blacksnake," replied Jimmy. "He inquired for you."
Old Mr. Toad turned quite pale. "I--I think I'll be moving along," said he.
XVII
OLD MR. TOAD'S MISTAKE
If is a very little word to look at, but the biggest word you have ever
seen doesn't begin to have so much meaning as little "if." _If_ Jimmy Skunk
hadn't ambled down the Crooked Little Path just when he did; _if_ he hadn't
been looking for fat beetles; _if_ he hadn't seen that big piece of bark at
one side and decided to pull it over; _if_ it hadn't been for all these
"ifs," why Old Mr. Toad wouldn't have made the mistake he did, and you
wouldn't have had this story. But Jimmy Skunk _did_ amble down the Crooked
Little Path, he _did_ look for beetles, and he _did_ pull over that big
piece of bark. And when he had pulled it over, he found Old Mr. Toad there.
Old Mr. Toad had crept under that piece of bark because he wanted to take a
nap. But when Jimmy Skunk told him that he had seen Mr. Blacksnake that
very morning, and that Mr. Blacksnake had asked after Old Mr. Toad, the
very last bit of sleepiness left Old Mr. Toad. Yes, Sir, he was wide awake
right away. You see, he knew right away why Mr. Blacksnake had asked after
him. He knew that Mr. Blacksnake has a fondness for Toads. He turned quite
pale when he heard that Mr. Blacksnake had asked after him, and right then
he made his mistake. He was in such a hurry to get away from that
neighborhood that he forgot to ask Jimmy Skunk just where he had seen Mr.
Blacksnake. He hardly waited long enough to say good-by to Jimmy Skunk, but
started off as fast as he could go.
Now it just happened that Old Mr. Toad started up the Crooked Little Path,
and it just happened that Mr. Blacksnake was coming down the Crooked Little
Path. Now when people are very much afraid, they almost always seem to
think that danger is behind instead of in front of them. It was so with Old
Mr. Toad. Instead of watching out in front as he hopped along, he kept
watching over his shoulder, and that was his second mistake. He was so sure
that Mr. Blacksnake was somewhere behind him that he didn't look to see
where he was going, and you know that people who don't look to see where
they are going are almost sure to go headfirst right into trouble.
Old Mr. Toad went hopping up the Crooked Little Path as fast as he could,
which wasn't very fast, because he never can hop very fast. And all the
time he kept looking behind for Mr. Blacksnake. Presently he came to a turn
in the Crooked Little Path, and as he hurried around it, he almost ran into
Mr. Blacksnake himself. It was a question which was more surprised. For
just a wee second they stared at each other. Then Mr. Blacksnake's eyes
began to sparkle.
"Good morning, Mr. Toad. Isn't this a beautiful morning? I was just
thinking about you," said he.
But poor Old Mr. Toad didn't say good morning. He didn't say anything. He
couldn't, because he was too scared. He just gave a frightened little
squeal, turned around, and started down the Crooked Little Path twice as
fast as he had come up. Mr. Blacksnake grinned and started after him, not
very fast because he knew that he wouldn't have to run very fast to catch
Old Mr. Toad, and he thought the exercise would do him good.
And this is how it happened that summer morning that jolly, bright Mr. Sun,
looking down from the blue, blue sky and smiling to see how happy everybody
seemed, suddenly discovered that there was one of the little meadow people
who wasn't happy, but instead was terribly, terribly unhappy. It was Old
Mr. Toad hopping down the Crooked Little Path for his life, while after
him, and getting nearer and nearer, glided Mr. Blacksnake.
XVIII
JIMMY SKUNK IS JUST IN TIME
Jimmy Skunk ambled slowly along, chuckling as he thought of what a hurry
Mr. Toad had been in, when he had heard that Mr. Blacksnake had asked after
him. It had been funny, very funny indeed, to see Mr. Toad try to hurry.
Suddenly Jimmy stopped chuckling. Then he stopped ambling along the Crooked
Little Path. He turned around and looked back, and as he did so he
scratched his head thoughtfully. He had just happened to think that Old Mr.
Toad had gone up the Crooked Little Path, and it was _up_ the Crooked
Little Path that Mr. Blacksnake had shown himself that morning.
"If he's still up there," thought Jimmy, "Old Mr. Toad is hopping right
straight into the very worst kind of trouble. How stupid of him not to have
asked me where Mr. Blacksnake was! Well, it's none of my business. I guess
I'll go on."
But he had gone on down the Crooked Little Path only a few steps when he
stopped again. You see, Jimmy is really a very kind-hearted little fellow,
and somehow he didn't like to think of what might happen to Old Mr. Toad.
"I hate to go way back there," he grumbled, for you know he is naturally
rather lazy. "Still, the Green Meadows wouldn't be quite the same without
Old Mr. Toad. I should miss him if anything happened to him. I suppose it
would be partly my fault, too, for if I hadn't pulled over that piece of
bark, he probably would have stayed there the rest of the day and been
safe."
"Maybe he won't meet Mr. Blacksnake," said a little voice inside of Jimmy.
"And maybe he will," said Jimmy right out loud. And with that, he started
back up the Crooked Little Path, and strange to say Jimmy hurried.
He had just reached a turn in the Crooked Little Path when who should run
right plump into him but poor Old Mr. Toad. He gave a frightened squeal and
fell right over on his back, and kicked foolishly as he tried to get on his
feet again. But he was all out of breath, and so frightened and tired that
all he could do was to kick and kick. He hadn't seen Jimmy at all, for he
had been looking behind him, and he didn't even know who it was he had run
into.
Right behind him came Mr. Blacksnake. Of course he saw Jimmy, and he
stopped short and hissed angrily.
"What were you going to do to Mr. Toad?" demanded Jimmy.
"None of your business!" hissed Mr. Blacksnake. "Get out of my way, or
you'll be sorry."
Jimmy Skunk just laughed and stepped in front of poor Old Mr. Toad. Mr.
Blacksnake coiled himself up in the path and darted his tongue out at Jimmy
in the most impudent way. Then he tried to make himself look very fierce.
Then he jumped straight at Jimmy Skunk with his mouth wide open, but he
took great care not to jump quite far enough to reach Jimmy. You see, he
was just trying to scare Jimmy. But Jimmy didn't scare. He knows all
about Mr. Blacksnake and that really he is a coward. So he suddenly gritted
his teeth in a way not at all pleasant to hear and started for Mr.
Blacksnake. Mr. Blacksnake didn't wait. No, Sir, he didn't wait. He
suddenly turned and glided back up the Crooked Little Path, hissing
angrily. Jimmy followed him a little way, and then he went back to Old Mr.
Toad.
"Oh," panted Mr. Toad, "you came just in time! I couldn't have hopped
another hop."
"I guess I did," replied Jimmy. "Now you get your breath and come along
with me." And Old Mr. Toad did.
XIX
OLD MR. TOAD GETS HIS STOMACH FULL
Pray do not tip your nose in scorn
At things which others eat,
For things to you not good at all
To others are most sweet.
There are ants, for instance. You wouldn't want to eat them even if you
were dreadfully hungry. But Old Mr. Toad and Buster Bear think there is
nothing much nicer. Now Buster Bear had found Old Mr. Toad catching ants,
one at a time, as he kept watch beside their home, and it had pleased
Buster to find some one else who liked ants. Right away he invited Old Mr.
Toad to dine with him. But poor Old Mr. Toad was frightened almost to death
when he heard the deep, grumbly-rumbly voice of Buster Bear, for he had
been so busy watching the ants that he hadn't seen Buster coming.
He fell right over on his back, which wasn't at all dignified, and made
Buster Bear laugh. That frightened Mr. Toad more than ever. You see he
didn't have the least doubt in the world that Buster Bear meant to eat him,
and when Buster invited him to dinner, he was sure that that was just a
joke on Buster's part.
But there was no way to escape, and after a little Old Mr. Toad thought it
best to be polite, because, you know, it always pays to be polite. So he
said in a very faint voice that he would be pleased to dine with Buster.
Then he waved his feet feebly, trying to get on his feet again. Buster
Bear laughed harder than ever. It was a low, deep, grumbly-rumbly laugh,
and sent cold shivers all over poor Old Mr. Toad. But when Buster reached
out a great paw with great cruel-looking claws Mr. Toad quite gave up. He
didn't have strength enough left to even kick. He just closed his eyes and
waited for the end.
What do you think happened? Why, he was rolled over on to his feet so
gently that he just gasped with surprise. It didn't seem possible that such
a great paw could be so gentle.
"Now," said Buster Bear in a voice which he tried to make sound pleasant,
but which was grumbly-rumbly just the same, "I know where there is a fine
dinner waiting for us just a little way from here. You follow me, and we'll
have it in no time."
So Buster Bear led the way, and Old Mr. Toad followed as fast as he could,
because he didn't dare not to. Presently Buster stopped beside a big
decayed old log. "If you are ready, Mr. Toad, we will dine now," said he.
Old Mr. Toad didn't see anything to eat. His heart sank again, and he shook
all over. "I--I'm not hungry," said he in a very faint voice.
Buster Bear didn't seem to hear. He hooked his great claws into the old log
and gave a mighty pull. Over rolled the log, and there were ants and ants
and ants, hurrying this way and scurrying that way, more ants than Mr. Toad
had seen in all his life before!
"Help yourself," said Buster Bear politely.
Old Mr. Toad didn't wait to be told twice. He forgot all about his fright.
He forgot all about Buster Bear. He forgot that he wasn't hungry. He
forgot his manners. He jumped right in among those ants, and for a little
while he was the busiest Toad ever seen. Buster Bear was busy too. He swept
his long tongue this way, and he swept it that way, and each time he drew
it back into his mouth, it was covered with ants. At last Old Mr. Toad
couldn't hold another ant. Then he remembered Buster Bear and looked up a
little fearfully. Buster was smacking his lips, and there was a twinkle in
each eye.
"Good, aren't they?" said he.
"The best I ever ate," declared Old Mr. Toad with a sigh of satisfaction.
"Come dine with me again," said Buster Bear, and somehow this time Old Mr.
Toad didn't mind because his voice sounded grumbly-rumbly.
"Thank you, I will," replied Old Mr. Toad.
XX
OLD MR. TOAD IS PUFFED UP
Old Mr. Toad hopped slowly down the Lone Little Path. He usually does hop
slowly, but this time he hopped slower than ever. You see, he was so puffed
up that he couldn't have hopped fast if he had wanted to, and he didn't
want to. In the first place his stomach was so full of ants that there
wasn't room for another one. No, Sir, Old Mr. Toad couldn't have swallowed
another ant if he had tried. Of course they made his stomach stick out, but
it wasn't the ants that puffed him out all over. Oh, my, no! It was pride.
That's what it was--pride. You know nothing can puff any one up quite like
foolish pride.
Old Mr. Toad was old enough to have known better. It is bad enough to see
young and foolish creatures puffed up with pride, but it is worse to see
any one as old as Old Mr. Toad that way. He held his head so high that he
couldn't see his own feet, and more than once he stubbed his toes.
Presently he met his old friend, Danny Meadow Mouse. He tipped his head a
little higher, puffed himself out a little more, and pretended not to see
Danny.
"Hello, Mr. Toad," said Danny.
Mr. Toad pretended not to hear. Danny looked puzzled. Then he spoke again,
and this time he shouted: "Hello, Mr. Toad! I haven't seen you for some
time."
It wouldn't do to pretend not to hear this time. "Oh, how do you do,
Danny?" said Old Mr. Toad with a very grand air, and pretending to be much
surprised. "Sorry I can't stop, but I've been dining with, my friend,
Buster Bear, and now I must get home." When he mentioned the name of Buster
Bear, he puffed himself out a little more.
Danny grinned as he watched him hop on down the Lone Little Path. "Can't
talk with common folks any more," he muttered. "I've heard that pride is
very apt to turn people's heads, but I never expected to see Old Mr. Toad
proud."
[Illustration: "Can't talk with common folks any more," he muttered.]
Mr. Toad kept on his way, and presently he met Peter Rabbit. Peter stopped
to gossip, as is his way. But Old Mr. Toad took no notice of him at all. He
kept right on with his head high, and all puffed out. Peter might have been
a stick or a stone for all the notice Old Mr. Toad took of him. Peter
looked puzzled. Then he hurried down to tell Danny Meadow Mouse about it.
"Oh," said Danny, "he's been to dine with Buster Bear, and now he has no
use for his old friends."
Pretty soon along came Johnny Chuck, and he was very much put out because
he had been treated by Old Mr. Toad just as Peter Rabbit had. Striped
Chipmunk told the same story. So did Unc' Billy Possum. It was the same
with all of Old Mr. Toad's old friends and neighbors, excepting Bobby Coon,
who, you know, is Buster Bear's little cousin. To him Old Mr. Toad was very
polite and talked a great deal about Buster Bear, and thought that Bobby
must be very proud to be related to Buster.
At first everybody thought it a great joke to see Old Mr. Toad so puffed up
with, pride, but after a little they grew tired of being snubbed by their
old friend and neighbor, and began to say unpleasant things about him. Then
they decided that what Old Mr. Toad needed was a lesson, so they put their
heads together and planned how they would teach Old Mr. Toad how foolish it
is for any one to be puffed up with pride.
XXI
OLD MR. TOAD RECEIVES ANOTHER INVITATION
The friends and neighbors of Old Mr. Toad decided that he needed to be
taught a lesson. At first, you know, every one had laughed at him, because
he had grown too proud to speak to them, but after a little they grew tired
of being treated so, and some of them put their heads together to think of
some plan to teach Old Mr. Toad a lesson and what a very, very foolish
thing false pride is. The very next day Jimmy Skunk went into the Green
Forest to look for Buster Bear. You know Jimmy isn't afraid of Buster. He
didn't have to look long, and when he had found him, the very first thing
he did was to ask Buster if he had seen any fat beetles that morning. You
know Jimmy is very fond of fat beetles, and the first thing he asks any one
he may happen to meet is if they have seen any.
Buster Bear grinned and said he thought he knew where there might be a few,
and he would be pleased to have Jimmy go with him to see. Sure enough,
under an old log he found five fat beetles, and these Jimmy gobbled up
without even asking Buster if he would have one. Jimmy is usually very
polite, but this time he quite forgot politeness. I am afraid he is rather
apt to when fat beetles are concerned. But Buster didn't seem to mind. When
the last beetle had disappeared Jimmy smacked his lips, and then he told
Buster Bear what he had come for. Of course, at first Buster had thought it
was for the fat beetles. But it wasn't. No, Sir, it wasn't for the fat
beetles at all. It was to get Buster Bear's help in a plan to teach Old Mr.
Toad a lesson.
First Jimmy told Buster all about how puffed up Old Mr. Toad was because he
had dined with Buster, and how ever since then he had refused even to speak
to his old friends and neighbors. It tickled Buster Bear so to think that
little homely Old Mr. Toad could be proud of anything that he laughed and
laughed, and his laugh was deep and grumbly-rumbly. Then Jimmy told him the
plan to teach Old Mr. Toad a lesson and asked Buster if he would help.
Buster's eyes twinkled as he promised to do what Jimmy asked.
Then Jimmy went straight to where Old Mr. Toad was sitting all puffed up,
taking a sun-bath.
"Buster Bear has just sent word by me to ask if you will honor him by
dining with him to-morrow at the rotted chestnut stump near the edge of the
Green Forest," said Jimmy in his politest manner.
Now if Old Mr. Toad was puffed up before, just think how he swelled out
when he heard that. Jimmy Skunk was actually afraid that he would burst.
"You may tell my friend, Buster Bear, that I shall be very happy to honor
him by dining with him," replied Old Mr. Toad with a very grand air.
Jimmy went off to deliver his reply, and Old Mr. Toad sat and puffed
himself out until he could hardly breathe. "Honor him by dining with him,"
said he over and over to himself. "I never was so flattered in my life."
XXII
OLD MR. TOAD LEARNS A LESSON
Pride is like a great big bubble;
You'll find there's nothing in it.
Prick it and for all your trouble
It has vanished in a minute.