soon as he had parted from Jimmy Skunk he made up his mind that he must
see the new home of Johnny Chuck. So off he started as fast as he
could go towards the old apple tree in a corner of the Green Meadows.
Half way there he met Reddy Fox.
"Hello, Peter Rabbit! Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked
Reddy Fox.
"Over to the old apple tree to see Johnny Chuck's new home," replied
Peter Rabbit as he tried to dodge past Reddy Fox. Then of a sudden he
remembered and clapped both hands over his mouth.
"Oh, but it's a secret, Reddy Fox. It's a secret, and you mustn't
tell!" cried Peter Rabbit.
But Reddy Fox wouldn't promise that he wouldn't tell, for in spite of
his handsome coat and fine manners, Reddy Fox is a scamp. And,
besides, he has no love for Johnny Chuck, for he has not forgotten how
Johnny Chuck once made him run and called him a "'fraid cat."
So when Reddy Fox left Peter Rabbit he grinned a wicked grin and
hurried off to find Bobby Coon. He met him on his way to the Laughing
Brook. Reddy Fox told Bobby Coon all about Johnny Chuck's secret and
then hurried away after Peter Rabbit, for Reddy Fox also is very
inquisitive.
Bobby Coon went on down to the Laughing Brook. There he met Billy Mink
and told him about the new home Johnny Chuck had made under the old
apple tree in a corner of the Green Meadows.
Pretty soon Billy Mink met Little Joe Otter and told him.
Then Little Joe Otter met Jerry Muskrat and told him.
Jerry Muskrat saw Blacky the Crow and told him, and Great-Grandfather
Frog heard him.
Blacky the Crow met his first cousin, Sammy Jay, and told him.
Sammy Jay met Happy Jack Squirrel and told him.
Happy Jack met his cousin, Striped Chipmunk, and told him.
Striped Chipmunk passed the house of old Mr. Toad and told him.
The next morning, very early, before Old Mother West Wind had come down
from the Purple Hills, Johnny Chuck stole over to his new home to begin
work on his new back door. He had hardly begun to dig when he heard
some one cough right behind him. He whirled around and there sat Peter
Rabbit looking as innocent and surprised as if he had really just
discovered the new home for the first time.
"What a splendid new home you have, Johnny Chuck!" said Peter Rabbit.
"Y--e--s," said Johnny Chuck, slowly. "It's a secret," he added
suddenly. "You won't tell, will you, Peter Rabbit?"
Peter Rabbit promised that he wouldn't tell. Then Johnny Chuck felt
better and went back to work as soon as Peter Rabbit left.
He had hardly begun, however, when some one just above him said: "Good
morning, Johnny Chuck."
Johnny Chuck looked up and there in the old apple tree sat Blacky the
Crow and his cousin, Sammy Jay.
Just then there was a rustle in the grass and out popped Billy Mink and
Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat and Happy Jack Squirrel and Striped
Chipmunk and Bobby Coon. When Johnny Chuck had recovered from his
surprise and looked over to the doorway of his new home there sat Reddy
Fox on Johnny Chuck's precious new mound. It seemed as if all the
little meadow people were there, all but Jimmy Skunk, who wisely stayed
away.
"We've come to see your new home," said Striped Chipmunk, "and we think
it's the nicest home we've seen for a long time."
"It's so nicely hidden away, it's really quite secret," said Reddy Fox,
grinning wickedly.
Just then up raced the Merry Little Breezes and one of them had a
message for Johnny Chuck from Great-Grandfather Frog. It was this:
"Whisper a secret to a friend and you shout it in the ear of the whole
world."
After every one had admired the new home, they said good-bye and
scattered over the Green Meadows. Then Johnny Chuck began to dig
again, but this time he wasn't making his new back door. No indeed!
Johnny Chuck was digging at that new mound of yellow gravel of which he
had been so proud. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun blinked to be sure that
he saw aright, for Johnny Chuck was _filling up his new home_ between
the roots of the old apple tree. When he got through, there wasn't any
new home.
Then Johnny Chuck brushed his coat carefully, shook the sand out of his
trousers, wiped his hands and started off for his old home. And this
time he didn't take his special hidden path, for Johnny Chuck didn't
care who saw him go.
Late that afternoon, Johnny Chuck sat on his old doorstep, with his
chin in his hands, watching Old Mother West Wind gathering her Merry
Little Breezes into the big bag in which she carries them to their home
behind the Purple Hills.
"'Whisper a secret to a friend and you shout it in the ear of the whole
world.' Now what did Grandfather Frog mean by that?" thought Johnny
Chuck. "Now I didn't tell anybody but Jimmy Skunk and Jimmy Skunk
didn't tell anyone but Peter Rabbit and--and--"
Then Johnny Chuck began to chuckle and finally to laugh. "'Whisper a
secret to a friend and you shout it in the ear of the whole world.' My
gracious, what a loud voice I must have had and didn't know it!" said
Johnny Chuck, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes.
And the next day Johnny Chuck started to make a new home. Where? Oh,
that's Johnny Chuck's secret. And no one but jolly, round, red Mr. Sun
has found it out yet.
VIII
JOHNNY CHUCK'S GREAT FIGHT
Johnny Chuck sat on the doorstep of his new home, looking away across
the Green Meadows. Johnny Chuck felt very well satisfied with himself
and with all the world. He yawned lazily and stretched and stretched
and then settled himself comfortably to watch the Merry Little Breezes
playing down by the Smiling Pool.
By and by he saw Peter Rabbit go bobbing along down the Lone Little
Path. Lipperty, lipperty, lip, went Peter Rabbit and every other jump
he looked behind him.
"Now what is Peter Rabbit up to?" said Johnny Chuck to himself, "and
what does he keep looking behind him for?"
Johnny Chuck sat up a little straighter to watch Peter Rabbit hop down
the Lone Little Path. Then of a sudden he caught sight of something
that made him sit up straighter than ever and open his eyes very wide.
Something was following Peter Rabbit. Yes, Sir, something was bobbing
along right at Peter Rabbit's heels.
Johnny Chuck forgot the Merry Little Breezes. He forgot how warm it
was and how lazy he felt. He forgot everything else in his curiosity
to learn what it could be following so closely at Peter Rabbit's heels.
Presently Peter Rabbit stopped and sat up very straight and
then--Johnny Chuck nearly tumbled over in sheer surprise! He rubbed
his eyes to make sure that he saw aright, for there were two Peter
Rabbits! Yes, Sir, there were _two_ Peter Rabbits, only one was very
small, very small indeed.
"Oh!" said Johnny Chuck, "that must be Peter Rabbit's baby brother!"
Then he began to chuckle till his fat sides shook. There sat Peter
Rabbit with his funny long ears standing straight up, and there right
behind him, dressed exactly like him, sat Peter Rabbit's baby brother
with _his_ funny little long ears standing straight up. When Peter
Rabbit wiggled _his_ right ear, his baby brother wiggled his right ear.
When Peter Rabbit scratched his left ear, his baby brother scratched
_his_ left ear. Whatever Peter Rabbit did, his baby brother did too.
Presently Peter Rabbit started on down the Lone Little Path--lipperty,
lipperty, lip, and right at his heels went his baby brother--lipperty,
lipperty, lip. Johnny Chuck watched them out of sight, and then he
settled himself on his doorstep once more to enjoy a sun bath. Every
once in a while he chuckled to himself as he remembered how funny Peter
Rabbit's baby brother had looked. Presently Johnny Chuck fell asleep.
Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had climbed quite high in the sky when Johnny
Chuck awoke. He yawned and stretched and stretched and yawned, and
then he sat up to look over the Green Meadows. Then he became wide
awake, very wide awake indeed! Way down on the Green Meadows he caught
a glimpse of something red jumping about in the long meadow grass.
"That must be Reddy Fox," thought Johnny Chuck. "Yes, it surely is
Reddy Fox. Now I wonder what mischief he is up to."
Then he saw all the Merry Little Breezes racing towards Reddy Fox as
fast as they could go. And there was Sammy Jay screaming at the top of
his voice, and his cousin, Blacky the Crow. Happy Jack Squirrel was
dancing up and down excitedly on the branch of an old elm close by.
Johnny Chuck waited to see no more, but started down the Lone Little
Path to find out what it all was about. Half way down the Lone Little
Path he met Peter Rabbit running as hard as he could. His long ears
were laid flat back, his big eyes seemed to pop right out of his head,
and he was running as Johnny Chuck had never seen him run before.
"What are you running so for, Peter Rabbit?" asked Johnny Chuck.
"To get Bowser the Hound," shouted Peter Rabbit over his shoulder, as
he tried to run faster.
"Now what can be the matter?" said Johnny Chuck to himself, "to send
Peter Rabbit after Bowser the Hound?" He knew that, like all the other
little meadow people, there was nothing of which Peter Rabbit was so
afraid as Farmer Brown's great dog, Bowser the Hound.
Johnny Chuck hurried down the Lone Little Path as fast as his short
legs could take his fat, rolly-poly self.
Presently he came out onto the Green Meadows, and there he saw a sight
that set every nerve in his round little body a-tingle with rage.
Reddy Fox had found Peter Rabbit's baby brother and was doing his best
to frighten him to death.
"I'm going to eat you now," shouted Reddy Fox, and then he sprang on
Peter Rabbit's baby brother and gave him a cuff that sent him heels
over head sprawling in the grass.
"Coward! Coward, Reddy Fox!" shrieked Sammy Jay.
"Shame! Shame!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes.
"You're nothing but a great big bully!" yelled Blacky the Crow.
But no one did anything to help Peter Rabbit's baby brother, for Reddy
Fox is so much bigger than any of the rest of them, except Bobby Coon,
that all the little meadow people are afraid of him.
But Reddy Fox just laughed at them, and nipped the long ears of Peter
Rabbit's little brother so hard that he cried with the pain.
Now all were so intent watching Reddy Fox torment the baby brother of
Peter Rabbit that no one had seen Johnny Chuck coming down the Lone
Little Path. And for a few minutes no one recognized the furious
little yellow-brown bundle that suddenly knocked Reddy Fox over and
seized him by the throat. You see it didn't look a bit like Johnny
Chuck. Every hair was standing on end, he was so mad, and this made
him appear twice as big as they had ever seen him before.
"Coward! Coward! Coward!" shrieked Johnny Chuck as he shook Reddy Fox
by the throat. And then began the greatest fight that the Green
Meadows had ever seen.
Now Johnny Chuck is not naturally a fighter. Oh my, no! He is so
good-natured and so sunny-hearted that he seldom quarrels with any one.
But when he has to fight, there isn't a cowardly hair on him, not the
teeniest, weeniest one. No one ever has a chance to cry, "'Fraid cat!
Cry baby!" after Johnny Chuck.
So though, like all the other little meadow people, he was usually just
a little afraid of Reddy Fox, because Reddy is so much bigger, he
forgot all about it as soon as he caught sight of Reddy Fox tormenting
Peter Rabbit's little brother. He didn't stop to think of what might
happen to himself. He didn't stop to think at all. He just gritted
his teeth and in a flash had Reddy Fox on his back.
Such a fight was never seen before on the Green Meadows! Reddy Fox is
a bully and a coward, for he never fights with any one of his own size
if he can help it, but when he has to fight, he fights hard. And he
certainly had to fight now.
"Bully!" hissed Johnny Chuck as with his stout little hind feet he
ripped the bright red coat of Reddy Fox. "You great big bully!"
Over and over they rolled, Johnny Chuck on top, then Reddy Fox on top,
then Johnny Chuck up again, clawing and snarling.
It seemed as if news of the fight had gone over all the Green Meadows,
for the little meadow people came running from every direction--Billy
Mink, Little Joe Otter, Jerry Muskrat, Striped Chipmunk, Jimmy Skunk,
old Mr. Toad. Even Great-Grandfather Frog, who left his big lily pad,
and came hurrying with great jumps across the Green Meadows. They
formed a ring around Reddy Fox and Johnny Chuck and danced with
excitement. And all wanted Johnny Chuck to win.
Peter Rabbit's poor little brother, so sore and lame from the knocking
about from Reddy Fox, and so frightened that he hardly dared breathe,
lay flat on the ground under a little bush and was forgotten by all but
the Merry Little Breezes, who covered him up with some dead grass, and
kissed him and whispered to him not to be afraid now. How Peter
Rabbit's little brother did hope that Johnny Chuck would win! His
great, big, round, soft eyes were wide with terror as he thought of
what might happen to him if Reddy Fox should whip Johnny Chuck.
But Reddy Fox wasn't whipping Johnny Chuck. Try as he would, he could
not get a good hold on that round, fat, little body. And Johnny
Chuck's stout claws were ripping his red coat and white vest and Johnny
Chuck's sharp teeth were gripping him so that they could not be shaken
loose. Pretty soon Reddy Fox began to think of nothing but getting
away. Every one was shouting for Johnny Chuck. Every time Reddy Fox
was underneath, he would hear a great shout from all the little meadow
people, and he knew that they were glad.
Now Johnny Chuck was round and fat and rolly-poly, and when one is
round and fat and rolly-poly, one's breath is apt to be short. So it
was with Johnny Chuck. He had fought so hard that his breath was
nearly gone. Finally he loosed his hold on Reddy Fox for just a second
to draw in a good breath. Reddy Fox saw his chance, and, with a quick
pull and spring, he broke away.
How all the little meadow people did scatter! You see they were very
brave, very brave indeed, so long as Johnny Chuck had Reddy Fox down,
but now that Reddy Fox was free, each one was suddenly afraid and
thought only of himself. Jimmy Skunk knocked Jerry Muskrat flat in his
hurry to get away. Billy Mink trod on Great-Grandfather Frog's big
feet and didn't even say "Excuse me." Striped Chipmunk ran head first
into a big thistle and squealed as much from fear as pain.
But Reddy Fox paid no attention to any of them. He just wanted to get
away, and off he started, limping as fast as he could go up the Lone
Little Path. Such a looking sight! His beautiful red coat was in
tatters. His face was scratched. He hobbled as he ran. And just as
he broke away, Johnny Chuck made a grab and pulled a great mouthful of
hair out of the splendid tail Reddy Fox was so proud of.
When the little meadow people saw that Reddy Fox was actually running
away, they stopped running themselves, and all began to shout: "Reddy
Fox is a coward and a bully! Coward! Coward!" Then they crowded
around Johnny Chuck and all began talking at once about his great fight.
Just then they heard a great noise up on the hill. They saw Reddy Fox
coming back down the Lone Little Path, and he was using his legs just
as well as he knew how. Right behind him, his great mouth open and
waking all the echoes with his big voice, was Bowser the Hound.
You see, although Peter Rabbit couldn't fight for his little baby
brother and is usually very, very timid, he isn't altogether a coward.
Indeed, he had been very brave, very brave indeed. He had gone up to
Farmer Brown's and had jumped right under the nose of Bowser the Hound.
Now that is something that Bowser the Hound never can stand. So off he
had started after Peter Rabbit. And Peter Rabbit had started back for
the Green Meadows as fast as his long legs could take him, for he knew
that if once Bowser the Hound caught sight of Reddy Fox, he would
forget all about such a little thing as a saucy rabbit.
Sure enough, half way down the Lone Little Path they met Reddy Fox
sneaking off home, and, when Bowser the Hound saw him, he straightway
forgot all about Peter Rabbit, and, with a great roar, started after
Reddy Fox.
When Johnny Chuck had carefully brushed his coat and all the little
meadow people had wished him good luck, he started off up the Lone
Little Path for home, the Merry Little Breezes dancing ahead and Peter
Rabbit coming lipperty, lipperty, lip behind, and right between them
hopped Peter Rabbit's little brother, who thought Johnny Chuck the
greatest hero in the world.
When they reached Johnny Chuck's old home, Peter Rabbit and Peter
Rabbit's little brother tried to tell him how thankful they were to
him, but Johnny Chuck just laughed and said: "It was nothing at all,
just nothing at all."
When at last all had gone, even the Merry Little Breezes, Johnny Chuck
slipped away to his new home, which is his secret, you know, which no
one knows but jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, who won't tell.
"I hope," said Johnny Chuck, as he stretched himself out on the mound
of warm sand by his doorway, for he was very tired, "I hope," said
Johnny Chuck, sighing contentedly, "that Reddy Fox got away from Bowser
the Hound!"
And Reddy Fox did.
IX
MR. TOAD'S OLD SUIT
Peter Rabbit was tired and very sleepy as he hopped along the Crooked
Little Path down the hill. He could see Old Mother West Wind just
emptying her Merry Little Breezes out of her big bag onto the Green
Meadows to play all the bright summer day. Peter Rabbit yawned and
yawned again as he watched them dance over to the Smiling Pool. Then
he hopped on down the Crooked Little Path towards home.
Sammy Jay, sitting on a fence post, saw him coming.
"Peter Rabbit out all night!
Oh my goodness what a sight!
Peter Rabbit, reprobate!
No good end will be your fate!"
shouted Sammy Jay.
Peter Rabbit ran out his tongue at Sammy Jay.
"Who stole Happy Jack's nuts? Thief! Thief! Thief!" shouted Peter
Rabbit at Sammy Jay, and kept on down the Crooked Little Path.
It was true--Peter Rabbit had been out all night playing in the
moonlight, stealing a midnight feast in Farmer Brown's cabbage patch
and getting into mischief with Bobby Coon. Now when most of the little
meadow people were just waking up Peter Rabbit was thinking of bed.
Presently he came to a big piece of bark which is the roof of Mr.
Toad's house. Mr. Toad was sitting in his doorway blinking at jolly,
round, red Mr. Sun, who had just begun to climb up the sky.
"Good morning, Mr. Toad," said Peter Rabbit.
"Good morning," said Mr. Toad.
"You're looking very fine this morning, Mr. Toad," said Peter Rabbit.
"I'm feeling very fine this morning," said Mr. Toad.
"Why, my gracious, you have on a new suit, Mr. Toad!" exclaimed Peter
Rabbit.
"Well, what if I have, Peter Rabbit?" demanded Mr. Toad.
"Oh, nothing, nothing, nothing at all, Mr. Toad, nothing at all," said
Peter Rabbit hastily, "only I didn't know you ever had a new suit.
What have you done with your old suit, Mr. Toad?"
"Swallowed it," said Mr. Toad shortly, turning his back on Peter Rabbit.
And that was all Peter Rabbit could get out of Mr. Toad, so he started
on down the Crooked Little Path. Now Peter Rabbit has a great deal of
curiosity and is forever poking into other people's affairs. The more
he thought about it the more he wondered what Mr. Toad could have done
with his old suit. Of course he hadn't _swallowed_ it! Who ever heard
of such a thing! The more he thought of it the more Peter Rabbit felt
that he must know what Mr. Toad had done with his old suit. By this
time he had forgotten that he had been out all night. He had forgotten
that he was sleepy. He had got to find out about Mr. Toad's old suit.
"I'll just run over to the Smiling Pool and ask Grandfather Frog.
He'll surely know what Mr. Toad does with his old suits," said Peter
Rabbit, and began to hop faster.
When he reached the Smiling Pool there sat Great-Grandfather Frog on
his big green lily pad as usual. There was a hungry look in his big
goggly eyes, for it was so early that no foolish, green flies had come
his way yet. But Peter Rabbit was too full of curiosity in Mr. Toad's
affairs to notice this.
"Good morning, Grandfather Frog," said Peter Rabbit.
"Good morning," replied Grandfather Frog a wee bit gruffly.
"You're looking very fine this morning, Grandfather Frog," said Peter
Rabbit.
"Not so fine as I'd feel if I had a few fat, foolish, green flies,"
said Grandfather Frog.
"I've just met your cousin, Mr. Toad, and he has on a new suit," said
Peter Rabbit.
"Indeed!" replied Grandfather Frog. "Well, I think it's high time."
"What does Mr. Toad do with his old suit, Grandfather Frog?" asked
Peter Rabbit.
"Chug-a-rum! It's none of my business. Maybe he swallows it," replied
Grandfather Frog crossly, and turned his back on Peter Rabbit.
Peter Rabbit saw that his curiosity must remain unsatisfied. He
suddenly remembered that he had been out all night and was very, very
sleepy, so he started off home across the Green Meadows.
Now the Merry Little Breezes had heard all that Peter Rabbit and
Grandfather Frog had said, and they made up their minds that they would
find out from Grandfather Frog what Mr. Toad really did do with his old
suit. First of all they scattered over the Green Meadows. Presently
back they all came, each blowing ahead of him a fat, foolish, green
fly. Right over to the big green lily pad they blew the green flies.
"Chug-a-rum! Chug-a-rum! Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog, as each
fat, foolish, green fly disappeared inside his white and yellow
waistcoat. When the last one was out of sight, all but a leg which was
left sticking out of a corner of Grandfather Frog's big mouth, one of
the Merry Little Breezes ventured to ask him what became of Mr. Toad's
old suit.
Grandfather Frog settled himself comfortably on the big green lily pad
and folded his hands across his white and yellow waistcoat.
"Chug-a-rum," began Grandfather Frog. "Once upon a time--"
The Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands and settled themselves
among the buttercups and daisies, for they knew that soon they would
know what Mr. Toad did with his old suit.
"Once upon a time," began Grandfather Frog again, "when the world was
young, old King Bear received word that old Mother Nature would visit
the Green Meadows and the Green Forest. Of course old King Bear wanted
his kingdom and his subjects to look their very best, so he issued a
royal order that every one of the little meadow people and every one of
the little forest folk should wear a new suit on the day that old
Mother Nature was to pay her visit.
"Now like old King Bear, every one wanted to appear his very best
before old Mother Nature, but as no one knew the exact day she was to
come, every one began at once to wear his best suit, and to take the
greatest care of it. Old King Bear appeared every day in a suit of
glossy black. Lightfoot the Deer, threw away his dingy gray suit, and
put on a coat of beautiful red and fawn. Mr. Mink, Mr. Otter, Mr.
Muskrat, Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Woodchuck, Mr. Coon, who you know was first
cousin to old King Bear, Mr. Gray Squirrel, Mr. Fox Squirrel, Mr. Red
Squirrel, all put on brand new suits. Mr. Skunk changed his black and
white stripes for a suit of all black, very handsome, very handsome
indeed. Mr. Chipmunk took care to see that his new suit had the most
beautiful stripes to be obtained.
"Mr. Jay, who was something of a dandy, had a wonderful new coat that
looked for all the world as it if had been cut from the bluest patch of
sky and trimmed with edging taken from the whitest clouds. Even Mr.
Crow and Mr. Owl took pains to look their very best.
"But Mr. Toad couldn't see the need of such a fuss. He thought his
neighbors spent altogether too much time and thought on dress. To be
sure he was anxious to look his best when old Mother Nature came, so he
got a new suit all ready. But Mr. Toad couldn't afford to sit around
in idleness admiring his new clothes. No indeed! Mr. Toad had too
much to do. He was altogether too busy. He had a large garden to take
care of, had Mr. Toad, and work in a garden is very hard on clothes.
So Mr. Toad just wore his old suit over his new one and went on about
his business.
"By and by the great day came when old Mother Nature arrived to inspect
the kingdom of old King Bear. All the little meadow people and all the
little forest folk hastened to pay their respects to old Mother Nature
and to strut about in their fine clothes--all but Mr. Toad. He was so
busy that he didn't even know that old Mother Nature had arrived.