PETER RABBIT LISTENS TO MRS. PETER
Safety first is a wise rule for those who would live long.
Peter Rabbit.
Peter Rabbit was glad enough to get back to the dear Old Briar-patch
after his narrow escape from Old Man Coyote by dodging into Jimmy
Skunk's old house halfway up the hill. And little Mrs. Peter was glad
enough to have him, you may be sure. She had been watching Peter when he
so heedlessly almost ran into Old Man Coyote, and it had seemed to her
as if her heart stopped beating until Peter reached the safety of that
old house of Jimmy Skunk just one jump ahead. Then she saw Old Man
Coyote hide in the grass near by and she was terribly, terribly afraid
that Peter would be heedless again and come out, thinking that Mr.
Coyote had gone.
Poor little Mrs. Peter! She was so anxious that she couldn't sit still.
She felt that she just had to do something to warn Peter. She stole out
from the dear Old Briar-patch and halfway to where Old Man Coyote was
hiding. He was so busy watching the doorway of the old house where Peter
was hiding that he didn't notice her at all. Little Mrs. Peter found a
bunch of tall grass behind which she could sit up and still not be seen.
So there she sat without moving for a long, long time, never once taking
her eyes from Old Man Coyote and the doorway of the old house. By and
by she saw Peter poke his nose out to see if the way was clear. Old Man
Coyote saw him too, and began to grin. It was a hungry, wicked-looking
grin, and it made little Mrs. Peter very, very angry indeed.
She waited just a minute longer to make sure that Peter was where he
could see her, and then she thumped the ground very hard, which, you
know, is the way Rabbits signal to each other. Peter heard it right away
and thumped back that he would stay right where he was, though right
down in his heart Peter thought that little Mrs. Peter was just nervous
and foolish, for he was sure that Old Man Coyote had given up and gone
away long ago.
Now of course Old Man Coyote heard those thumps, and he knew just what
they meant. He knew that he never, never could catch Peter so long as
Mrs. Peter was watching him and ready to warn Peter, So he came out of
his hiding-place with an ugly snarl and sprang toward little Mrs.
Peter just to frighten her. He laughed as he watched her run and, all
breathless, dive into the dear, Old Briar-patch, and then he trotted
away to his favorite napping-place.
As soon as Peter was sure that he was safe he started for home, and
there little Mrs. Peter scolded him soundly for being so heedless and
thoughtless.
Peter didn't have a word to say. For a long time he sat thinking and
thinking, every once in a while scratching his head as if puzzled.
Little Mrs. Peter noticed it.
“What's the matter with you, Peter?” she asked finally.
“I'm just studying what Old Man Coyote means by telling me one day that
he is my friend, and proving it by doing me a good turn, and then trying
to catch me the very next time he sees me. I don't understand it,” said
Peter, shaking his head.
“Oh, you dear old stupid!” replied little Mrs. Peter. “Now, you listen
to me. You did Old Man Coyote a good turn and he paid you back by doing
you a good turn. That made you even, didn't it?”
Peter nodded.
“Well, then you are right back where you started from, and Old Man
Coyote doesn't see any reason why he should treat you any differently
than at first, and I don't see why he should either, when I come to
think it over. I tell you what, Peter, the thing for you to do is to
keep doing good turns to Old Man Coyote so that he will always be in
debt to you. Then he will always be your friend.”
As little Mrs. Peter stopped speaking, Peter sprang to his feet. “The
very thing!” he cried. “It's sort of a Golden Rule, and I do believe it
will work.”
“Of course it will,” replied little Mrs. Peter.