DANNY MEADOW MOUSE limped around through the dear Old Briar-patch,
where he had lived with Peter Rabbit ever since he had squirmed out
of the claws of Hooty the Owl and dropped there, right at the feet of
Peter Rabbit. Danny limped because he was still lame and sore from
Hooty’s terrible claws, but he didn’t let himself think much about
that, because he was so thankful to be alive at all. So he limped
around in the Old Briar-patch, picking up seed which had fallen on the
snow, and sometimes pulling down a few of the red berries which cling
all winter to the wild rose bushes. The seeds in these were very nice
indeed, and Danny always felt especially good after a meal of them.
Danny Meadow Mouse had grown very fond of Peter Rabbit, for Peter had
been very, very good to him. Danny felt that he never, never could
repay all of Peter’s kindness. It had been very good of Peter to offer
to share the Old Briar-patch with Danny, because Danny was so far from
his own home that it would not be safe for him to try to get back
there. But Peter had done more than that. He had taken care of Danny,
such good care, during the first few days after Danny’s escape from
Hooty the Owl. He had brought good things to eat while Danny was too
weak and sore to get things for himself. Oh, Peter had been very good
indeed to him!
But now, as Danny limped around, he was not happy. No, Sir, he was not
happy. The truth is, Danny Meadow Mouse was worried. It was a different
kind of worry from any he had known before. You see, for the first time
in his life, Danny was worrying about some one else. He was worrying
about Peter Rabbit. Peter had been gone from the Old Briar-patch a
whole night and a whole day. He often was gone all night, but never
all day too. Danny was sure that something had happened to Peter. He
thought of how he had begged Peter not to go up to Farmer Brown’s young
peach orchard. He had felt in his bones that it was not safe, that
something dreadful would happen to Peter. How Peter had laughed at him
and bravely started off! Why hadn’t he come home?
As he limped around, Danny talked to himself:
“Why cannot people be content
With all the good things that are sent,
And mind their own affairs at home
Instead of going forth to roam?”
It was now the second night since Peter Rabbit had gone away. Danny
Meadow Mouse couldn’t sleep at all. Round and round through the Old
Briar-patch he limped, and finally sat down at the edge of it to wait
and watch. At last, just as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun sent his first
long rays of light across the Green Meadows, Danny saw something
crawling towards the Old Briar-patch. He rubbed his eyes and looked
again. It was—no, it couldn’t be—yes, it _was_ Peter Rabbit! But
what was the matter with him? Always before Peter had come home
lipperty-lipperty-lipperty-lip, but now he was crawling, actually
_crawling_! Danny Meadow Mouse didn’t know what to make of it.
Nearer and nearer came Peter. Something was following him. No, Peter
was dragging something after him. At last Peter started to crawl along
one of his little private paths into the Old Briar-patch. The thing
dragging behind caught in the brambles, and Peter fell headlong in the
snow, too tired and worn out to move. Then Danny saw what the trouble
was. A wire was fast to one of Peter’s long hind legs, and to the other
end of the wire was fastened part of a stake. Peter had been caught in
a snare! Danny hurried over to Peter and tears stood in his eyes.
“Poor Peter Rabbit! Oh, I’m so sorry, Peter!” he whispered.