|PETER RABBIT wasn't the only one who was interested in Bob White and in
Bob's hidden home. Oh, my, no! It seemed to Peter that Reddy and Granny
Fox were prowling around the dear Old Briar-patch most of the time. At
first he didn't understand it. “It isn't me they are after, because they
know well enough that they can't catch me here,” said he to himself, as
he watched them one morning. “It isn't Danny Meadow Mouse, because Danny
hasn't been over this way for a long time. I don't see how it can be
Bob White, because he isn't likely to stay on the ground while they are
around, and they can't catch him unless he is on the ground.”
He was so busy trying to puzzle out what should bring Reddy and Granny
that way so often that he neither saw nor heard Jimmy Skunk steal up
behind him.
[Illustration: 0036]
“Boo!” said Jimmy, and Peter nearly jumped out of his skin.
“What did you do that for?” demanded Peter indignantly.
“Just to teach you that you shouldn't go to sleep without keeping your
ears open,” replied Jimmy with a grin.
“I wasn't asleep!” protested Peter crossly. “I was just watching Reddy
and Granny Fox and wondering what brings them over here so much.”
“You might just as well have been asleep,” replied Jimmy. “Supposing I
had been my cousin, Shadow the Weasel.”
Peter shivered at the very thought. Jimmy continued: “You are old enough
to know, Peter, that it isn't safe to be so interested in one thing that
you forget to watch out for other things. As for Reddy and Granny Fox,
you ought to know what brings them over this way so much.”
“What?” demanded Peter.
“Hasn't Bob White got a nest somewhere around here?” asked Jimmy by way
of answer.
“Y-e-s,” replied Peter slowly, “I suppose he has. But what of that?”
“Why, Reddy and Granny are looking for it, stupid,” replied Jimmy.
Peter stared at Jimmy a minute in a puzzled way. “What do they want of
that?” he asked finally. “They don't eat eggs, do they?”
“Eggs hatch out into little birds, don't they?” demanded Jimmy. “If
Reddy and Granny can find that nest, they'll wait until the eggs have
hatched into birds and then, well, I've heard say that there is nothing
more delicious than young Quail. Now, do you see?”
Peter did. Of course he did. He understood perfectly. Reddy and Granny
had heard Bob White whistling over there every day, and they knew that
meant that his home wasn't far away. It was all very plain now.
“By the way, you don't happen to know where that nest is, do you?”
asked Jimmy carelessly.
“No, I don't!” exclaimed Peter, and suddenly was glad that he didn't
know about that nest. “What do you want to know for?” he demanded
suspiciously.
“I'm hungry for some eggs,” confessed Jimmy frankly.
“You wouldn't rob Mr. and Mrs. Bob White of their eggs, would you?”
cried Peter. “I thought better of you than that, Jimmy Skunk.”
Jimmy grinned. “Don't get excited, Peter,” said he. “I'm told that Mrs.
Bob lays a great many eggs, and if that's the case, she wouldn't miss a
few.”
“Jimmy Skunk, you're horrid, so there!” declared Peter.
“Don't blame me,” retorted Jimmy. “Old Mother Nature gave me a taste
for eggs, just as she gave Reddy Fox a taste for Rabbit. You haven't any
idea where that nest is, have you?”
“No, I haven't! If I had, I wouldn't tell you,” declared Peter.
“Well, so long,” replied Jimmy good-naturedly. “I think I'll have a look
for it. I don't wish Bob White and his wife the least bit of harm, but I
would like two or three of those eggs.” And with this Jimmy Skunk ambled
out to look for Bob White's nest.