Part 4 (1/2)

[Illustration: _”I tell you what, you stay right here!” said Peter_]

Danny Meadow Mouse looked at Peter gratefully ”I will, and thank you ever so much, Peter Rabbit,” he said

And this is how the dear Old Briar-patch happened to have another tenant

XIII

Peter Rabbit Visits the Peach Orchard

”Don't go, Peter Rabbit! Don't go!” begged Danny Meadow Mouse

Peter hopped to the edge of the Old Briar-patch and looked over the moonlit, snow-covered meadows to the hill back of Far peach orchard of which Tommy tit the Chickadee had told him, and ever since Peter's ht of those young peach trees and the tender bark on them

”I think I will, Danny, just this once,” said Peter ”It's a long way, and I've never been there before; but I guess it's just as safe as the Meadows or the Green Forest”

”_Oh I' hoppy-hippy-hippy-hop-o!

I'll hiehoppy-hippy-hippy-hop-o!

My ears are long, My legs are strong, So now good day; I'll hie away!

Sing hoppy-hippy-hippy-hop-o!_”

And with that, Peter Rabbit left the dear, safe Old Briar-patch, and away he went lipperty-lipperty-lip, across the Green Meadoard the hill and the young orchard back of Faro and shook his head in disapproval ”Foolish, foolish, foolish!+” he said over and over to his that he has?”

Peter Rabbit hurried along through theevery few minutes to sit up to look and listen He heard the fierce hunting call of Hooty the Oay over in the Green Forest, so he felt sure that at present there was nothing to fear from him He knew that since their return to the Green Meadows and the Green Forest, Granny and Reddy Fox had kept away from Farood ti orchard It was just as Tommy tit the Chickadee had told him Peter hopped up to the nearest peach tree and nibbled the bark My, how good it tasted!

He went all around the tree, stripping off the bark He stood up on his long hind legs and reached as high as he could Then he dug the snoay and ate down as far as he could When he could get nobark, he went on to the next tree

Now, though Peter didn't know it, he was in the very worst kind of mischief You see, when he took off all the bark all the way around the young peach tree, he killed the tree, for you know it is on the inside of the bark that the sap which gives life to a tree and oes up from the roots to all the branches So when Peter ate the bark all the way around the trunk of the young tree, he hadOh, it was the worst kind of mischief that Peter Rabbit was in

But Peter didn't know it, and he kept right on filling that big stoot to watch out for danger Suddenly, just as he had begun on another tree, a great roar right behind him made him jump almost out of his skin

He knew that voice, and without waiting to even look behind him, he started for the stone wall on the other side of the orchard

Right at his heels, his great mouth wide open, was Bowser the Hound

XIV

Farmer Brown Sets a Trap