At last it was time to start. Peter led the way. Very big and brave and
strong and important he felt, and very timid and frightened felt little
Miss Fuzzytail, hopping after him close at his heels. You see, she felt
that she was going out into the Great World, of which she knew nothing
at all.
"Oh, Peter," she whispered, "supposing we should meet Reddy Fox! I
wouldn't know where to run or hide."
"We are not going to meet Reddy Fox," replied Peter, "but if we should,
all you have to do is to just keep your eyes on the white patch on the
seat of my trousers and follow me. I have fooled Reddy so many times
that I'm not afraid of him."
Never in all his life had Peter been so watchful and careful. That was
because he felt his re-sponsi-bil-ity. Every few jumps he would stop to
sit up and look and listen. Then little Miss Fuzzytail would nestle up
close to him, and Peter's heart would swell with happiness, and he would
feel, oh, so proud and important. Once they heard the sharp bark of
Reddy Fox, but it was a long way off, and Peter smiled, for he knew that
Reddy was hunting on the edge of the Green Forest.
Once a dim shadow swept across the meadow grass ahead of them. Peter
dropped flat in the grass and kept perfectly still, and little Miss
Fuzzytail did just as he did, as she had promised she would.
"Wha--what was it?" she whispered.
"I think it was Hooty the Owl," Peter whispered back, "but he didn't see
us." After what seemed like a long, long time they heard Hooty's fierce
hunting call, but it came from way back of them on the edge of the Old
Pasture.
Pages:
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62