won't
do it again."

Then Jimmy Skunk stepped right over Striped Chipmunk, and went on up the
Crooked Little Path to look for some beetles.

Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit hopping along down the Crooked Little
Path. "Good morning, Jimmy Skunk, where are you going so early in the
morning?" said Peter Rabbit.

"Good morning, Peter Rabbit. Have you seen any beetles?" asked Jimmy
Skunk, politely.

"No, I haven't seen any beetles, but I'll help you find some," said
Peter Rabbit. So he turned about and hopped ahead of Jimmy Skunk up the
Crooked Little Path.

Now because Peter Rabbit's legs are long and he is always in a hurry,
he got to the top of the hill first. When Jimmy Skunk reached the end
of the Crooked Little Path on the top of the hill he found Peter Rabbit
sitting up very straight and looking and looking very hard at a great
flat stone.

"What are you looking at, Peter Rabbit?" asked Jimmy Skunk.

"Sh-h-h!" said Peter Rabbit, "I think there are some beetles under that
great flat stone where that little black string is sticking out. Now
when I count three you grab that string and pull hard perhaps you'll
find a beetle at the other end."

So Jimmy Skunk got ready and Peter Rabbit began to count.

"One!" said Peter. "Two!" said Peter. "Three!"

Jimmy Skunk grabbed the black string and pulled as hard as ever he could
and out came--Mr. Black Snake! The string Jimmy Skunk had pulled was Mr.
Black Snake's tail, and Mr. Black Snake was very, very angry indeed.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Peter Rabbit.

"What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk," said Mr. Black Snake, "by pulling my
tail?"

"Was that your tail?" said Jimmy Skunk, politely. "I won't do it again.
Have you seen any beetles?"

But Mr. Black Snake hadn't seen any beetles, and he was so cross that
Jimmy Skunk went on over the hill to look for some beetles.

Peter Rabbit was still laughing and laughing and laughing. And the more
he laughed the angrier grew Mr. Black Snake, till finally he started
after Peter Rabbit to teach him a lesson.

Then Peter Rabbit stopped laughing, for Mr. Black Snake can run very
fast. Away went Peter Rabbit down the Crooked Little Path as fast as he
could go, and away went Mr. Black Snake after him.

But Jimmy Skunk didn't even look once to see if Mr. Black Snake had
caught Peter Rabbit to teach him a lesson, for Jimmy Skunk had found
some beetles and was eating his breakfast.

CHAPTER VIII BILLY MINK'S SWIMMING PARTY

B