ong, too, to see that the race was fair.
Peter Rabbit went with great big jumps. Whenever he came to a little
bush he jumped right over it, for Peter Rabbit's legs are long and meant
for jumping. Billy Mink is so slim that he slipped between the bushes
and through the long grass like a little brown streak. Reddy Fox, who is
bigger than either Peter Rabbit or Billy Mink, had no trouble in keeping
up with them. Not one of them noticed that Spotty the Turtle was hanging
fast to the end of Reddy's tail.

Now just at the foot of the little hill on which the big hickory tree
grew was a little pond. It wasn't very wide but it was quite long. Billy
Mink remembered this pond and he chuckled to himself as he raced along,
for he knew that Peter Rabbit couldn't swim and he knew that Reddy Fox
does not like the water, so therefore both would have to run around it.
He himself can swim even faster than he can run. The more he thought of
this, the more foolish it seemed that he should hurry so on such a warm
day. "For," said Billy Mink to himself, "even if they reach the pond
first, they will have to run around it, while I can swim across it and
cool off while I am swimming. I will surely get there first." So Billy
Mink ran slower and slower, and pretty soon he had dropped behind.

Mr. Sun, round and red, looking down, smiled and smiled to see the race.
The more he smiled the warmer it grew. Now, Peter Rabbit had a thick
gray coat and Reddy Fox had a thick red coat, and they both began to get
very, very warm. Peter Rabbit did not make such long jumps as when he
first started. Reddy Fox began to feel very thirsty, and his tongue hung
out. Now that Billy Mink was behind them they thought they did not need
to hurry so.

Peter Rabbit reached the little pond first. He had not thought of that
pond when he agreed to enter the race. He stopped right on the edge
of it and sat up on his hind legs. Right across he could see the big
hickory tree, so near and yet so far, for he knew that he must run
around the pond then back again, and it was a long, long way. In just
a moment Reddy Fox ran out of the bushes and Reddy felt much as
Peter Rabbit did. Way, way behind them was Billy Mink, trotting along
comfortably and chuckling to himself. Peter Rabbit looked at Reddy Fox
in dismay, and Reddy Fox looked at Peter Rabbit in dismay. Then they
both looked at Billy Mink and remembered that Billy Mink could swim
right across.

Then off Peter Rabbit star