d had heard Peter tell the story to Mrs. Peter, and it
was such a wonderful and curious and unbelievable story that the Merry
Little Breeze straightway repeated it to everybody he met, and soon
Peter Rabbit began to receive callers who wanted to hear the story all
over again from Peter himself. So Peter was obliged to repeat it ever
so many times, and every time it sounded to him more foolish than
before. He had to tell it to Jimmy Skunk and to Johnny Chuck and to
Danny Meadow Mouse and to Digger the Badger and to Sammy Jay and to
Blacky the Crow and to Striped Chipmunk and to Happy Jack Squirrel and
to Bobby Coon and to Unc' Billy Possum and to Old Mr. Toad.

Now, strange to say, no one laughed at Peter, queer as the story
sounded. You see, they all remembered how they had laughed at him and
made fun of him when he told about the great footprints he had found
deep in the Green Forest, and how later it had been proven that he
really did see them, for they were made by Buster Bear who had come
down from the Great Woods to live in the Green Forest. Then it had
been Peter's turn to laugh at them. So now, impossible as this new
story sounded, they didn't dare laugh at it.

"I never heard of such a creature," said Jimmy Skunk, "and I can't
quite believe that there is such a one, but it is very clear to me
that Peter has seen something strange. You know the old saying that he
laughs best who laughs last, and I'm not going to give Peter another
chance to have the last laugh and say, 'I told you so.'"

"That is very true," replied Old Mr. Toad solemnly. "Probably Peter
has seen something out of the ordinary, and in his excitement he has
exaggerated it. The thing to do is to make sure whether or not there
is a stranger in the Green Forest. Peter says that it came down the
hill where Prickly Porky the Porcupine lives. Some one ought to go ask
him what he knows about it. If there is such a terrible creature up
there, he ought to have seen it. Why don't you go up there and ask
him, Jimmy Skunk? You're not afraid of anybody or anything."

"I will," replied Jimmy promptly, and off he started. You see, he felt
very much flattered by Old Mr. Toad's remark, and he couldn't very
well refuse, for that would look as if he were afraid, after all.

VII

JIMMY SKUNK CALLS ON PRICKLY PORKY

"A plague upon Old Mr. Toad!" grumbled Jimmy, as he ambled up the Lone
Little Path through the Green Forest on his way to the hill where
Pr