had come down the hill where Prickly
Porky the Porcupine lives in the Green Forest. Jimmy Skunk had been
sent to call on Prickly Porky and ask him if he had seen any strange
creature such as Peter Rabbit had told about. Prickly Porky had said
that he hadn't seen any stranger in that part of the Green Forest, and
Jimmy had straightway returned to the Green Meadows and told all his
friends there that Peter Rabbit must have had something the matter
with his eyes or else was crazy, for Prickly Porky hadn't been away
from home and yet had seen nothing unusual.

At the same time Unc' Billy Possum was going about in the Green Forest
telling everybody whom he met that he had called on Prickly Porky, and
that Prickly Porky had told him that Peter Rabbit undoubtedly had seen
something strange. Of course Jimmy Skunk's story soon spread through
the Green Forest, and Unc' Billy Possum's story soon spread over the
Green Meadows, and so nobody knew what to believe or think. If Jimmy
Skunk was right, why Peter Rabbit's queer story wasn't to be believed
at all. If Unc' Billy was right, why Peter's story wasn't as crazy as
it sounded.

Of course all this aroused a great deal of talk and curiosity, and
those who had the most courage began to make visits to the hill where
Prickly Porky lives to see if they could see for themselves anything
out of the ordinary. But they always found that part of the Green
Forest just as usual and always, if they saw Prickly Porky at all, he
seemed to be fast asleep, and no one liked to wake him to ask
questions. Little by little they began to think that Jimmy Skunk was
right, and that Peter Rabbit's terrible creature existed only in
Peter's imagination.

About this time Unc' Billy told of having just such an experience as
Peter had. It happened exactly as it did with Peter, very early in the
morning, when he was passing the foot of the hill where Prickly Porky
lives.

"Ah was just passing along, minding mah own business, when Ah heard a
noise up on the hill behind me," said Unc' Billy, "and when Ah looked
up, there was something coming straight down at me, and Ah couldn't
see any legs or head or tail."

"What did you do, Unc' Billy?" asked Bobby Coon.

"What did Ah do? Ah did just what yo'alls would have done,--Ah done
run!" replied Unc' Billy, looking around the little circle of forest
and meadow people, listening with round eyes and open mouths. "Yes,
Sah, Ah done run, and Ah didn't turn around un