see Peter Rabbit jump out of his path
and dodge into a hollow log.

When Reddy was safely past, Peter came out. He sat up very straight,
with his ears pointing right up to the sky and his eyes wide open with
surprise as he stared after Reddy. "Why! Why, my gracious, I do
believe Reddy has had a fright!" exclaimed Peter. Then, being Peter,
he right away began to wonder what could have frightened Reddy so, and
in a minute he thought of the strange creature which had frightened
him a few days before. "I do believe that was it!" he cried. "I do
believe it was. Reddy is coming from the direction of Prickly Porky's,
and that was where I got my fright. I--I--"

Peter hesitated. The truth is he was wondering if he dared go up there
and see if that strange creature without head, tail, or legs really
was around again. He knew it would be a foolish thing to do, for he
might walk right into danger. He knew that little Mrs. Peter was
waiting for him over in the dear Old Briar-patch and that she would
worry, for he ought to be there this very blessed minute. But he was
very curious to know what had frightened Reddy so, and his curiosity,
which has led him into so many scrapes, grew greater with every
passing minute.

"It won't do any harm to go part way up there," thought Peter.
"Perhaps I will find out something without going way up there."

So, instead of starting for home as he should have done, he turned
back through the Green Forest and, stopping every few hops to look and
listen, made his way clear to the foot of the hill where Prickly Porky
lives. There he hid under a little hemlock-tree and looked in every
direction for the strange creature which had frightened him so the
last time he was there. But nobody was to be seen but Prickly Porky,
Jimmy Skunk, and Unc' Billy Possum rolling around in the leaves at the
top of the hill and laughing fit to kill themselves.

"There's no danger here; that is sure," thought Peter shrewdly, "and I
believe those fellows have been up to some trick."

With that he boldly hopped up the hill and joined them. "What's the
joke?" he demanded.

"Did you meet Reddy Fox?" asked Jimmy Skunk, wiping the tears of
laughter from his eyes.

"Did I meet him? Why, he almost ran into me and didn't see me at all.
I guess he's running yet. Now, what's the joke?" Peter demanded.

When the others could stop laughing long enough, they gathered around
Peter and told him something that sent Peter off into s