iped Chipmunk, Happy Jack Squirrel, Mr.
Black Snake, old Mr. Crow, Sammy Jay, Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter,
Jerry Muskrat, Spotty the Turtle, old King Bear, his cousin, Mr. Coon,
and all the other little people.

"When he saw all who had gathered under the Lone Pine, and how they all
looked crossly at him, Mr. Rabbit was so frightened that his heart went
pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, and he wanted more than ever to run
away. But he didn't dare to. No, Sir, he didn't dare to. And then he
was so curious to know what it all meant that he wouldn't have run if
he had dared.

"Old Mother Nature made Mr. Rabbit sit up on an old log where all could
see him. Then in turn she asked each present who was the cause of all
the trouble on the Green Meadows. And each in turn answered 'Mr.
Rabbit.'

"'Mr. Rabbit,' said old Mother Nature, 'you are lazy, for your cabbage
patch has all gone to weeds. You are shiftless, for your house leaks.
You are a sneak, for you creep up where you are not wanted and listen
to things which do not concern you. You are a thief, for you steal the
secrets of others. You are a prevaricator, for you tell things which
are not so. Mr. Rabbit, you are all these--a lazy, shiftless sneak,
thief and prevaricator.'

"It was dreadful. Mother Nature paused, and Mr. Rabbit felt oh so
ashamed. He did not look up, but he felt, he just _felt_, all the eyes
of all the little meadow people and forest folk burning right into him.
So he hung his head and two great tears fell splash, right at his feet.
You see Mr. Rabbit wasn't altogether bad. It was just this dreadful
curiosity.

"Old Mother Nature knew this and down in her heart she loved Mr. Rabbit
and was oh so sorry for him.

"'Mr. Rabbit,' continued old Mother Nature, 'because your curiosity is
so great, your ears shall be made long, that every one who sees you may
know that it is not safe to talk when you are near. Because you are a
sneak and steal up to people unseen, your-hind legs shall be made long,
so that whenever you sit up straight you will be tall and every one can
see you, and whenever you run, you will go with great jumps, and every
one will know who it is running away. And because you are shiftless
and your house leaks, you will hereafter live in a hole in the ground.'

"Then old Mother Nature took Mr. Rabbit by his two ears and big, strong
Mr. North Wind took Peter Rabbit by his hind legs, and they both
pulled. And when they put hi