ed some of the
money. You and Mr. Woodchuck had better go back and see if you can find
any," he told Mr. Rabbit.

But Mr. Rabbit said that they could just as well all go back together
and search along the ground as they went.

"All right!" said Peter Mink. "Well leave these hatfuls right here for a
while."

But Mr. Rabbit said he didn't think that would be a safe thing to do. So
he picked up one hatful, and told Mr. Woodchuck to carry the other.

Peter Mink didn't like that at all. But there was nothing he could say.
So they all went back together to the place where the rest of the people
were still waiting. And they found no more money, either.

Mr. Rabbit jumped up on the stump where Peter had stood and talked.

"The question is," he said, "who is going to take charge of all this
money?"

"I am!" said Peter Mink.

But Mr. Rabbit said he didn't think that would be safe.

"You have no home, you know," he told Peter. "And you can't very well
carry the money about with you. I must have my hat back; and no doubt
Mr. Woodchuck will want his, too."

Mr. Woodchuck nodded his head. He certainly did want his hat. It was the
best one he had.

"I would suggest--" said Mr. Rabbit then--"I would suggest that I take
one hatful home with me, and that Mr. Woodchuck take the other to his
house. Then we'll each have our hats; and the money will be perfectly
safe."

"That's a good idea!" Peter Mink said. "The only trouble with it is that
it won't do at all. For you and Mr. Woodchuck don't know the poor boy.
So how could you ever give him the money?"

Everybody said that was so.

"This Peter Mink is certainly a bright young fellow," people told one
another.

Mr. Rabbit looked puzzled.

"What do _you_ suggest, then?" he asked Peter.

Peter Mink smiled. He seemed pleased, for one reason or another.

"This stump," he said, "is hollow. As you can all see, there's a small
hole in it. We can put the money in there and nobody can get it out. It
will be the same as in a bank."

Mr. Rabbit looked at the hole in the stump.

"I know _I_ can't get through that hole," he said. "But what about you,
young fellow?" he asked Peter.

"Oh, I can't squeeze through such a small hole as this," said Peter.
"See!" He pushed his nose part way through the hole. And there his head
seemed to stick. He could have squirmed through if he had really tried.
But nobody else seemed to know it.

"But how is the poor boy ever going to get his mo