nnie Green remembered why his father had sent him down to the
duck pond. And he ran forward, all ready to shoot.

But Peter Mink had vanished. He had heard Johnnie running; and that was
enough to send him skipping away.

Peter was disappointed, because he lost his breakfast. And Johnnie Green
was disappointed, because he lost Peter.

In fact, of all those present, the ducks seemed to be the only ones that
were really contented. They had a fine swim. And when night came, not
one of them was missing.

HOW TO BE LUCKY

There was one thing that Peter Mink couldn't understand. No matter how
hard he tried to get Jimmy Rabbit into trouble, Jimmy always managed to
escape. Peter wondered what the reason might be. And one day he said to
Jimmy:

"Why is it that you're always able to get out of a scrape?"

"Don't you know?" Jimmy Rabbit asked him. "I thought everybody knew
that.... _It's because I'm lucky_."

"Oh, I know that!" said Peter Mink. "What I'd like to know is what makes
you so lucky?"

"I supposed everybody knew that, too," Jimmy Rabbit answered. "_It's
because I have the left hind-foot of a rabbit._"

Peter Mink answered that he didn't see what that had to do with being
lucky.

"You ask anybody about it," Jimmy told him. "There's Mr. Crow, over on
the fence. Go and ask him why I'm lucky."

So Peter Mink went over to the fence where Mr. Crow was resting, and put
the question to him.

"Oh, ask me something hard!" Mr. Crow cried. "That's too easy. Everybody
knows that one."

For once Peter Mink remembered the word Jimmy Rabbit had taught him when
he was caught beneath the big log.

"Please!" he said. "I'd really like to know, Mr. Crow!"

"Left hind-foot!" Mr. Crow replied briefly. "It's a rabbit's, you know;
and there's nothing like 'em to bring luck."

That set Peter Mink to thinking. He couldn't help wishing that he might
have Jimmy's left hind-foot for himself. It ought to bring luck to him,
he thought, just as it did to Jimmy Rabbit.

After Peter Mink had thought the matter over for some time, he said to
Jimmy:

"I wish you'd come over to the creek with me. There's something there
that I want to show you. Of course, it's a long way off; and maybe your
mother wouldn't like to have you go so far from home."

"I'll come!" Jimmy Rabbit said quickly.

"Maybe you'd better ask your mother first," Peter suggested.

But Jimmy Rabbit shook his head.

"That wouldn't do any good," he replied.