y. "I've business
to attend to at the Smiling Pool, and I'm late as it is."

"Business!" exclaimed Jimmy as if he could hardly believe his ears. "What
business have you at the Smiling Pool?"

"That is my own affair," retorted Old Mr. Toad, "but if you really want to
know, I'll tell you. I have a very important part in the spring chorus, and
I'm going down there to sing. I have a very beautiful voice."

That was too much for Jimmy Skunk. He just lay down and rolled over and
over with laughter. The idea of any one so homely, almost ugly-looking, as
Mr. Toad thinking that he had a beautiful voice! "Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!"
roared Jimmy.

When at last he stopped because he couldn't laugh any more, he discovered
that Old Mr. Toad was on his way again. Hop, hop, hipperty-hop, hop, hop,
hipperty-hop went Mr. Toad. Jimmy watched him, and he confessed that he was
puzzled.

II

JIMMY SKUNK CONSULTS HIS FRIENDS

Jimmy Skunk scratched his head thoughtfully as he watched Old Mr. Toad go
down the Lone Little Path, hop, hop, hipperty-hop, towards the Smiling
Pool. He certainly was puzzled, was Jimmy Skunk. If Old Mr. Toad had told
him that he could fly, Jimmy would not have been more surprised, or found
it harder to believe than that Old Mr. Toad had a beautiful voice. The
truth is, Jimmy didn't believe it. He thought that Old Mr. Toad was trying
to fool him.

Presently Peter Rabbit came along. He found Jimmy Skunk sitting in a brown
study. He had quite forgotten to look for fat beetles, and when he
forgets to do that you may make up your mind that Jimmy is doing some hard
thinking.

"Hello, old Striped-coat, what have you got on your mind this fine
morning?" cried Peter Rabbit.

"Him," said Jimmy simply, pointing down the Lone Little Path.

Peter looked. "Do you mean Old Mr. Toad!" he asked.

Jimmy nodded. "Do you see anything queer about him?" he asked in his turn.

[Illustration: "Do you see anything queer about him?" he asked.]

Peter stared down the Lone Little Path. "No," he replied, "except that he
seems in a great hurry."

"That's just it," Jimmy returned promptly. "Did you ever see him hurry
unless he was frightened?"

Peter confessed that he never had.

"Well, he isn't frightened now, yet just look at him go," retorted Jimmy.
"Says he has got a beautiful voice, and that he has to take part in the
spring chorus at the Smiling Pool and that he is late."

Peter looked very hard at Jimmy to see if