his eyes popping out and his mouth wide
open with astonishment, Peter saw the great bird set its wings and sail
down into the little opening on the edge of which Peter was sitting. The
instant this great bird was on the ground, he stood as still as if he
were made of stone, his long neck stretched up. Only the shine of a pair
of the sharpest eyes Peter ever had seen showed that he was alive.

Peter held his breath, and it was so still that you could have heard a
leaf drop had you been there. When at last the stranger moved, it was
his head only. He turned it suddenly to the right and a moment later to
the left. It was plain that he was listening for suspicious sounds. All
the time his bright eyes searched the edge of the opening until Peter,
although he was well hidden, felt that he must be seen. At last,
satisfied that all was safe, the stranger drew in his neck and began to
walk about, pecking at the ground here and there and swallowing what he
picked up, though what it was Peter couldn't tell.

A sound seemed to catch the stranger's quick ears, for he stopped and
stared very hard at a little clump of brush. Peter stared at it too. At
first he saw nothing, but presently he saw a head poked out, and this
also was a stranger. Peter glanced at the big stranger in the opening,
and for a minute he wondered if it could be that something was wrong
with his eyes. Never had he seen such a change in anybody. This stranger
didn't look like the same bird at all. He was swelled up until Peter was
afraid he would burst. His tail was spread out like a great fan. His
head was laid back on his humped shoulders. His wings were dropped until
the stiffly spread feathers brushed the ground. His head and neck were
as red as blood, and there were no feathers on either. All the feathers
of his body were ruffed out so that the sun shone on them and made them
shimmer and shine in colors that seemed to constantly change.

Back and forth in front of the brush from which the other stranger was
peeping very shyly this great bird strutted. He would stand still so
that the sun would fall full on his shining coat and show it off to the
best advantage, and at the same time he would draw in a great deal of
air and then puff it out all at once. Then he would walk a few steps,
turn, drag his wings on the ground to make them rustle, wheel, and run
a few steps. Never had Peter seen such vanity, such conceit, such
imposing, puffed-up pride. He watched unti