uthland where
they spend the winter. But the story that Peter likes best is the one
about where and how the Quack family got their funny, webbed feet. Mr.
Quack doesn't think those feet funny at all, but Peter does. He never
grows tired of watching Mr. and Mrs. Quack use them, because, you know,
they are used so differently from other feet. And always he goes back to
the dear Old Briar-patch with renewed admiration for the wisdom of Old
Mother Nature.

Peter noticed those feet the first time he met Mr. and Mrs. Quack. He
couldn't help but notice them. It happened that Mr. and Mrs. Quack were
out on the bank of the Smiling Pool as Peter came hurrying over in his
usual way, lipperty-lipperty-lip. They heard him coming and not knowing
at first who it was they at once started for the water. Peter never will
forget the funny way in which they waddled. He never had seen anybody
quite so awkward. But when they reached the water he forgot to laugh. He
simply stared open-mouthed in astonishment. You see there they were as
graceful as they had been awkward on land. Afterward, when Peter had
become acquainted with them and they were the best of friends, he
ventured to speak of their queer feet.

"Do you know," said he, "you have the most interesting feet of anybody I
know of. They are so broad that the first time I saw them I couldn't
believe my own eyes. I didn't suppose anybody had such broad feet. I
suppose there is some special reason why they are so broad and why your
legs are so short. Do you know how Mother Nature happened to give you
feet so different from the feet of other birds, Mr. Quack?"

Mr. Quack chuckled. "I tell you what it is, Peter," said he, "if you'll
tell me why it is you have such long hind legs and such a funny short
tail, I'll tell you why it is that Mrs. Quack and I have such broad
feet, though I must confess that I don't see anything odd about them."

Peter agreed at once. He told Mr. and Mrs. Quack all about what happened
to his grandfather a thousand times removed, the very first Rabbit, way
back when the world was young, and how ever since then all Rabbits have
had long hind legs and short tails. When he had finished Mr. Quack
thoughtfully scratched his handsome green head, looked at his reflection
in the Smiling Pool to make sure that he was looking his very best,
looked behind to see that the feathers in the tip of his tail had the
proper curl, and then gazed off over the Green Meadows with a far