along that way with nothing
special on his mind. Mr. and Mrs. Skunk were having a little family
talk, and Mr. Skunk was speaking some loud. Mr. Rabbit stopped. Then
Mr. Rabbit grinned and sat right down on that bed of snow under Mr.
Skunk's window, where he could hear every word.

"Mr. Rabbit had been a-sitting there some time, listening to things
that were none of his business, when he happened to look up. There was
Old Mother Nature coming through the woods. She hadn't seen him yet,
and Mr. Rabbit didn't mean that she should. Off he ran as fast as he
could through the brown leaves, chuckling to himself. But Mr. Rabbit
had forgotten to brush off the seat of his pants, and of course they
were all white with snow.

"Old Mother Nature's eyes are sharp, and so of course she saw the
white spot bobbing through the bushes, saw it right away. Mr. Rabbit
had to stop and tell what he had been doing to get the seat of his
pants all white with snow, and he told the truth, for it's of no use
to tell anything else to Old Mother Nature. She looked very stern and
she opened her mouth to tell Mr. Rabbit what she thought of him, and
just then she had an idea. She just marched Mr. Rabbit off and sewed a
white patch on the seat of his pants. And after that, when Mr. Rabbit
tried to run away from the mischief he had got into, every one knew
who it was by the white patch on the seat of his pants.

"And from that day to this all of Mr. Rabbit's family have worn a
white patch, and that is why Peter wears one now, and whenever he
stops running, if it is only for a minute, sits down on it so that it
cannot be seen," concluded Grandfather Frog.

"Thank you! Thank you, Grandfather Frog!" cried the Merry Little
Breezes, and hurried to see who would be the first one to blow a big,
fat, foolish green fly within reach of Grandfather Frog's mouth.

THE ANIMALS' NEW YEAR'S EVE

Centuries ago, in Sweden, a dean was riding through the dense forest
on a New Year's Eve. He was on horseback, dressed in a fur coat and
cap. On the pommel of his saddle hung a satchel in which he carried
his book of prayers. He had been with a sick person who lived in a far
away forest settlement until late in the evening. Now he was on his
way home but he feared that he should not get back to his house until
after midnight.

The dean's horse was strong and sturdy, and quite as wise as a human
being. He could find his way home from any part of the forest. So th