nds among the busy
little Warblers who were making the Old Orchard such a lively place that
morning.

"There's one thing about it," cried Peter. "Any one can tell Zee Zee the
Redstart by his black and flame colored suit. There is no other like
it. And any one can tell Sunshine the Yellow Warbler because there isn't
anybody else who seems to be all yellow. My, what a lively, lovely lot
these Warblers are!"

CHAPTER XXV. Three Cousins Quite Unlike.

As Peter Rabbit passed one of the apple-trees in the Old Orchard, a
thin, wiry voice hailed him. "It's a wonder you wouldn't at least say
you're glad to see me back, Peter Rabbit," said the voice.

Peter, who had been hopping along rather fast, stopped abruptly to
look up. Running along a limb just over his head, now on top and now
underneath, was a little bird with a black and white striped coat and a
white waistcoat. Just as Peter looked it flew down to near the base of
the tree and began to run straight up the trunk, picking things from
the bark here and there as it ran. Its way of going up that tree
trunk reminded Peter of one of his winter friends, Seep Seep the Brown
Creeper.

"It strikes me that this is a mighty poor welcome for one who has just
come all the way from South America," said the little black and white
bird with twinkling eyes.

"Oh, Creeper, I didn't know you were here!" cried Peter. "You know I'm
glad to see you. I'm just as glad as glad can be. You are such a quiet
fellow I'm afraid I shouldn't have seen you at all if you hadn't spoken.
You know it's always been hard work for me to believe that you are
really and truly a Warbler."

"Why so?" demanded Creeper the Black and White Warbler, for that is
the name by which he is commonly known. "Why so? Don't I look like a
Warbler?"

"Ye-es," said Peter slowly. "You do look like one but you don't act like
one."

"In what way don't I act like one I should like to know?" demanded
Creeper.

"Well," replied Peter, "all the rest of the Warblers are the uneasiest
folks I know of. They can't seem to keep still a minute. They are
everlastingly flitting about this way and that way and the other way. I
actually get tired watching them. But you are not a bit that way.
Then the way you run up tree trunks and along the limbs isn't a bit
Warbler-like. Why don't you flit and dart about as the others do?"

Creeper's bright eyes sparkled.

"I don't have to," said he. "I'm going to let you into a little secre