to get back."

"Did you pass a pleasant winter down South?" asked Peter.

"Fairly so. Fairly so," replied Kitty. "By the way, Peter, I picked up
some new songs down there. Would you like to hear them?"

"Of course," replied Peter, "but I don't think you need any new songs.
I've never seen such a fellow for picking up other people's songs
excepting Mocker the Mockingbird."

At the mention of Mocker a little cloud crossed Kitty's face for just an
instant. "There's a fellow I really envy," said he. "I'm pretty good at
imitating others, but Mocker is better. I'm hoping that, if I practice
enough, some day I can be as good. I saw a lot of him in the South and
he certainly is clever."

"Huh! You don't need to envy him," retorted Peter. "You are some
imitator yourself. How about those new notes you got when you were in
the South?"

Kitty's face cleared, his throat swelled and he began to sing. It was a
regular medley. It didn't seem as if so many notes could come from one
throat. When it ended Peter had a question all ready.

"Are you going to build somewhere near here?" he asked.

"I certainly am," replied Kitty. "Mrs. Catbird was delayed a day or two.
I hope she'll get here to-day and then we'll get busy at once. I think
we shall build in these bushes here somewhere. I'm glad Farmer Brown has
sense enough to let them grow. They are just the kind of a place I like
for a nest. They are near enough to Farmer Brown's garden, and the Old
Orchard is right here. That's just the kind of a combination that suits
me."

Peter looked somewhat uncertain. "Why do you want to be near Farmer
Brown's garden?" he asked.

"Because that is where I will get a good part of my living," Kitty
responded promptly. "He ought to be glad to have me about. Once in a
while I take a little fruit, but I pay for it ten times over by the
number of bugs and worms I get in his garden and the Old Orchard. I
pride myself on being useful. There's nothing like being useful in this
world, Peter."

Peter nodded as if he quite agreed. Though, as you know and I know,
Peter himself does very little except fill his own big stomach.

CHAPTER XXVIII. Peter Sees Rosebreast and Finds Redcoat.

"Who's that?" Peter Rabbit pricked up his long ears and stared up at the
tops of the trees of the Old Orchard.

Instantly Jenny Wren popped her head out of her doorway. She cocked her
head on one side to listen, then looked down at Peter, and her sharp
little eyes