weeds, he got a glimpse of Black Pussy, the cat from
Farmer Brown's house. She had been creeping up in the hope of catching
one of those happy little seedeaters. Peter stamped angrily. Then
with long jumps he started for the dear Old Briar-patch,
lipperty-lipperty-lip, for truth to tell, big as he was, he was a little
afraid of Black Pussy.

CHAPTER XLI. More Friends Come With the Snow.

Slaty the Junco had been quite right in thinking it was going to snow
some more. Rough Brother North Find hurried up one big cloud after
another, and late that afternoon the white feathery flakes came drifting
down out of the sky.

Peter Rabbit sat tight in the dear Old Briar-patch. In fact Peter did no
moving about that night, but remained squatting just inside the entrance
to an old hole Johnny Chuck's grandfather had dug long ago in the middle
of the clear Old Briar-patch. Some time before morning the snow stopped
falling and then rough Brother North Wind worked as hard to blow away
the clouds as he had done to bring them.

When jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun began his daily climb up in the blue,
blue sky he looked down on a world of white. It seemed as if every
little snowflake twinkled back at every little sunbeam. It was all very
lovely, and Peter Rabbit rejoiced as he scampered forth in quest of his
breakfast.

He started first for the weedy field where the day before he had found
Dotty the Tree Sparrow and Slaty the Junco. They were there before him,
having the very best time ever was as they picked seeds from the tops of
the weeds which showed above the snow. Almost at once Peter discovered
that they were not the only seekers for seeds. Walking about on the
snow, and quite as busy seeking seeds as were Dotty and Slaty, was a
bird very near their size the top of whose head, neck and back were a
soft rusty-brown. There was some black on his wings, but the latter
were mostly white and the outer tail feathers were white. His breast and
under parts were white. It was Snowflake the Snow Bunting in his winter
suit. Peter knew him instantly. There was no mistaking him, for, as
Peter well knew, there is no other bird of his size and shape who is so
largely white. He had appeared so unexpectedly that it almost seemed as
if he must have come out of the snow clouds just as had the snow itself.
Peter had his usual question ready.

"Are you going to spend the winter here, Snowflake?" he cried.

Snowflake was so busy getting his b