ggs. You gave me a dreadful start."

Peter was puzzled. He showed it as he stared down at Mrs. Teeter just in
front of him. "I don't see any nest or eggs or anything," said he rather
testily.

Mrs. Teeter stood up and stepped aside. Then Peter saw right in a little
hollow in the sand, with just a few bits of grass for a lining, four
white eggs with big dark blotches on them. They looked so much like the
surrounding pebbles that he never would have seen them in the world
but for Mrs. Teeter. Peter hastily backed away a few steps. Mrs. Teeter
slipped back on the eggs and settled herself comfortably. It suddenly
struck Peter that if he hadn't seen her do it, he wouldn't have known
she was there. You see she looked so much like her surroundings that he
never would have noticed her at all.

"My!" he exclaimed. "I certainly would have stepped on those eggs if you
hadn't warned me," said he. "I'm so thankful I didn't. I don't see how
you dare lay them in the open like this."

Mrs. Teeter chuckled softly. "It's the safest place in the world,
Peter," said she. "They look so much like these pebbles around here
that no one sees them. The only time they are in danger is when somebody
comes along, as you did, and is likely to step on them without seeing
them. But that doesn't happen often."

CHAPTER X. Redwing and Yellow Wing.

Peter had come over to the Smiling Pool especially to pay his respects
to Redwing the Blackbird, so as soon as he could, without being
impolite, he left Mrs. Teeter sitting on her eggs, and Teeter himself
bobbing and bowing in the friendliest way, and hurried over to where
the bulrushes grow. In the very top of the Big Hickory-tree, a little
farther along on the bank of the Smiling Pool, sat some one who at that
distance appeared to be dressed all in black. He was singing as if
there were nothing but joy in all the great world. "Quong-ka-reee!
Quong-ka-reee! Quong-ka-reee!" he sang. Peter would have known from this
song alone that it was Redwing the Blackbird, for there is no other song
quite like it.

As soon as Peter appeared in sight Redwing left his high perch and flew
down to light among the broken-down bulrushes. As he flew, Peter saw the
beautiful red patch on the bend of each wing, from which Redwing gets
his name. "No one could ever mistake him for anybody else," thought
Peter, "For there isn't anybody else with such beautiful shoulder
patches."

"What's the news, Peter Rabbit?" cried R