d see Jenny Wren. She would be sure to know. Instead,
he exclaimed, "How do you do, Mrs. Redwing? I'm ever so glad to see you.
I was wondering where you were. Where did you come from?"

"Straight from my home," replied Mrs. Redwing demurely. "And if I do say
it, it is the best home we've ever had."

Redwing chuckled. He was full of chuckles. You see, he had noticed how
eagerly Peter was looking everywhere.

"This much I will tell you, Peter," said Redwing; "our nest is somewhere
in these bulrushes, and if you can find it we won't say a word, even if
you don't keep the secret."

Then Redwing chuckled again and Mrs. Redwing chuckled with him. You see,
they knew that Peter doesn't like water, and that nest was hidden in
a certain clump of brown, broken-down rushes, with water all around.
Suddenly Redwing flew up in the air with a harsh cry. "Run, Peter! Run!"
he screamed. "Here comes Reddy Fox!"

Peter didn't wait for a second warning. He knew by the sound of
Redwing's voice that Redwing wasn't joking. There was just one place
of safety, and that was an old hole of Grandfather Chuck's between
the roots of the Big Hickory-tree. Peter didn't waste any time getting
there, and he was none too soon, for Reddy was so close at his heels
that he pulled some white hairs out of Peter's tail as Peter plunged
headfirst down that hole. It was a lucky thing for Peter that that hole
was too small for Reddy to follow and the roots prevented Reddy from
digging it any bigger.

For a long time Peter sat in Grandfather Chuck's old house, wondering
how soon it would be safe for him to come out. For a while he heard Mr.
and Mrs. Redwing scolding sharply, and by this he knew that Reddy Fox
was still about. By and by they stopped scolding, and a few minutes
later he heard Redwing's happy song. "That means," thought Peter, "that
Reddy Fox has gone away, but I think I'll sit here a while longer to
make sure."

Now Peter was sitting right under the Big Hickory-tree. After a while he
began to hear faint little sounds, little taps, and scratching sounds as
of claws. They seemed to come from right over his head, but he knew that
there was no one in that hole but himself. He couldn't understand it at
all.

Finally Peter decided it would be safe to peek outside. Very carefully
he poked his head out. Just as he did so, a little chip struck him right
on the nose. Peter pulled his head back hurriedly and stared at the
little chip which lay just in