ittle surprised. 'I wonder if Mr. Coyote has got a
brother with him,' thought he. A minute later Mr. Coyote howled again
from the place where he had howled in the first place. 'He certainly
has,' thought Mr. Lynx, 'but I'm a match for two of them,' and once
more he went on eating.

"Then Mr. Coyote began to run in a circle around Mr. Lynx, always
keeping out of sight in the thick brush, and every few steps he
yelped or howled, and each yelp or howl he tried to make sound
different. Now Mr. Coyote could run very fast, and he ran now as hard
as ever he could in a big circle, yelping and howling and making his
voice sound as different as possible each time. Mr. Lynx grew anxious
and lost his appetite. 'Mr. Coyote must have a whole crowd of
brothers,' thought he. 'I guess this is no place for me!' With that he
started to sneak away.

"Mr. Coyote followed him, still trying to make his voice sound like
the voices of many. Mr. Lynx gave a hurried look over his shoulder and
began to run. Mr. Coyote kept after him, yelping and howling, until he
was sure that Mr. Lynx was so frightened that he wouldn't dare come
back. Then Mr. Coyote returned to the dinner Mr. Lynx had left, and
ate and ate until he couldn't hold another mouthful. His throat was
very raw and sore because he had strained it trying to make his voice
change so often, but he didn't mind this, because, you know, it felt
so good to have all he could eat at one time once more.

"Now it just happened that Old Mother Nature had come along just in
time to see and hear Mr. Coyote, and it tickled her so to think that
Mr. Coyote had been so smart that what do you think she did? Why,
while he slept that night, she healed his sore throat, and she gave
him a new voice; and this voice was very wonderful, for it sounded for
all the world like many voices, all yelping and howling at the same
time. After that, all Mr. Coyote had to do when he wanted to frighten
some one bigger and stronger than himself was to open his mouth and
send forth his new voice, which sounded like many voices.

"So he had plenty to eat from that time on. And all his children and
his children's children had that same wonderful voice, just as Old Man
Coyote has now. Chug-a-rum! Now scamper home, Peter Rabbit, and see
that you don't let Old Man Coyote's sharp wits get you into trouble."

"Thank you, Grandfather Frog!" cried Peter and scampered as fast as he
could go for the dear, safe Old Briar-patch.