nd use all four legs. Then Johnny
Chuck would shout "No fair!" Peter would say that he didn't mean to,
and to make up for it would be "it" and try to catch Johnny.

Now it happened that curled up on a little grassy tussock, taking an
early morning sun-bath, lay little Mr. Greensnake. Of course Peter
Rabbit and Johnny Chuck were not afraid of him. If it had been Mr.
Rattlesnake or Mr. Gophersnake, it would have been different. But from
little Mr. Greensnake there was nothing to fear, and sometimes, just
for fun, Peter would jump right over him. When he did that, Peter
always winked good-naturedly. But Mr. Greensnake never winked back.
Instead he would raise his head, run his tongue out at Peter, and hiss
in what he tried to make a very fierce and angry manner. Then Peter
would laugh and wink at him again. But never once did Mr. Greensnake
wink back.

[Illustration: He would make no reply, save to run out his tongue at
them.]

Peter was thinking of this as he and Johnny Chuck stretched out in a
sunny spot to get their breath and rest. He had never thought of it
before, but now that he had noticed it, he couldn't remember that he
ever had seen little Mr. Greensnake wink, nor any of Mr. Greensnake's
relatives. He mentioned the matter to Johnny Chuck.

"That's so," replied Johnny thoughtfully. "I never have seen any of
them wink, either. Do you suppose they can wink?"

"Let's go ask Mr. Greensnake," said Peter.

Up they hopped and raced over to the grassy tussock where Mr.
Greensnake lay, but to all their questions he would make no reply save
to run out his tongue at them. Finally they gave up asking him.

"I tell you what, let's go over to the Smiling Pool and ask
Grandfather Frog. He'll be sure to know, and perhaps, if he is feeling
good, he'll tell us a story," said Peter.

So off they scampered to the Smiling Pool. There they found
Grandfather Frog sitting on his big green lily-pad just as usual, and
Peter knew by the look in his great, goggly eyes that Grandfather Frog
had a good breakfast of foolish green flies tucked away inside his
white and yellow waistcoat. His eyes twinkled as Peter and Johnny very
politely wished him good morning.

"Good morning," said he gruffly.

But Peter had seen that twinkle in his eyes and knew that Grandfather
Frog was feeling good-natured in spite of his gruff greeting.

"If you please, Grandfather Frog, why doesn't Mr. Greensnake wink at
us when we wink at him?" he asked.