test tricks I ever heard of. I didn't think Peter had
it in him. It was rather hard on Jimmy Skunk, but it got rid of Reddy
Fox for a while. He won't dare show his face around here for a long
time. That means that Peter will have one less worry on his mind. Hello!
Here comes Jimmy Skunk. I'll ask him a few questions."

Jimmy came ambling along in his usual lazy manner. He had quite
recovered his good nature. He felt that he was more than even with Reddy
Fox, and as he was none the worse for his wild ride in the barrel, he
had quite forgotten that he had lost his temper.

"Hello, Jimmy. Have you seen Peter Rabbit this morning?" cried Sammy
Jay.

Jimmy looked up and grinned. "Yes," said he. "I saw him up here early
this morning. Why?"

"Did he see you go into that old barrel?" persisted Sammy.

"I don't know," confessed Jimmy. "He may have. What have you got on
your mind, Sammy Jay?"

"Nothing much, only Reddy Fox was chasing him when he ran against that
barrel and sent you rolling down the hill," replied Sammy.

Jimmy pricked up his ears. "Then Reddy didn't do it purposely!" he
exclaimed.

"No," replied Sammy. "He didn't do it purposely. I am quite sure that he
didn't know you were in it. But how about Peter Rabbit? I am wondering.
And I'm doing a little guessing, too."

VIII

JIMMY SKUNK LOOKS FOR PETER

Jimmy Skunk looked very hard at Sammy Jay. Sammy Jay looked very hard at
Jimmy Skunk. Then Sammy slowly shut one eye and as slowly opened it
again. It was a wink.

"You mean," said Jimmy Skunk, "that you guess that Peter Rabbit knew
that I was in that barrel, and that he jumped over it so as to make
Reddy Fox run against it. Is that it?"

Sammy Jay said nothing, but winked again. Jimmy grinned. Then he looked
thoughtful. "I wonder," said he slowly, "if Peter did it so as to gain
time to get away from Reddy Fox."

"I wonder," said Sammy Jay.

"And I wonder if he did it just to get Reddy into trouble," continued
Jimmy.

"I wonder," repeated Sammy Jay.

"And I wonder if he did it for a joke, a double joke on Reddy and
myself," Jimmy went on, scratching his head thoughtfully.

"I wonder," said Sammy Jay once more, and burst out laughing.

Now Jimmy Skunk has a very shrewd little head on his shoulders. "So that
is your guess, is it? Well, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you are
right," said he, nodding his head. "I think I will go look for Peter. I
think he needs a lesson. Jokes that put ot