ut he was stronger than either, could run farther and faster
than either, and had quite as wonderful a nose as either.

"With Mr. Wolf, as with all the other animals, life was an easy matter
at first. There was plenty to eat, and everybody was on good terms with
everybody else. But there came a time, as you know, when food became
scarce. It was then that the big learned to hunt the small, and fear was
born into the world. Mr. Wolf was swift of leg and keen of nose. His
teeth were long and sharp, and he was so strong that there were few he
feared to fight with. In fact, he didn't know fear at all, for he simply
kept out of the way of those who were too big and strong for him to
fight.

"Most people like to do the things they know they can do well. Mr. Wolf
early learned the joy of hunting. I can't understand it myself. Can
you?"

Peter shook his head. You see neither Jumper nor Peter ever have hunted
any one in all their lives. It is always they who are hunted.

"Perhaps it was because he was so strong of wind and leg that he enjoyed
running, and because he was so keen of nose that he enjoyed following a
trail. Anyway, he scorned to spend his time sneaking about as did his
cousin, Mr. Coyote, but chose to follow the swiftest runners and to
match his nose and speed and skill against their speed and wits. He
didn't bother to hunt little people like us when there were big people
like Mr. Deer. The longer and harder the hunt, the more Mr. Wolf seemed
to enjoy it.

"At first he hunted silently, running swiftly with his nose to the
ground. But this gave the ones he hunted very little chance; he was upon
them before they even suspected that he was on their trail. It always
made Mr. Wolf feel mean. He never could hold his head and his tail up
after that kind of a hunt. He felt so like a sneak that he just had to
put his tail between his legs for very shame. There was nothing to be
proud about in such a hunt.

"One night he sat thinking about it. Gentle Mistress Moon looked down at
him through the tree-tops, and something inside him urged him to tell
her his troubles. He pointed his sharp nose up at her, opened his mouth
and, because she was so far away, did his best to make her hear. That
was the very first Wolf howl ever heard. There was something very lonely
and shivery and terrible in the sound, and all who heard it shook with
fear. Mr. Wolf didn't know this, but he did know that he felt better for
howling. So every ni