“Say, Mr. Redwing, have you seen Old Mr. Toad?” called Peter Rabbit.

“No,” replied Mr. Redwing.  “Is that whom you fellows are looking for?  I wondered if you had lost something.  What do you want with Old Mr. Toad?”

Peter explained how they had followed Old Mr. Toad just to see what he really was up to.  “Of course we know that he hasn’t any more voice than I have,” declared Peter, “but we are curious to know if he really thinks he has, and why he should be in such a hurry to reach the Smiling Pool.  It looks to us as if the spring has made Old Mr. Toad crazy.”

“Oh, that’s it, is it?” replied Mr. Redwing, his bright eyes twinkling.  “Some people don’t know as much as they might.  I’ve been wondering where Old Mr. Toad was, and I’m ever so glad to learn that he hasn’t forgotten that he has a very important part in our beautiful spring chorus.”  Then once more Mr. Redwing began to sing.

IV

PETER RABBIT FINDS OLD MR. TOAD

It isn’t often that Peter Rabbit is truly envious, but sometimes in the joyousness of spring he is.  He envies the birds because they can pour out in beautiful song the joy that is in them.  The only way he can express his feelings is by kicking his long heels, jumping about, and such foolish things.  While that gives Peter a great deal of satisfaction, it doesn’t add to the joy of other people as do the songs of the birds, and you know to give joy to others is to add to your own joy.  So there are times when Peter wishes he could sing.

He was wishing this very thing now, as he sat on the bank of the Smiling Pool, listening to the great spring chorus.

  “Tra-la-la-lee!  Oka-chee!  Oka-chee! 
  There’s joy in the spring for you and for me.”

sang Redwing the Blackbird from the bulrushes.

From over in the Green Meadows rose the clear lilt of Carol the Meadow Lark, and among the alders just where the Laughing Brook ran into the Smiling Pool a flood of happiness was pouring from the throat of Little Friend the Song Sparrow.  Winsome Bluebird’s sweet, almost plaintive, whistle seemed to fairly float in the air, so that it was hard to say just where it did come from, and in the top of the Big Hickory-tree, Welcome Robin was singing as if his heart were bursting with joy.  Even Sammy Jay was adding a beautiful, bell-like note instead of his usual harsh scream.  As for the Smiling Pool, it seemed as if the very water itself sang, for a mighty chorus of clear piping voices from unseen singers rose from all around its banks.  Peter knew who those singers were, although look as he would he could see none of them.  They were hylas, the tiny cousins of Stickytoes the Tree Toad.

Listening to all these joyous voices, Peter forgot for a time what had brought him to the Smiling Pool.  But Jimmy Skunk and Unc’ Billy Possum didn’t forget.  They were still hunting for Old Mr. Toad.