“Right!” replied Grandfather Frog.  “And now you know why Miner the Mole lives under ground—­because he is perfectly happy and satisfied there.”

Just then up came Peter Rabbit, all out of breath.

“Has Grandfather Frog been telling a story?” he panted.

“Yes,” replied Striped Chipmunk, winking at Grandfather Frog, “and now we are going back home perfectly happy and satisfied.”

And to this day Peter Rabbit wonders what the story was that he missed.

X

WHY MR. SNAKE CANNOT WINK

Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck were playing tag on the Green Meadows.  Of course Peter can run so much faster than Johnny Chuck that he would never have been “it” if he had tried his best to keep out of the way.  But he didn’t.  No, Sir, Peter Rabbit didn’t do anything of the kind.  He pretended that one of his long hind-legs was lame so that he had to run on three legs, while Johnny Chuck could use all four.  It was great fun.  They raced and dodged and twisted and turned.  Sometimes Peter was so excited that he would forget and 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.