“Mr. Osprey looked down at little Mr. Sparrow and blinked at him in a puzzled way.  ’What has Old Mother Nature given me that you would be happy to have?’ he asked.

“‘Fishhooks!’ replied little Mr. Sparrow, pointing to Mr. Osprey’s great claws, ’the finest fishhooks in the world.  You don’t hear Billy Mink or Little Joe Otter or Mr. Heron complaining about hard times.  Why?  Because they don’t know what hard times are.  There are plenty of fish to be caught, and when they are hungry they go fishing.  Fish are very filling and satisfying, I’ve heard say.  When I flew across the Smiling Pool a little while ago, I saw a fat fish taking a sun-bath right close to the top of the water.  Seemed like he was just waiting for some one with hooks to come along and snatch him right out of the water.’

“‘Where’d you say that fish was?’ asked Mr. Osprey.

“‘If you’ll let me go, I’ll show you,’ replied little Mr. Sparrow.

“So Mr. Osprey let little Mr. Sparrow go, but he followed him right close.  Mr. Sparrow led the way straight to the Smiling Pool.  Sure enough, there was the big fish taking a sun-bath.  Mr. Osprey hardly wet his feet putting those big hooks into that fish.  He flew away with it, and presently he was rid of that emptiness in his stomach and had back his peace of mind.  After that, whenever he was hungry, he went fishing instead of hunting the birds and the animals.  By practice he learned how to use those big fishhooks of his and became one of the smartest of all fishermen.  He and little Mr. Sparrow became great friends, in fact, such friends that when Mr. Osprey built a great nest, little Mr. Sparrow built his right in the side of it, and there he was perfectly safe from others who might be hunting him.  And it’s been just that way ever since.  If you wore scales instead of fur, and lived in the water instead of on the land, Peter Rabbit, you would have reason to fear Plunger the Osprey, but as it is, you are safer when he is about than when he isn’t.  There comes old Redtail the Hawk.  You’d better get out of sight, Peter.”

Peter did.

XIV

WHERE OLD MR. BOB-CAT LEFT HIS HONOR

Of all those who are forever trying to catch Peter Rabbit, he fears none more than Yowler the Bob-cat.  And from that fear has grown hate.  You will find it true all through life that hate often springs from great fear.  Peter isn’t much given to hate, but he does hate Yowler the Bob-cat.  It is partly because of his fear of Yowler, but it is still more because he feels that Yowler is not fair in his hunting.  He has no honor.  There are many others whom Peter fears,—­Reddy Fox, Old Man Coyote, Hooty the Owl,—­and with very good reason.  But Peter considers that these hunt him fairly.  He knows when and where to be on the watch for them.

But with Yowler it is altogether different.  Yowler hides beside one of Peter’s favorite little paths, and there he waits patiently for unsuspecting Peter to come along.  He waits and watches much as Black Pussy, who is a cousin of Yowler, waits and watches at a mousehole.  Peter feels that it doesn’t give him a chance, and everybody is entitled to at least a chance to live.