Peter Rabbit shook his head.  “I don’t believe that, Danny,” said he.  “His terrible voice has frightened you so that you just think him as bad as he sounds.  Why, Old Man Coyote is a friend of mine.”

Then he told Danny how Old Man Coyote had done him a good turn In the Old Pasture in return for a good turn Peter had once done him, and how he said that he always paid his debts.

Danny Meadow Mouse looked doubtful.  “What else did he say?” he demanded.  “Nothing, excepting that we were even now,” replied Peter.

“Ha!” said Danny Meadow Mouse.

The way he said it made Peter turn to look at him sharply.

“Ha!” said Danny again.  “If you are even, why you don’t owe him anything, and he doesn’t owe you anything.  Watch out, Peter Rabbit!  Watch out!  I would stick pretty close to the Old Briar-patch with Mrs. Peter if I were you.  I would indeed.  You used to think old Granny Fox pretty smart, but Old Man Coyote is smarter.  Yes, Sir, he is smarter!  And every one of the rest of us has got to be smarter than ever before to keep out of his clutches.  Watch out, Peter Rabbit, if you and Old Man Coyote are even.  Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll curl up in my old hiding-place for the night.  I really don’t dare go back home to-night.”

Of course Peter told Danny Meadow Mouse that he was welcome to spend the night in the Old Briar-patch, and thanked Danny for his warning as he bade him good-night.  But Peter never carries his troubles with him for long, and by the time he had rejoined little Mrs. Peter he was very much inclined to laugh at Danny’s fear.

“What did that funny little Meadow Mouse have to say?” asked Mrs. Peter.

Peter told her and then added, “But I don’t believe we have anything to fear from Old Man Coyote.  You know he is my friend.”

“But I don’t know that he is mine!” replied little Mrs. Peter, and the way she said it made Peter look at her anxiously.  “I believe Danny Meadow Mouse is right,” she continued, “Oh, Peter, you will watch out, won’t you?”

And Peter promised her that he would.

CHAPTER XXV

PETER RABBIT’S HEEDLESSNESS

  Heedlessness is just the twin
   of thoughtlessness, you know,
 And where you find them both at once,
   there trouble’s sure to grow. 
                                   Peter Rabbit.

Peter Rabbit didn’t mean to be heedless.  No, indeed!  Oh, my, no!  Peter thought so much of Mrs. Peter, he meant to be so thoughtful that she never would have a thing to worry about.  But Peter was heedless.  He always was heedless.  This is the worst of a bad habit—­you can try to let go of it, but it won’t let go of you.

So it was with Peter.  He had been heedless so long that now he actually didn’t know when he was heedless.