Peter Rabbit Plays a Joke

One morning, big round Mr. Sun was climbing up the sky. Old Mother West Wind had sent all her Merry Little Breezes to play in the Green Meadows. And Johnny Chuck stepped out for a walk.

First he sat up very straight. He looked left. He looked right. He looked all around for Reddy Fox, because Reddy Fox liked to tease Johnny Chuck.

No Reddy Fox anywhere.

So Johnny Chuck trotted down the Lone Little Path into the wood. Mr. Sun was shining as bright as bright could be. Johnny Chuck was very, very fat, and he grew very, very warm. After a while he sat down on the end of a log under a big tree to rest.

THUMP!

Something hit Johnny Chuck right on the top of his round little head. He jumped straight up off that log.

"Hello, Johnny Chuck!" said a voice that seemed to come right out of the sky.

Johnny Chuck tipped his head way, way back and looked up. He was just in time to see Happy Jack Squirrel let go of a nut.

Down it came—

BONK!

Right on the tip of his funny black little nose.

"Oh!" said Johnny Chuck. And he tumbled right over backward off the log. But Johnny Chuck was so round and so fat and so roly-poly that it didn't hurt him one bit.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Happy Jack up in the tree.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Johnny Chuck, picking himself up.

Then they both laughed together. It was such a good joke.

"What are you laughing at?" asked a voice very close to Johnny Chuck.

He rolled over three times, he was so surprised. It was Peter Rabbit.

"What are you doing in my wood?" asked Peter Rabbit.

"I'm taking a walk," said Johnny Chuck.

"Good," said Peter Rabbit. "I'll come along too."

So off they went along the Lone Little Path through the wood. Peter Rabbit hopped along with great big jumps, because Peter's legs are long and meant for jumping. But Johnny Chuck couldn't keep up, though he tried very hard, because Johnny's legs are short.

Pretty soon Peter Rabbit came back, walking very softly. He leaned close and whispered in Johnny Chuck's ear.

"I've found something."

"What is it?" asked Johnny Chuck.

"I'll show you. But you must be very, very still. Not the least little bit of noise."

Johnny Chuck promised. He wanted so much to see what Peter Rabbit had found.

Peter Rabbit tiptoed down the Lone Little Path. His funny long ears pointed right up to the sky. Behind him tiptoed Johnny Chuck, wondering and wondering what it could be.

Pretty soon they came to a nice mossy green log lying right across the path.

Peter Rabbit stopped. He sat up very straight. He looked this way. He looked that way.

Johnny Chuck stopped too. He sat up very straight. He looked this way. He looked that way. But all he could see was the mossy green log.

"What is it, Peter Rabbit?" whispered Johnny Chuck.

"You can't see it yet," whispered Peter Rabbit. "First we have to jump over that log. I'll jump first. Then you jump just the way I do. Then you'll see what I've found."

So Peter Rabbit jumped first. Because his legs are long and meant for jumping, he sailed way, way over the mossy green log. Then he turned around and sat up to watch.

Johnny Chuck tried to jump very high and very far, just like Peter Rabbit. But Johnny Chuck's legs are very short. And Johnny Chuck is not meant for jumping. And Johnny Chuck was very, very fat.

He stubbed his toes on the top of the mossy green log.

Over he tumbled — head first —

WHUMPH!

He landed with a great big thump right on Reddy Fox, who was lying fast asleep on the other side of the log.

Peter Rabbit laughed and laughed until he had to hold his sides.

But Johnny Chuck — oh, Johnny Chuck's eyes went wide. He saw exactly what he had landed on. Before he could even get to his feet, he rolled right behind a little bush. And there he lay. Very, very still.

Reddy Fox woke up with a grunt. The first thing he saw was Peter Rabbit laughing and holding his sides. Reddy Fox didn't stop to look around. He thought Peter Rabbit had jumped on him.

Up jumped Reddy Fox.

Away ran Peter Rabbit.

Away went Reddy Fox after Peter Rabbit! Peter dodged behind trees. He leaped over bushes. He ran this way and that way, fast as ever he could. Reddy Fox followed him behind the trees and over the bushes, this way and that way — but he could not catch Peter Rabbit.

Pretty soon Peter Rabbit came to the house of Jimmy Skunk. He knew Jimmy Skunk was over in the pasture. So he popped right in. He was safe! The door of Jimmy Skunk's house was too small for Reddy Fox to squeeze through.

Reddy Fox sat down and waited.

Peter Rabbit did not come out.

After a while Reddy Fox gave up and trotted off home.

All this time Johnny Chuck had sat very still behind his little bush, watching everything. He saw Peter Rabbit pop into Jimmy Skunk's house. He saw Reddy Fox trot away.

Johnny Chuck stood up. He brushed his little coat very clean. And he trotted back up the Lone Little Path through the wood, out to his own dear little path through the Green Meadows, where the Merry Little Breezes were still playing.

And soon Johnny Chuck was safe in his own snug little house once more.