e and--tumbled heels over head into the water!

Poor Peter Rabbit! He gave himself up for lost this time. He could swim,
but at best he is a poor swimmer and doesn't like the water. He couldn't
dive and keep out of sight like Jerry Muskrat or Billy Mink. All he
could do was to paddle as fast as his legs would go. The water had gone
up his nose and down his throat so that he choked, and all the time he
felt sure that Bowser the Hound would plunge in after him and catch him.
And if he shouldn't, why Farmer Brown's Boy would simply wait for him to
come ashore and then catch him.

But Farmer Brown's boy didn't do anything of the kind. No, Sir, he
didn't. Instead he shouted to Bowser and called him away. Bowser didn't
want to come, but he long ago learned to obey, and very slowly he walked
over to where his master was sitting.

"You know it wouldn't be fair, old fellow, to try to catch Peter now. It
wouldn't be fair at all, and we never want to do anything unfair, do
we?" said he. Perhaps Bowser didn't agree, but he wagged his tail as if
he did, and sat down beside his master to watch Peter swim.

It seemed to Peter as if he never, never would reach the shore,
though really it was only a very little distance that he had to
swim. When he did scramble out, he was a sorry looking Rabbit.
He didn't waste any time, but started for home as fast as he could
go, lipperty--lipperty--lip. And Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the
Hound just laughed and didn't try to catch him at all.

"Well, I never!" exclaimed Sammy Jay, who had seen it all from the
top of a pine-tree. "Well, I never! I guess Farmer Brown's boy isn't
so bad, after all."

[Illustration]

IX

PADDY PLANS A HOUSE

Paddy the Beaver sat on his dam, and his eyes shone with happiness as he
looked out over the shining water of the pond he had made. All around
the edge of it grew the tall trees of the Green Forest. It was very
beautiful and very still and very lonesome. That is, it would have
seemed lonesome to almost any one but Paddy the Beaver. But Paddy never
is lonesome. You see, he finds company in the trees and flowers and all
the little plants.

It was still, very, very still. Over on one side was a beautiful rosy
glow in the water. It was the reflection from jolly, round, red Mr. Sun.
Paddy couldn't see him because of the tall trees, but he knew exactly
what Mr. Sun was doing. He was going to bed behind the Purple Hills.
Pretty soon the little stars