and caught a tadpole.

"'Um-m, they are good!' exclaimed Mr. Heron, and once more settled
himself to watch and wait.

"That was a sad day for the Frog family, but a great day for Mr. Heron
when he discovered that tadpoles were good to eat." Grandfather Frog
sighed mournfully. "Yes," he continued, "that was a great day for Mr.
Heron. He had discovered that he could gain more by patient waiting
than by frantic hunting, and he had found that his long neck really was
a blessing. After that, whenever he was hungry, he would stand perfectly
still beside some little pool where foolish young fish or careless
tadpoles were at play and wait patiently until they came within reach.

"One day he was startled into an attempt to fly by hearing the stealthy
footsteps of Mr. Fox behind him. His head was drawn back on his
shoulders at the time, and he was so excited that he forgot to
straighten it out. Just imagine how surprised he was, and how surprised
Mr. Fox was, when he sailed away in beautiful flight, his long legs
trailing behind him. With his neck carried that way, he could fly as
well as any one. From that day on, no one laughed at Mr. Heron because
of his long legs and long neck. Mr. Heron himself became proud of them.
You see, he had learned how to use what he had been given. Also he had
learned the value of patience. So he was happy and envied no one. But he
still liked best to keep by himself and became known as the lone
fisherman, just as Longlegs is to-day. Chug-a-rum! Isn't that Longlegs
coming this way this very minute? This is no place for me!"

With a great splash Grandfather Frog dived into the Smiling Pool.

[Illustration: "His legs were so long, and his neck was so long that all
his neighbors laughed at him." _Page_ 210.]

XVI

HOW TUFTY THE LYNX HAPPENS TO HAVE A STUMP OF A TAIL

XVI

HOW TUFTY THE LYNX HAPPENS TO HAVE A STUMP OF A TAIL

In all his life Peter Rabbit had seen Tufty the Lynx but once, but that
once was enough. Tufty, you know, lives in the Great Woods. But once,
when the winter was very cold, he had ventured down into the Green
Forest, hoping that it would be easier to get a living there. It was
then that Peter had seen him. In fact, Peter had had the narrowest of
escapes, and the very memory of it made him shiver. He never would
forget that great, gray, skulking form that slipped like a s