Peter Rabbit had gone away. Danny
Meadow Mouse couldn't sleep at all. Round and round through the Old
Briar-patch he limped, and finally sat down at the edge of it to
wait and watch. At last, just as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun sent his
first long rays of light across the Green Meadows, Danny saw
something crawling towards the Old Briar-patch. He rubbed his eyes
and looked again. It was--no, it couldn't be--yes, it _was_ Peter
Rabbit! But what was the matter with him? Always before Peter had
come home lipperty-lipperty-lipperty-lip, but now he was crawling,
actually _crawling_! Danny Meadow Mouse didn't know what to make of
it.

Nearer and nearer came Peter. Something was following him. No, Peter
was dragging something after him. At last Peter started to crawl
along one of his little private paths into the Old Briar-patch. The
thing dragging behind caught in the brambles, and Peter fell
headlong in the snow, too tired and worn out to move. Then Danny saw
what the trouble was. A wire was fast to one of Peter's long hind
legs, and to the other end of the wire was fastened part of a stake.
Peter had been caught in a snare! Danny hurried over to Peter and
tears stood in his eyes.

"Poor Peter Rabbit! Oh, I'm so sorry, Peter!" he whispered.

CHAPTER XVIII

_Danny Meadow Mouse Returns a Kindness_

There Peter Rabbit lay. He had dragged that piece of stake a long
way, a very long way, indeed. But now he could drag it no farther,
for it had caught in the bramble bushes. So Peter just dropped on
the snow and cried. Yes, sir, he cried! You see he was so tired and
worn out and frightened, and his leg was so stiff and sore and hurt
him so! And then it was so dreadful to actually get home and be
stopped right on your very own doorstep. So Peter just lay there and
cried. Just supposing old Granny Fox should come poking around and
find Peter caught that way! All she would have to do would be to get
hold of that hateful stake caught in the bramble bushes and pull
Peter out where she could get him. Do you wonder that Peter cried?

By and by he became aware that someone was wiping away his tears. It
was Danny Meadow Mouse. And Danny was singing in a funny little
voice. Pretty soon Peter stopped crying and listened, and this is
what he heard:

"Isn't any use to cry!
Not a bit! Not a bit!
Wipe your eyes and wipe 'em dry!
Use your wit! Use your wit!
Just remember that to-morrow
Never brings a single sorro