k of something to
do. At last he thought of the stake to which that hateful wire
was fastened. The stake was of wood, and Peter's teeth would cut
wood. Peter's heart gave a great leap of hope, and he began at
once to dig away the snow from around the stake, and then settled
himself to gnaw the stake in two.

Peter had been hard at work on the stake a long time and had it a
little more than half cut through, when he heard a loud sniff
down at the other end of the orchard. He looked up to see--whom
do you think? Why, Bowser the Hound! He hadn't seen Peter yet,
but he had already found Peter's tracks, and it would be but a
few minutes before he found Peter himself.

Poor Peter Rabbit! There wasn't time to finish cutting off the
stake. What could he do? He made a frightened jump just as he had
when he first felt the wire tugging at his leg. Just as before,
he was thrown flat on his face. He scrambled to his feet and
jumped again, only to be thrown just as before. Just then Bowser
the Hound saw him and opening his mouth sent forth a great roar.
Peter made one more frantic jump. Snap! The stake had broken!
Peter pitched forward on his head, turned a somersault, and
scrambled to his feet. He was free at last! That is, he could
run, but after him dragged a piece of the stake.

How Peter did run! It was hard work, for you know he had to drag
that piece of stake after him. But he did it, and just in time he
crawled into the old stone wall on one side of the orchard, while
Bowser the Hound barked his disappointment to the moon.

XVI

Peter Rabbit's Hard Journey

Peter Rabbit sat in the old stone wall along one side of Farmer
Brown's orchard, waiting for Mrs. Moon to put out her light and
leave the world in darkness until jolly, round, red Mr. Sun
should kick off his rosy bed-clothes and begin his daily climb up
in the blue, blue sky. In the winter, Mr. Sun is a late sleeper,
and Peter knew that there would be two or three hours after Mrs.
Moon put out her light when it would be quite dark. And Peter
also knew that by this time Hooty the Owl would probably have
caught his dinner. So would old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox. Bowser
the Hound would be too sleepy to be on the watch. It would be the
very safest time for Peter to try to get to his home in the dear
Old Briar-patch.

So Peter waited and waited. Twice Bowser the Hound, who had
chased him into the old wall, came ove