s sitting on the edge of it anxiously watching for
him. Peter crawled up and started to creep in along one of his
little private paths. He got in himself, but the dragging stake
caught among the brambles, and Peter just fell down in the snow
right where he was, too tired and worn out to move.
[Illustration]
XVII
Danny Meadow Mouse Becomes Worried
Danny Meadow Mouse limped around through the dear Old
Briar-patch, where he had lived with Peter Rabbit ever since he
had squirmed out of the claws of Hooty the Owl and dropped there,
right at the feet of Peter Rabbit. Danny limped because he was
still lame and sore from Hooty's terrible claws, but he didn't
let himself think much about that, because he was so thankful to
be alive at all. So he limped around in the Old Briar-patch,
picking up seed which had fallen on the snow, and sometimes
pulling down a few of the red berries which cling all winter to
the wild rose bushes. The seeds in these were very nice indeed,
and Danny always felt especially good after a meal of them.
Danny Meadow Mouse had grown very fond of Peter Rabbit, for Peter
had been very, very good to him. Danny felt that he never, never
could repay all of Peter's kindness. It had been very good of
Peter to offer to share the Old Briar-patch with Danny because
Danny was so far from his own home that it would not be safe for
him to try to get back there. But Peter had done more than that.
He had taken care of Danny, such good care, during the first few
days after Danny's escape from Hooty the Owl. He had brought good
things to eat while Danny was too weak and sore to get things for
himself. Oh, Peter had been very good indeed to him!
But now, as Danny limped around, he was not happy. No, Sir, he
was not happy. The truth is, Danny Meadow Mouse was worried. It
was a different kind of worry from any he had known before. You
see, for the first time in his life, Danny was worrying about
someone else. He was worrying about Peter Rabbit. Peter had been
gone from the Old Briar-patch a whole night and a whole day. He
often was gone all night, but never all day too. Danny was sure
that something had happened to Peter. He thought of how he had
begged Peter not to go up to Farmer Brown's young peach orchard.
He had felt in his bones that it was not safe, that something
dreadful would happen to Peter. How Peter had laughed at him and
bravely started off! Why hadn
|