't he come home?

As he limped around, Danny talked to himself:

"_Why cannot people be content
With all the good things that are sent,
And mind their own affairs at home
Instead of going forth to roam?_"

It was now the second night since 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 toward 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.

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 sing