“‘A home like that would suit me,’ thought Grandfather Seek-Seek wistfully, as he journeyed on.  ’I wonder if I could dig one.  I believe I’ll try.’

“So when he found a place to suit him he began to dig.  There were no stones to hurt his feet and dull his nails, and he actually enjoyed digging.  So he dug and dug until he had a wonderful underground home.  All about were plenty of seeds and tender grasses to eat, and he was happy.  He had found his place in the Great World.  Then one day along came Old Mother Nature.  ‘Hello, Mr. Chipmunk,’ she exclaimed, as she caught sight of his striped coat, ‘what are you doing way out here?’

“Then she discovered her mistake.  ‘Dear me,’ said she, ’this will never do at all.  If I can’t tell my own children apart, how can I expect others to?  Your coat is altogether too much like that of Mr. Chipmunk.  I must change it.  I certainly must change it.’

“She leaned over and lightly tapped Seek-Seek right down the length of the broadest brown stripe of his coat.  Wherever her finger touched a little spot of yellow was left.  Then she did the same thing to each of the other brown stripes.  When she had finished Grandfather Seek-Seek had a coat exactly like the one I am now wearing, and his cup of happiness was filled to the brim.  From that day on he never was mistaken for Mr. Chipmunk or any one else.  That’s the story of my coat, and now I must get busy collecting seeds for my storehouse,” concluded Seek-Seek.  “Come and see me again, Peter Rabbit.”

“I will,” replied Peter, as he started for the dear Old Briar-patch to tell Mrs. Peter all about Seek-Seek and his pretty coat.

XIII

WHERE OLD MR. OSPREY LEARNED TO FISH

Peter Rabbit had seen a very strange thing.  It was strange to Peter, anyway.  It gave him something to think about, and this, I am sure you will agree, was a most excellent thing, for it kept him out of mischief for a while.  He had been over to the Smiling Pool for a call on Jerry Muskrat and had just started back for the dear Old Briar-patch when he chanced to look over in the direction of the Big River.  Coming straight towards him, but high in the air, was a big bird, a bird with broad wings.  Peter didn’t have to look twice to know that it was a member of the Hawk family.  At first he thought it was Redtail.  Then he caught a flash of white, and he thought it was Whitetail the Marsh Hawk, in spite of the fact that it didn’t fly like him.  Peter didn’t stop to think of that.  It was enough for him that a member of the Hawk family was headed that way, and he didn’t care a twitch of his funny little tail which member it was.  He felt that the stomach of one was quite as undesirable a place for Peter Rabbit as the stomach of another, and he had no intention of filling any if he could help it.