The day after Reddy Fox visited the Old Briar-patch and with his wonderful nose found out Peter Rabbit’s secret, Blacky just happened to fly over the Old Briar-patch on his way to Farmer Brown’s cornfield.  Now, being over the Old Briar-patch, he could look right down into it and see all through it.  Just as he reached it, he remembered having heard Sammy Jay say something about gossipy little Jenny Wren’s having said that there was great news there.  He hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but now that he was right there, he might as well have a look for himself and see if there was any truth in it.

So Blacky the Crow flew a little lower, and his sharp eyes looked this way and that way through all the bramble-bushes of the Old Briar-patch.  He saw Peter Rabbit right away and winked at him.  He thought Peter looked worried and anxious.

“Peter must have something on his mind,” thought Blacky.  “I wonder where Mrs. Peter is.”

Just then he caught sight of her under the thickest growing sweet-briar bush.  He had opened his mouth to shout, “Hello, Mrs. Peter,” when he saw something that surprised him so that he didn’t speak at all.  He almost forgot to flap his wings to keep himself in the air.  He hovered right where he was for a few minutes, looking down through the brambles.  Then with a hoarse chuckle, he started for the Smiling Pool, forgetting all about Farmer Brown’s cornfield.  “Caw, caw, caw!” he shrieked, “Peter Rabbit’s got a family!  Peter Rabbit’s got a family!”

Reddy Fox heard him and ground his teeth.  “Now Old Man Coyote will know and will try to catch those young Rabbits, when they ought to be mine because I found out about them first,” he grumbled.

Jimmy Skunk heard Blacky and grinned broadly.  “So that’s the great news Jenny Wren found out!” said he.  “I hope Peter will take better care of his babies than he ever has of himself.  I must call at once.”

Redtail the Hawk heard, and he smiled too, but it wasn’t a kindly smile like Jimmy Skunk’s.  “I think young Rabbit will taste very good for a change,” said he.

CHAPTER XXXII

PETER RABBIT’S NURSERY

 With home, the home you call your own,
   It really doesn’t matter where,
 There is no place, in all the world,
   That ever will or can compare. 
                                Peter Rabbit.

The news was out at last, thanks to Blacky the Crow.  Peter Rabbit had a family!  Yes, Sir, Peter Rabbit had a family!  Right away the Old Briar-patch became the most interesting place on the Green Meadows to all the little people who live there and in the near-by Green Forest.  Of course all of Peter’s friends called as soon as ever they could.  They found Peter looking very proud, and very important, and very happy.  Mrs. Peter looked just as proud, and just as happy, but she also looked very anxious.  You see, while she was very glad to have so many friends call, there were also other visitors.  That is, they were not exactly callers, but they hung around the outside of the Old Briar-patch, and they seemed quite as much interested as the friends who really called.  Indeed, they seemed more interested.