Mother West Winds Children | Page 8

the Green Meadows.

III
WHY PETER RABBIT'S EARS ARE LONG
The Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were tired. Ever
since she had turned them out of her big bag onto the Green Meadows
early that morning they had romped and played tag and chased
butterflies while Old Mother West Wind herself went to hunt for a
raincloud which had wandered away before it had watered the thirsty
little plants who were bravely trying to keep the Green Meadows lovely
and truly green. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun wore his broadest smile and
the more he smiled the warmer it grew. Mr. Sun is never thirsty himself,
never the least little bit, or perhaps he would have helped Old Mother
West Wind find the wandering raincloud.
The Merry Little Breezes threw themselves down on the edge of the
Smiling Pool, where the rushes grow tall, and there they took turns

rocking the cradle which held Mrs. Redwing's four babies.
Pretty soon one of the Merry Little Breezes, peeping through the rushes,
spied Peter Rabbit sitting up very straight on the edge of the Green
Meadows. His long ears were pointed straight up, his big eyes were
very wide open and he seemed to be looking and listening with a great
deal of curiosity.
"I wonder why it is that Peter Rabbit has such long ears," said the
Merry Little Breeze.
"Chug-a-rum!" replied a great, deep voice right behind him.
All the Merry Little Breezes jumped up and ran through the rushes to
the very edge of the Smiling Pool. There on a great green lily pad sat
Great-Grandfather Frog, his hands folded across his white and yellow
waistcoat and his green coat shining spick and span.
"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog.
"Oh, Grandfather Frog," cried the Merry Little Breezes all together, "do
tell us why it is that Peter Rabbit has such long ears."
Grandfather Frog cleared his throat. He looked to the east and cleared
his throat again. Then he looked to the west, and cleared his throat. He
looked north and he looked south, and each time he cleared his throat,
but said nothing. Finally he folded his hands once more over his white
and yellow waistcoat, and looking straight up at jolly, round, red Mr.
Sun he remarked in his very deepest Voice and to no one in particular:
"If I had four fat, foolish, green flies, it is just possible that I might
remember how it happens that Peter Rabbit has such long ears."
Then up jumped all the Merry Little Breezes and away they raced.
Some of them went east, some of them went west, some of them went
north, some of them went south, all looking for fat, foolish, green flies
for Grandfather Frog.

By and by they came skipping back, one by one, to the edge of the
Smiling Pool, each with a fat, foolish, green fly, and each stopping to
give Mrs. Redwing's cradle a gentle push.
When Grandfather Frog had swallowed all the fat, foolish, green flies
brought by the Merry Little Breezes, he settled himself comfortably on
his big lily pad once more and began:
"Once upon a time, very long ago, when the world was young, Mr.
Rabbit--not our Peter Rabbit, but his grandfather a thousand times
removed--had short ears like all the other meadow people, and also his
four legs were all of the same length, just exactly the same length.
"Now Mr. Rabbit had a great deal of curiosity, a very great deal, indeed.
He was forever pushing his prying little nose into other people's affairs,
which, you know, is a most unpleasant habit. In fact, Mr. Rabbit had
become a nuisance."
[Illustration: Mr. Rabbit had a great deal of curiosity, a very great deal,
indeed.]
"Whenever Billy Mink stopped to pass the time of day with Jerry
Muskrat they were sure to find Mr. Rabbit standing close by, listening
to all they said. If Johnny Chuck's mother ran over to have a few
minutes' chat with Jimmy Skunk's mother, the first thing they knew Mr.
Rabbit would be squatting down in the grass right behind them.
"The older he grew the worse Mr. Rabbit became. He would spend his
evenings going from house to house, tiptoeing softly up to the windows
to listen to what the folks inside were saying. And the more he heard
the more Mr. Rabbit's curiosity grew.
"Now, like most people who meddle in other folks' affairs, Mr. Rabbit
had no time to tend to his own business. His cabbage patch grew up to
weeds. His house leaked, his fences fell to pieces, and altogether his
was the worst looking place on the Green Meadows.
"Worse still, Mr. Rabbit was a trouble maker. He just couldn't keep his

tongue still. And like most