Mrs Peter Rabbit | Page 5

made him squeal with pain.
[Illustration: HE DODGED AND JUMPED, AND ALL THE TIME
THE SHADOW FOLLOWED HIM.]
At last, when his breath was almost gone, he reached the edge of the
Old Pasture and dived under a friendly old bramble-bush.
"Oh," sobbed Peter, "I forgot all about Hooty the Owl! Besides, I didn't
suppose he ever came way up here."
CHAPTER V
IN THE OLD PASTURE
Brambles never scratch those who understand and are considerate of
them. Peter Rabbit.
Peter Rabbit sat under a friendly bramble-bush on the edge of the Old
Pasture and panted for breath, while his heart went pit-a-pat, pit-a- pat,
as if it would thump its way right through his sides. Peter had had a
terrible fright. There were long tears in his coat, and he smarted and
ached dreadfully where the cruel claws of Hooty the Owl had torn him.
And there he was in a strange place, not knowing which way to turn,
for you know he never had visited the Old Pasture before.
But Peter had had so many narrow escapes in his life that he had
learned not to worry over dangers that are past. Peter is what wise men
call a phi-los-o-pher. That is a big word, but its meaning is very simple.
A philosopher is one who believes that it is foolish to think about
things that have happened, except to learn some lesson from them, and
that the best thing to do is to make the most of the present. Peter had
learned his lesson. He was sure of that.
"I never, never will forget again to watch out for Hooty the Owl," said

he to himself, as he nursed his wounds, "and so perhaps it is a good
thing that he so nearly caught me this time. If he hadn't, I might have
forgotten all about him some time when he could catch me. I certainly
wouldn't have watched out for him way up here, for I didn't think he
ever came up to the Old Pasture. But now I know he does, Mr. Hooty'll
have to be smarter than he's ever been before to catch me napping again.
My, how I do smart and ache! I know now just how Danny Meadow
Mouse felt that time Hooty caught him and dropped him into the Old
Briar-patch. Ouch! Well, as my mother used to say:
'Yesterday has gone away; Make the most of just to-day.'
Here I am up in the Old Pasture, and the question is, what shall I do
next?"
Peter felt a queer little thrill as he peeped out from under the friendly
bramble-bush. Very strange and wonderful it seemed. Of course he
couldn't see very far, because the Old Pasture was all overgrown with
bushes and briars, and they made the very blackest of black shadows in
the moonlight. Peter wondered what dangers might be awaiting him
there, but somehow he didn't feel much afraid. No, Sir, he didn't feel
much afraid. You see those briars looked good to him, for briars are
always friendly to Peter and unfriendly to those who would do harm to
Peter. So when he saw them, he felt almost at home.
Peter drew a long breath. Then he cried "Ouch!" You see, he had
forgotten for a minute how sore he was. He was eager to explore this
new wonderland, for Sammy Jay had told him wonderful tales about it,
and he knew that here old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox had found safety
when Farmer Brown's boy had hunted for them so hard on the Green
Meadows and in the Green Forest. He felt sure that there must be the
most splendid hiding- places, and it seemed as if he certainly must start
right out to see them, for you know Peter is very, very curious. But the
first move he made brought another "Ouch" from him, and he made up
a wry face.
"I guess the best thing for me to do is to stay right where I am," said he,
"for here I am safe under this friendly old bramble."

So with a sigh Peter settled down to make himself as comfortable as he
could, and once, as far, far away on the Green Meadows he heard the
voice of Old Man Coyote, Peter even smiled.
"I haven't anything to fear from him, anyway, for he'll never think of
coming way up here," said he.
CHAPTER VI
PETER RABBIT IS STILL LONESOME
A sympathetic word or two A wond'rous help is, when you're blue. So
pity him who sits alone His aches and troubles to bemoan. Peter Rabbit.
All the rest of that night Peter sat under a friendly old bramble-bush on
the edge of the Old Pasture and nursed the sore places made by the