Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories

row escape, a very narrow escape, for Reddy Fox had sprung out from behind a bush as Peter came down the Lone Little Path, and had so nearly caught Peter that he had actually pulled som

of tearing his handsome red coat on the b

ou yet!" snarled Reddy, as he gave up

Fox is

ox is v

spry, 'tis

sly and s

nd showed all his teeth, but Peter only laughed, an

e said, with a long sigh, for you know Pet

on that Reddy Fox has to wear his. A good heart and ho

ert, little Jenny Wren fussing arou

Peter. "Why does Re

ught everybody knew that! You certainly are slow, Peter Rabbit. I haven't time to tell you about it now. G

Reddy Fox wears a red coat. He had never thought anything about it before, but now he couldn't get it out of his head. He just had to know. So, making sure that Reddy Fox had disappeare

hy does Reddy Fox wear a red coat?"

y. "Don't you know that it is very impolite t

" said Peter very humbly. "Will you tell me if I

w Peter looked so truly sorry, and at the same time there was such a look of disa

keep coming down here and pestering me to death. Besides, any one who has to keep such a sharp watch for Reddy Fox as you do ough

imself comfortably to listen. And this

gh not to appear smart, and the fact is his neighbors thought him rather dull. He wore just a common, everyday suit of dull brown, like most of the others, and there wasn't anything about him to attract attention. He was always

looked very hard at Peter after he sai

t seeming to be just minding his own business, he was listening and listening to all that was said. Everything he heard he remembered, so that it wasn't long before he knew more about what was going on than all his ne

came out and started to hunt for his breakfast, some one was sure to tell him of mischief done during the darkness of the night. Sometimes it was a storehouse broken into, and the best things taken. Sometimes it was of terrible frights that some of the littlest people had received by being wakened

sprang upon her as she was sleeping, and in the struggle she lost all her tail feathers. She hurried to tell Old Mother Nature all about it, and big tears rolled down her cheeks as she told how she had lost all her beautiful tail feath

h for Old Mother Nature. You see, she knew that Mrs. Quack's home was right at the foot of a red claybank. She didn't say a word until everybody had paid their respects and passed before

, from now on never trust the one who wears a

e first chance he got, he went to Old Mother Nature and begged her to give him back his old coat. She promised that she would when his heart changed, and he changed his ways. But his heart never did change, and his children and his children's c

"I-I think hereafter I'll be quite content with my own suit, even if it isn't handso