CHAPTER XXIV

DANNY MEADOW MOUSE WARNS PETER RABBIT

Good advice Is always needed But, alas! is seldom heeded, Peter Rabbit.

Danny Meadow Mouse waited until all the rest of Peter Rabbit's friends had left the Old Briar-patch after paying their respects to Peter and Mrs. Peter, He waited for two reasons, did Danny Meadow Mouse. In the first place, he had seen old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox hanging about a little way off, and though they had disappeared after a while, Danny had an idea that they were not far away, but were hiding so that they might catch him on his way home. Of course, he hadn't the slightest intention of giving them the chance. He had made up his mind to ask Peter if he might spend the night in a corner of the Old Briar-patch, and he was very sure that Peter would say he might, for he and Peter are very good friends, very good friends indeed.

The second good reason Danny had for waiting was this very friendship. You see, Peter had been away from the Green Meadows so long that Danny felt sure he couldn't know all about how things were there now, and so he wanted to warn Peter that the Green Meadows were not nearly as safe as before Old Man Coyote had come there to live. So Danny waited, and when all the rest of the callers had left he called Peter to one side where little Mrs. Peter couldn't hear. Danny stood up on his hind legs so as to whisper in one of Peter's ears. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What was the first reason Danny waited?
2. Where did Peter Rabbit reside?
3. Had he seen Granny and Reddy Fox nearby?
4. Did he believe they were still nearby?
5. What did he think they were doing?
6. What did he decide not to do?
7. How would he accomplish that?
8. Did he think he probably could?
9. Why
10. Why was Danny at Peter's?
11. Of what?
12. Anything else?
13. What?
14. What did he wait for?
15. Why were the callers there?
16. To who?
17. What did he do when the callers were gone?
18. Who didn't he want to hear them?
19. How did Danny stand?
20. Why?
Answer: 1. Granny Fox and Reddy Fox were hiding so that they might catch him.
2. The Old Briar-patch.
3. Yes.
4. Yes.
5. Hiding.
6. Giving them a chance.
7. Spend the night in the Old Briar-patch.
8. Yes.
9. He and Peter are very good friends.
10. He wanted to warn Peter.
11. Green Meadows were not nearly as safe as before.
12. Yes.
13. Old Man Coyote had come there to live.
14. All the rest of the callers to leave.
15. Paying their respects.
16. Peter and Mrs. Peter.
17. Called Peter to one side.
18. Mrs. Peter.
19. On his hind legs.
20. To whisper in one of Peter's ears.

It was a hot summer day. My dad and I were getting ready to go out for a ride on the boat. Just then the phone call came, the call changed that sunny and beautiful day into a cold and dark one. When I saw my father answering the phone, he was crying. I'd never seen my dad cry before. My heart sank. What possibly could happen? "Max, I'm so sorry," I heard him say. That's when it hit me. I knew that Suzie had died. Max has been my dad's best friend for years. Suzie, his daughter, had a serious illness. She knew she was different from other kids. Although she couldn't live a normal life, she was still happy. When Suzie and I were little girls, we spent quite a bit of time together. When Suzie was ten, she had to live in a hospital. About eight months before she died, we talked at least twice a week on the phone until the end. Suzie was always so excited to talk to me and wanted to know everything I did and every thing I ate. When Suzie and I first started calling each other, I thought _ would be more of a burden on me, but I was completely wrong. I learned so much from her. She gave me more than I could ever give her. I will never forget her or the talks we had. I now know that I must never take anything for granted, especially my health and the gift of life. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What were the child and father getting ready to do?
2. When?
3. Was it a god day?
4. Why not?
5. How did he find out?
6. from who?
7. Who was he?
8. What happened to Suzie?
9. Was she sad?
10. Were the two girls friends?
11. What did they do before she died?
12. about what?
13. Did Suzie enjoy this?
14. Did you?
15. Did they know each other for long?
16. since when?
17. What happened when she was 10?
18. Did the dad cry when he heard tghe news?
19. Did they go for a boat ride?
20. How was the weather that day?
Answer: 1. go out for a ride on the boat
2. a hot summer day
3. no
4. Suzie had died
5. a phone call
6. Max
7. my dad's best friend for years
8. She had a serious illness
9. no
10. yes
11. they talked at least twice a week on the phone until the end
12. everything I did and every thing I ate
13. yes
14. yes
15. yes
16. since they were little girls
17. she had to live in a hospital
18. yes
19. no
20. sunny and beautiful

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

A NIGHT JOURNEY.

"And he must post, without delay, Along the bridge and through the dale. And by the church and o'er the down." _Wordsworth_.

John Hewlett had finished his day's work, and come home in the dusk of an October evening. He found the house hung all over with the family linen, taken in to shelter from a shower; but not before it had become damp enough to need to be put by the fire before it could be ironed or folded. His mother was moaning over it, and there was no place to sit down. He did not wonder that Jem had taken his hunch of bread and gone away with it, nor that his father was not at home; but he took off his boots at the back door, as his aunt never liked his coming into her room in them--though they were nothing to what he would have worn had he worked in the fields--and then climbed up the stairs.

Judith was sitting up in bed, with her teapot, tea-cup, and a piece of stale loaf, laid out on a tray before her; and little Judy beside her, drinking out of a cracked mug. Judith's eyes had a strange look of fright in them, but there was an air of relief when she saw Johnnie.

"Well, aunt, is that all you have got for tea?"

"Poor mother has been hindered; but never mind that," returned Judith, in a quick, agitated tone. "Judy, my dear, drink up your tea and run down to help mother, there's a dear." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. How did John find the house?
2. what had to happen to the linens?
3. Why?
4. What time of day was it?
5. where was he coming from?
6. in what month?
7. who was moaning?
8. could she sit?
9. Where was Judith?
10. with what?
11. was the dad home?
12. Who may have stolen his bread?
13. Where did he take off his shoe?
14. Why?
15. What was his aunts name?
16. Who was injured and stalled?
17. Who should drink fast?
18. How did Judith's eyes look?
19. Was she ever relaxed?
20. When?
Answer:
1. hung all over
2. be put by the fire
3. it become damp
4. dusk
5. work
6. October
7. His mother
8. No
9. in bed
10. her teapot, tea-cup, and a piece of stale loaf
11. No
12. Jem
13. the back door,
14. his aunt never liked his coming into her room in them
15. Judith
16. mother
17. Judy
18. they had a look of fright
19. Yes
20. she saw Johnnie