CHAPTER III

LIGHTFOOT TELLS HOW HIS ANTLERS GREW

It is hard to believe what seems impossible. And yet what seems impossible to you may be a very commonplace matter to some one else. So it does not do to say that a thing cannot be possible just because you cannot understand how it can be. Peter Rabbit wanted to believe what Lightfoot the Deer had just told him, but somehow he couldn't. If he had seen those antlers growing, it would have been another matter. But he hadn't seen Lightfoot since the very last of winter, and then Lightfoot had worn just such handsome antlers as he now had. So Peter really couldn't be blamed for not being able to believe that those old ones had been lost and in their place new ones had grown in just the few months of spring and summer.

But Peter didn't blame Lightfoot in the least, because he had told Peter that he didn't like to tell things to people who wouldn't believe what he told them when Peter had asked him about the rags hanging to his antlers. "I'm trying to believe it," he said, quite humbly.

"It's all true," broke in another voice.

Peter jumped and turned to find his big cousin, Jumper the Hare. Unseen and unheard, he had stolen up and had overheard what Peter and Lightfoot had said.

"How do you know it is true?" snapped Peter a little crossly, for Jumper had startled him.

"Because I saw Lightfoot's old antlers after they had fallen off, and I often saw Lightfoot while his new ones were growing," retorted Jumper.

Answer this series of questions:

1. What had been hanging from Lightfoot's antlers?
2. What kind of animal was Peter?
3. What kind of animal was Jumper?
4. Were they related?
5. How?
6. What kind of animal was Lightfoot?
7. When did Peter last see him?
8. Did Lightfoot say he lost something?
9. What?
10. Did he say he got new ones?
11. Was Peter able to believe Lightfoot's story?
12. Who was able to believe it?
13. What's one of the reasons that Jumper does?
14. What's another reason ?
15. Was Jumper big?
16. Had he been eavesdropping?
17. Why was Peter snappish with him?
18. Did Peter want to believe Lightfoot?
19. Did Lightfoot like to tell everybody things they might not believe?
20. What did Peter say to Lightfoot about it?
1. rags
2. a rabbit
3. a hare
4. yes
5. they were cousinss
6. a deer
7. since the last winter
8. yes
9. his antlers
10. yes
11. no
12. Jumper the Hare
13. because he saw Lightfoot's old antlers after they had fallen off
14. and he often saw Lightfoot while his new ones were growing
15. yes
16. yes
17. Jumper had startled him
18. yes
19. no
20. "I'm trying to believe it,"