see it clearly
Johnny Chuck Gets A Message
By Thornton W. Burgess
It was two days since Johnny Chuck had run away from home. He was beginning to get just a wee bit homesick. Jimmy Skunk's deserted old house on the hill where he had been living with Peter Rabbit was very nice and very comfortable for a "play house," but after all there is no place like home.
"Peter Rabbit," said Johnny Chuck, "I want to go home."
"Well, why don't you go?" asked Peter with a grin.
"Because I don't know the way. Won't you please take me home?"
Peter Rabbit sat up and looked across the Green Meadows. "I don't believe it's safe today." said Peter Rabbit. "I can see old Whitetail the Marsh Hawk sitting on a fence post way down there and I bet he's just looking for young Chuck and Rabbit for his dinner. Tell you what, let's have a good time today, and tomorrow I'll take you home. Let's have a game of leapfrog."
"All right," said Johnny Chuck, "if you'll promise to take me home the first thing tomorrow morning."
Peter Rabbit agreed and led the way to a nice smooth place where they could play. "Now you give me a back," said Peter Rabbit.
So Johnny Chuck bent over, put both hands on his knees and gave Peter Rabbit a back. Over sailed Peter Rabbit in a beautiful long jump and landed with a thump. Then a surprising thing happened. Peter Rabbit jumped to his feet clapped both hands to the seat of his trousers and began the maddest dance ever seen on the Green Meadows. "Oh! Oh! Oh!" shrieked Peter Rabbit.
Johnny Chuck stood and stared, for he didn't know what to make of it. Just then he felt a sharp pain on the tip of his funny black nose and then another in the calf of one leg.
"I'll teach you young rascals not to break in an honest man's house!" cried a sharp voice right in his hear. It was Mr. Yellow Jacket, the Hornet.
Peter RAbbit had landed right on the roof of Mr. Yellow Jacket's house and Mr. Yellow Jacket, who is very quick tempered, was giving them a taste of the sharp little lance he always carries with him. Johnny Chuck began to dance as madly as Peter Rabbit.
"Serves you right for running away from home," said a new voice. It was one of Old Mother West Wind's Merry Little Breezes. "Go put some mud on your nose and then you'll feel better."
Johnny Chuck hastened to find some mud and when he had put it on his wounds the smart ceased though they were still very sore.
"Now, Johnny Chuck, I've go a message for you" said the Merry Little Breeze. "Old Mrs. Chuck has sent me to tell you that now you are out in the world you can stay and that had better build a home for yourself."
Johnny Chuck sat down in dismay. "Pooh," said Peter Rabbit, who had just come up with the seat of his trousers plastered with mud. "You're big enough now to take care of yourself, Johnny Chuck. Tomorrow I'll help you find a place to build a new house if this one isn't good enough."