Toad stopped laughing and hopped a step nearer. "It's a joke,"
said he, and slowly winked one eye.
"I don't see any joke," said Prickly Porky, and his voice was very
fretful.
Mr. Toad hopped a step nearer. "Are you going to Peter Rabbit's
party?"
"Of course I am. What a foolish question," replied Prickly Porky.
"To be sure, a very foolish question, a very foolish question,
indeed," assented Mr. Toad. "Do you know that Sammy Jay and Blacky the
Crow and Reddy Fox and Shadow the Weasel, who have not been invited,
are planning to break up the party and then gobble up all the good
things to eat?" he continued.
Prickly Porky laid down his bundle of tender young bark and stared at
old Mr. Toad, "How do you know?" he demanded.
Old Mr. Toad chuckled deep down in his throat. "I was underneath a
piece of bark on which Sammy Jay was sitting when the plan was made.
Of course he didn't know I was there, and of course I didn't tell
him."
"Of course not," interrupted Prickly Porky, beginning to grin.
"Of course not," continued Mr. Toad, grinning, too. Then he told
Prickly Porky all about the plan he had overheard, how Reddy Fox and
Shadow the Weasel and Blacky the Crow were to hide near Unc' Billy
Possum's hollow tree, and how Sammy Jay was to frighten away everybody
else by pretending that Bowser the Hound was coming.
"Have you told Peter Rabbit?" asked Prickly Porky.
Pages:
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32