If she
had heard Mrs. Quack say that, I never would have heard the last
of it. I wish there was something we could do for Mrs. Quack. I'm
going back to the dear Old Briar-patch to think it over, and I guess
the sooner I start the better, for that looks to me like Reddy Fox
over there, and he's headed this way."
So off for home started Peter, lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as
he could go, and all the way there he was turning over in his mind
what Mrs. Quack had told him and trying to think of some way to
help her.
XIII
PETER TELLS ABOUT MRS. QUACK
To get things done, if you'll but try, You'll always find there
is a way. What you yourself can't do alone The chances
are another may.
When Peter Rabbit was once more safely back in the dear Old Briar-patch,
he told Mrs. Peter all about poor Mrs. Quack and her troubles. Then
for a long, long time he sat in a brown study. A brown study, you
know, is sitting perfectly still and thinking very hard. That was
what Peter did. He sat so still that if you had happened along,
you probably would have thought him asleep. But he wasn't asleep.
No, indeed! He was just thinking and thinking. He was trying to
think of some way to help Mrs. Quack. At last he gave a little sigh
of disappointment.
[Illustration with caption: "Just tuck that fact away in that empty
head of yours and never say can't."]
"It can't be done," said he. "There isn't any way."
"What can't be done?" demanded a voice right over his head.
Pages:
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47