"I've got to see Reddy for myself before I'll go a step nearer,
he whispered. Just then Johnny Chuck put a hand on his lips and
pointed with the other hand. There was Reddy Fox crawling out of
his doorway into the sun. Peter Rabbit leaned forward to see
better. Was Reddy Fox really so badly hurt, or was he only
pretending?
Reddy Fox crawled painfully out onto his doorstep. He tried to
stand and walk, but he couldn't because he was too stiff and
sore. So he just crawled. He didn't know that anyone was watching
him, and with every movement he made a face. That was because it
hurt so.
Peter Rabbit, watching from the clump of bushes, knew then that
Reddy was not pretending. He knew that he had nothing, not the
least little thing, to fear from Reddy Fox. So Peter gave a whoop
of joy and sprang out into view.
Reddy looked up and tried to grin, but made a face of pain
instead. You see, it hurt so to move.
"I suppose you're tickled to death to see me like this," he
growled to Peter Rabbit.
Now Peter had every reason to be glad, for Reddy Fox had tried
his best to catch Peter Rabbit to give to old Granny Fox for her
dinner, and time and again Peter had just barely escaped. So at
first Peter Rabbit had whooped with joy. But as he saw how very
helpless Reddy really was and how much pain he felt, suddenly
Peter Rabbit's big, soft eyes filled with tears of pity.
He forgot all about the threats of Reddy Fox and how Reddy had
tried to trick him.
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