IV
WHY REDDY FOX WEARS RED
Peter Rabbit sat in the middle of the dear Old Briar-patch makingfaces and laughing at Reddy Fox. Of course that wasn't a nice thing todo, not a bit nice. But Peter had just had a narrow escape, a verynarrow escape, for Reddy Fox had sprung out from behind a bush asPeter came down the Lone Little Path, and had so nearly caught Peterthat he had actually pulled some fur out of Peter's coat. Now Peterwas safe in the dear Old Briar-patch. He was a little out of breath,because he had had to use his long legs as fast as he knew how, but hewas safe. You see, Reddy Fox wouldn't run the risk of tearing hishandsome red coat on the brambles. Besides, they scratched terribly.
"Never mind, Peter Rabbit, I'll get you yet!" snarled Reddy, as hegave up and started back for the Green Forest.
"Reddy Fox is very sly! Reddy Fox is very spry! But sly and spry, 'tis vain to try To be as sly and spry as I."
When Peter Rabbit shouted this, Reddy looked back and showed all histeeth, but Peter only laughed, and Reddy trotted on. Peter watched himout of sight.
"My! I wish I had such a handsome coat," he said, with a long sigh,for you know Peter's coat is very plain, very plain, indeed.
"You wouldn't, if you had to wear it for the same reason that ReddyFox has to wear his. A good heart and honest ways are better thanfine clothes, Peter Rabbit."
Peter looked up. There was saucy, pert, little Jenny Wren fussingaround in one of the old bramble bushes.
"Hello, Jenny!" said Peter. "Why does Reddy wear a red coat?"
"Do you mean to say that you don't know?" Jenny Wren looked very hardat Peter with her sharp eyes. "I thought everybody knew that! Youcertainly are slow, Peter Rabbit. I haven't time to tell you about itnow. Go ask Grandfather Frog; he knows all about it." Jenny Wrenbustled off before Peter could find his tongue.
Now, you all know how full of curiosity Peter Rabbit is. Jenny Wren'sbusy tongue had set that curiosity fairly boiling over. He justcouldn't sit still for wondering and wondering why Reddy Fox wears ared coat. He had never thought anything about it before, but now hecouldn't get it out of his head. He just _had_ to know. So, makingsure that Reddy Fox had disappeared in the Green Forest, Peter startedfor the Smiling Pool, lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as he could go.There he found Grandfather Frog setting on his big green lily-pad,just as usual.
"If you please, Grandfather Frog, why does Reddy Fox wear a red coat?"panted Peter, quite out of breath.
"Chug-a-rum!" grunted Grandfather Frog crossly. "Don't you know thatit is very impolite to disturb people when they are having a nap?"
"I--I'm very sorry. Indeed I am, Grandfather Frog," said Peter veryhumbly. "Will you tell me if I come again some time when you are notso sleepy?"
Now, like everybody else, Grandfather Frog is rather fond of PeterRabbit, and now Peter looked so truly sorry, and at the same timethere was such a look of disappointment in Peter's eyes, thatGrandfather Frog forgot all about his crossness.
"Chug-a-rum!" said he. "You and your questions are a nuisance, PeterRabbit, and I may as well get rid of you now as to have you keepcoming down here and pestering me to death. Besides, any one who hasto keep such a sharp watch for Reddy Fox as you do ought to know whyhe wears a red coat. If you'll promise to sit perfectly still and askno foolish questions, I'll tell you the story."
Of course Peter promised, and settled himself comfortably to listen.And this is the story that Grandfather Frog told:
"A long time ago, when the world was young, old Mr. Fox, thegrandfather a thousand times removed of Reddy Fox, was one of thesmartest of all the forest and meadow people, just as Reddy is now. Hewas so smart that he knew enough not to appear smart, and the fact ishis neighbors thought him rather dull. He wore just a common, everydaysuit of dull brown, like most of the others, and there wasn't anythingabout him to attract attention. He was always very polite, very politeindeed, to every one. Yes, Sir, Mr. Fox was very polite. He alwaysseemed to be minding his own business, and he never went around askingfoolish questions or poking his nose into other people's affairs."
Grandfather Frog stopped a minute and looked very hard at Peter afterhe said this, and Peter looked uncomfortable.
"Now, although Mr. Fox didn't appear to take any interest in otherpeople's affairs and never asked questions, he had two of thesharpest ears among all the little meadow and forest people, and whilehe was going about seeming to be just minding his own business, he waslistening and listening to all that was said. Everything he heard heremembered, so that it wasn't long before he knew more about what wasgoing on than all his neighbors together. But he kept his mouth tightclosed, did Mr. Fox, and was very humble and polite to everybody.Every night he came home early and went to bed by sundown, andeverybody said what good habits Mr. Fox had.
"But when everybody else was asleep, Mr. Fox used to steal out and begone half the night. Yes, Sir, sometimes he'd be gone until almostmorning. But he always took care to get home before any of hisneighbors were awake, and then he'd wait until everybody was up beforehe showed himself. When he came out and started to hunt for hisbreakfast, some one was sure to tell him of mischief done during thedarkness of the night. Sometimes it was a storehouse broken into, andthe best things taken. Sometimes it was of terrible frights that someof the littlest people had received by being wakened in the night andseeing a fierce face with long, sharp teeth grinning at them.Sometimes it was of worse things that were told in whispers. Mr. Foxused to listen as if very much shocked, and say that something oughtto be done about it, and wonder who it could be who would do suchdreadful things.
"By and by things got so bad that they reached the ears of Old MotherNature, and she came to find out what it all meant. Now, the verynight before she arrived, Mrs. Quack, who lived on the river bank,had a terrible fright. Somebody sprang upon her as she was sleeping,and in the struggle she lost all her tail feathers. She hurried totell Old Mother Nature all about it, and big tears rolled down hercheeks as she told how she had lost all her beautiful tail feathers.Mother Nature called all the people of the forest and the meadowstogether. She made them all pass before her, and she looked sharply ateach one as they went by. Mr. Fox looked meeker than ever, and he wasvery humble and polite.
"Now when Mr. Fox had paid his respects and turned his back, OldMother Nature saw something red on the tail of his coat. It wasnothing but a little smear of red clay, but that was enough for OldMother Nature. You see, she knew that Mrs. Quack's home was right atthe foot of a red claybank. She didn't say a word until everybody hadpaid their respects and passed before her. Then she told them howgrieved she was to hear of all the trouble there had been, but thatshe couldn't watch over each one all the time; they must learn towatch out for themselves.
"And so that you may know who to watch out for, from now on nevertrust the one who wears a bright red coat," concluded Old MotherNature.
"All of a sudden Mr. Fox became aware that everybody was looking athim, and in every face was hate. He glanced at his coat. It was brightred! Then Mr. Fox knew that he had been found out, and he sneaked awaywith his tail between his legs. The first chance he got, he went toOld Mother Nature and begged her to give him back his old coat. Shepromised that she would when his heart changed, and he changed hisways. But his heart never did change, and his children and hischildren's children were just like him. They have always been thesmartest and the sliest and the most feared and disliked of all thelittle people on the meadows or in the forest. And now you know whyReddy Fox wears a red coat," concluded Grandfather Frog.
Peter Rabbit drew a long breath. "Thank you, thank you, GrandfatherFrog!" said he. "I--I think hereafter I'll be quite content with myown suit, even if it isn't handsome. Jenny Wren was right. A goodheart and honest ways are better than fine clothes."
Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories Page 4