a kindly word, a kindly deed,

is like the planting of a seed;

it first sends forth a little root

and by and by bears splendid fruit.

when old man coyote first came to the green meadows, to live, he chased peter rabbit and gave peter a terrible fright. after that for some time peter kept very close to the dear old briar-patch, where he always felt perfectly safe. but peter dearly loves to roam, and peter is very, very curious, so it wasn't long before he began to grow tired of the old briar-patch and long to go abroad on the green meadows and in the green forest as he always had done, and find out all that was going on among his neighbors.

of course peter heard a great deal, for sammy jay and blacky the crow would stop almost every day to tell him the latest news about old man coyote. they told him all about how granny fox had tried to make trouble between him and prickly porky the porcupine, and how she had been found out. after they had gone, peter sat very still for a long time, thinking it all over.

“h-m-m,” said peter to himself, “it is very plain to me that old man coyote is smarter than granny fox, and that means a great deal to me. y es, sir, that means a great deal to me. it means that i have got to watch out for him even sharper than i have to watch out for granny and reddy fox. dear me, dear me, just as if i didn't have troubles enough as it is!”

as he talked, peter was sitting on the very edge of the old briar-patch, looking towards the place where sammy jay had told him that old man coyote took his sun-nap every day. suddenly he saw something that made him stop thinking about his troubles and sit up a little straighter and open his big eyes a little wider. it was reddy fox, creeping very, very slowly and carefully towards the napping place of old man coyote. when he was near enough to see, reddy lay down in the grass and watched. after a little while he tiptoed back to the green forest.

peter scratched his long left ear with his long right hind foot. “now what did reddy fox do that for?” he said, thoughtfully.

the next day and the next day and the day after that, peter saw reddy fox do the same thing, and all the time peter's curiosity grew and grew and grew. he didn't say anything about it to any one, but just puzzled and puzzled over it.

late that afternoon peter beard footsteps just outside the old briar-patch. peeping out, he saw old man coyote passing. peter's curiosity could be kept down no longer.

“how do you do, mr. coyote?” said peter in a very small and frightened sounding voice, but in a very polite manner.

old man coyote stopped and peeped through the brambles. “hello, peter rabbit,” said he. “i haven't had the pleasure of meeting you outside of the old briar-patch for some time.” he grinned when he said this in a way that showed all his long sharp teeth.

“no,” replied peter, “i—i—well, you see, i'm afraid of old granny and reddy fox.”

old man coyote grinned again, for he knew that it was himself peter really feared. “pooh, peter rabbit! you shouldn't be afraid of them!” said he. “they're not very smart. you ought to be able to keep out of their way.”

peter hopped a little nearer to the edge of the old briar-patch. “tell me, mr. coyote, what is reddy fox watching you for every day when you take your sun-nap?”

“what's that?” demanded old man coyote sharply.

he listened gravely while peter told him what he had seen. when peter had finished, mr. coyote smiled, and somehow this time he didn't show all those dreadful teeth.

“thank you, peter rabbit,” said he. “you have done me a great favor, and i hope i can return it some time. do you know, i believe that we are going to be friends.”

and with that old man coyote went on his way, chuckling to himself.