"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"You're a pig, Happy Jack! You're just a great big pig!"

"I'm not a pig! I found these nuts first and I tell you they're mine!"
shrieked Happy Jack, so angry that every time he spoke he jerked his
tail. And all the time he was chasing round and round the trunk of the
tree trying to prevent Chatterer getting up.

Now Happy Jack is ever so much bigger than his cousin Chatterer but he
isn't as spry. So in spite of him Chatterer got past, and like a little
red flash was up in the top of the tree where the big, fat nuts were.
But he didn't have time to pick even one, for after him came Happy Jack
so angry that Chatterer knew that he would fare badly if Happy Jack
should catch him. Round and round, over and across, this way and that
way, in the top of the tall hickory tree raced Chatterer the Red
Squirrel with his cousin, Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel, right at his
heels, and calling him everything bad to be thought of. Yes, indeed it
was truly dreadful, and Peter Rabbit, who happened along just then, put
his hands over his ears so as not to hear such a dreadful quarrel.

[Illustration: PETER RABBIT, WHO HAPPENED ALONG JUST THEN, PUT HIS HANDS
OVER HIS EARS.]