house in the Smiling Pool and has so few enemies," concluded
Grandfather Frog.

Peter Rabbit drew a long breath, which was almost a sigh. "I almost
wish my grandfather a thousand times removed had been content to stay
in the water, too," he said.

"Chug-a-rum!" retorted Grandfather Frog. "If he had, you wouldn't have
the dear Old Briar-patch. Be content with what you've got,"

"I think I will," said Peter.




VIII

WHY OLD MAN COYOTE HAS MANY VOICES


Of course Old Man Coyote has only one voice, but that one is such a
wonderful voice that he can make it sound like a great many voices,
all yelping and howling and shouting and laughing at the same time. So
those who hear him always say that he has many voices, and that
certainly is the way it seems. The first time Peter Rabbit heard Old
Man Coyote, he was sure, absolutely sure, that there was a whole crowd
of strangers on the Green Meadows, and you may be sure that he kept
very close to his dear Old Briar-patch. If you had been there and
tried to tell Peter that all that noise was made by just one voice,
he wouldn't have believed you. No, Sir, he wouldn't have believed you.