been careless and foolish. You see, Peter had been so sure that Granny
had had such a fright when she ran away from the strange creature that
rolled down Prickly Porky's hill at her that she wouldn't think of
coming back, and so he had just given himself up to enjoying Granny's
fright. At Peter's scream of fright, Unc' Billy Possum scampered for
the nearest tree, and Jimmy Skunk dodged behind a big stump. You see,
it was so sudden that they really didn't know what had happened. But
Prickly Porky, whom some people call stupid, made no move to run away.
He happened to be looking at Peter when Granny caught him, and so he
knew just what it meant. A spark of anger flashed in his usually dull
eyes and for once in his life Prickly Porky moved quickly. The
thousand little spears hidden in his coat suddenly stood on end and
Prickly Porky made a fierce little rush forward.

[Illustration: "Drop him!" he grunted. _Page 89._]

"Drop him!" he grunted.

Granny Fox just snarled and backed away, dragging Peter with her and
keeping him between Prickly Porky and herself.

By this time Jimmy Skunk had recovered himself. You know he is not
afraid of anybody or anything. He sprang out from behind the stump,
looking a wee bit shame-faced, and started for old Granny Fox. "You
let Peter Rabbit go!" he commanded in a very threatening way. Now the
reason Jimmy Skunk is afraid of nobody is because he carries with him
a little bag of very strong perfume which makes everybody sick but
himself. Granny Fox knows all about this. For just a minute she
hesitated. Then she thought that if Jimmy used it, it would be as bad
for Peter as for her, and she didn't believe Jimmy would use it. So