little eyes snapped. "Why don't you learn to swim, Peter, like
your cousin down in the Sunny South?" she demanded. "If he had
been in your place, he would simply have plunged into the Smiling
Pool and laughed at Reddy Fox."

Peter sat bolt upright with his eyes very wide open. In them was
a funny look of surprise as he stared up at Jenny Wren. "What are
you talking about, Jenny Wren?" he demanded. "Don't you know that
none of the Rabbit family swim unless it is to cross the Laughing
Brook when there is no other way of getting to the other side, or
when actually driven into the water by an enemy from whom there is
no other escape? I can swim a little if I have to, but you don't
catch me in the water when I can stay on land. What is more, you
won't find any other members of my family doing such a thing."

"Tut, tut, tut, tut, Peter!" exclaimed Jenny Wren in her sharp,
scolding voice. "Tut, tut, tut, tut! For a fellow who has been
so curious about the ways of his feathered neighbors, you know
very little about your own family. If I were in your place I
would learn about my own relatives before I became curious about
my neighbors. How many relatives have you, Peter?"

"One," replied Peter promptly, "my big cousin, Jumper the Hare."

Jenny Wren threw back her head and laughed and laughed and laughed.
It was a most irritating and provoking laugh. Finally Peter began
to lose patience. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded crossly.
"You know very well that Jumper the Hare is the only cousin I have."

Jenny Wren laughed harder that ever.