"It won't take us long to find out," said Old Mother Nature softly
and her eyes twinkled with amusement. "How many cousins have
you, Happy Jack?"

Happy Jack thought for a moment. "Three," he replied, but he
didn't say it in a very positive way. Peter chuckled to himself,
for he knew that already doubt was beginning to grow in Happy
Jack's mind.

"Name them," commanded Old Mother Nature promptly.

"Chatterer the Red Squirrel, Timmy the Flying Squirrel, and
Striped Chipmunk," replied Happy Jack.

"He's forgotten Rusty the Fox Squirrel," shouted Chatterer,
dancing about gleefully.

Happy Jack looked crestfallen and gave Chatterer an angry look.

"That's right, Chatterer," said Old Mother Nature. "Rusty is a
very important member of the Squirrel family. Now suppose you
name the others."

"Wha--wha--what others?" stammered Chatterer. "I don't know of
any others."

Peter Rabbit hugged himself with glee as he watched the faces of
Happy Jack and Chatterer. "They don't know any more about their
family than we did about ours," he whispered in one of the long