Mr. Chuck had been wise enough to make the entrance between
the roots of that tree in such a way that it could not be
dug any larger.

Reddy Fox was too shrewd to waste any time trying to dig it larger.
He knew there wasn't room enough for him to get between those roots.
So, after trying to make Peter as uncomfortable as possible by
telling him what he, Reddy, would do to him when he did catch him,
Reddy trotted off across the Green Meadows. Peter remained where
he was for a long time. When he was quite sure that it was safe to
do so, he crept out and hurried, lipperty-lipperty-lip, up to the
Old Orchard. He felt that that would be the safest place for him,
because there were ever so many hiding places in the old stone wall
along the edge of it.

When Peter reached the Old Orchard, who should he see but Jenny
Wren. Jenny had arrived that very morning from the Sunny South
where she had spent the winter. "Tut, tut, tut, tut, tut!"
exclaimed Jenny as soon as she saw Peter. "If here isn't Peter
Rabbit himself! How did you manage to keep out of the clutches
of Reddy Fox all the long winter?"

Peter chuckled. "I didn't have much trouble with Reddy during
the winter," said he, "but this very morning he so nearly caught
me that it is a wonder that my hair is not snow white from fright."
Then he told Jenny all about his narrow escape. "Had it not been
for that handy hole of Grandfather Chuck, I couldn't possibly
have escaped," concluded Peter.

Jenny Wren cocked her pert little head on one side, and her sharp