all of Old Man Coyote and Granny Fox, and that is where Peter made a
very grave mistake, a very grave mistake indeed, as he was soon to find
out.



CHAPTEE IV

THE SHADOW WITH SHARP CLAWS

Now what's the use, pray tell me this,
When all is said and done;
A thousand things and one to learn
And then forget the one?
For when that one alone you need,
And nothing else will do,
What good are all the thousand then?
I do not see; do you?
Peter Rabbit.

Forgetting leads to more trouble than almost anything under the sun.
Peter Rabbit knew this. Of course he knew it. Peter had had many a
narrow escape just from forgetting something. He knew just as well as
you know that he might just as well not learn a thing as to learn it and
then forget it. But Peter is such a happy-go-lucky little fellow that he
is very apt to forget, and forgetting leads him into all kinds of
difficulties, just as it does most folks.

Now Peter had learned when he was a very little fellow that when he went
out at night, he must watch out quite as sharply for Hooty the Owl as