Now Mistah Mocker reached the Green Meadows just after Peter Rabbit had
brought little Mrs. Peter down from the Old Pasture to live with him in
the dear Old Briar-patch. He knew that little Mrs. Peter didn't know
anything about him, for he never had visited the Old Pasture where she
had spent her life. But he knew all the bird people who do live there,
for he had met them in the sunny southland, where they spent the winter,

"I believe I'll go pay my respects to Mrs. Peter," said Mistah Mocker
one day, winking at Ol' Mistah Buzzard. Ol' Mistah Buzzard chuckled and
winked back.

"Ah cert'nly hopes yo'all will behave yo'self right proper and not
forget that yo' is a member of one of the oldest families in the Souf,"
said he.

Mistah Mocker looked quite solemn as he promised to behave himself, but
there was a twinkle in his eyes as he flew toward the Old Briar-patch.
There he hid in a thick tangle of vines. Now it happened that Peter
Rabbit had gone over to the sweet-clover patch, and little Mrs. Peter
was quite alone. Somehow she got to thinking of her old home, and for
the first time she began to feel just a wee, wee bit homesick. It was
just then that she heard a familiar voice. Little Mrs. Peter pricked up
her ears and smiled happily.

"That's the voice of Tommy Tit the Chickadee, and it must be that his
wife is with him, for I hear him calling 'Phoebe! Phoebe!' How lovely of
them to come down to see me so soon."

Just then she heard another voice, a deep, beautiful, ringing voice, a