So Blacky the Crow flew a little lower, and his sharp eyes looked this
way and that way through all the bramble-bushes of the Old Briar-patch.
He saw Peter Rabbit right away and winked at him. He thought Peter
looked worried and anxious.

"Peter must have something on his mind," thought Blacky. "I wonder where
Mrs. Peter is."

Just then he caught sight of her under the thickest growing sweet-briar
bush. He had opened his mouth to shout, "Hello, Mrs. Peter," when he saw
something that surprised him so that he didn't speak at all. He almost
forgot to flap his wings to keep himself in the air. He hovered right
where he was for a few minutes, looking down through the brambles. Then
with a hoarse chuckle, he started for the Smiling Pool, forgetting all
about Farmer Brown's cornfield. "Caw, caw, caw!" he shrieked, "Peter
Rabbit's got a family! Peter Rabbit's got a family!"

Reddy Fox heard him and ground his teeth. "Now Old Man Coyote will know
and will try to catch those young Rabbits, when they ought to be mine
because I found out about them first," he grumbled.

Jimmy Skunk heard Blacky and grinned broadly. "So that's the great news
Jenny Wren found out!" said he. "I hope Peter will take better care of
his babies than he ever has of himself. I must call at once."

Redtail the Hawk heard, and he smiled too, but it wasn't a kindly smile
like Jimmy Skunk's. "I think young Rabbit will taste very good for a
change," said he.