XV

SAMMY JAY FINDS THE NEW HOME


Johnny Chuck was missed from his old home on the Green Meadows. If he
had known how much he was missed, he certainly would have tried to go
back for at least a call on his old neighbors. There had been great
surprise when it had been discovered that Jimmy Skunk was living in
Johnny's old house, and at first some of the little meadow people were
inclined to look at Jimmy a wee bit distrustfully when he told how
Johnny Chuck had given away his house.

When Johnny sent back word by the Merry Little Breezes that it was
true, they believed Jimmy Skunk and forgot the unpleasant things that
they had begun to hint at about him. But they one and all thought that
Johnny Chuck must be crazy. Yes, Sir, they thought that Johnny Chuck
must be crazy. They were sure of it when the Merry Little Breezes
brought word of how Johnny had started out to see the world.

But everybody was so busy about their own affairs in the beautiful
bright spring-time that they couldn't spend much time wondering about
Johnny Chuck. They missed him every time they passed his old house and
then forgot him; that is, most of the little meadow people did.

Peter Rabbit didn't. Peter used to stop every day to gossip with
Johnny Chuck and tell him all the news, and now that Johnny Chuck was
no longer there, Peter missed him greatly. Jimmy Skunk was always
asleep or off somewhere. Besides, he was such a traveler that he knew
all the news almost as soon as Peter himself.