When once you’ve got your mind all set

Upon some special thing

How dreadful disappointing ’tis

To have your hopes take wing.

Somehow Peter Rabbit felt in his bones that Sammy Jay would find out what he himself hadn’t been able to find out, for all his trying—Ol’ Mistah Buzzard’s secret. Perhaps it was because Sammy is a famous hand at finding out the secrets of others. Perhaps it was because Peter has tried in vain to keep secrets of his own from Sammy. Anyway, as he waited there in the Green Forest for Sammy to return, it was with a feeling that when he did come back he surely would have the secret about the eggs of Ol’ Mistah and Mrs. Buzzard.

It was a long time before he saw or heard anything of Sammy, but at last he heard his harsh voice in the distance, and presently he caught sight of his blue coat among the trees. Peter fairly danced with impatience. He just couldn’t sit still. It seemed to him as if Sammy were taking an unusually long time. He stopped in almost every tree. Finally Peter ran to meet him.

“Well, did you find those eggs?” cried Peter as soon as he was near enough.

Sammy Jay looked very much dejected and disappointed. “No,” said he, “I didn’t find those eggs.”

Peter looked at Sammy Jay sharply to make sure that he was telling the truth, for sometimes, I am sorry to say, Sammy doesn’t tell the truth. But this time Sammy looked so honest that Peter didn’t doubt him. He tried not to let his disappointment show, but he couldn’t help it. “I—I thought surely you’d find them,” said he. “I guess if you couldn’t nobody can.”

That pleased Sammy Jay, and he flew down a little nearer to Peter. “I’m going to tell you something, Peter,” said he. “I didn’t find those eggs because there aren’t any.”

“What?” cried Peter, jumping right up in the air.

“It’s a fact,” replied Sammy. “Ol’ Mistah Buzzard and Mrs. Buzzard haven’t any eggs. I know it.”

“How do you know it?” demanded Peter. “Ol’ Mistah Buzzard told me on his honor that they had two.”

“And Ol’ Mrs. Buzzard told me on her honor that they haven’t any,” replied Sammy. “What is more, I believe her.”

Peter stared at Sammy Jay with such a funny look on his face that Sammy had to turn his head to hide a smile.

“So you found Mrs. Buzzard,” said Peter, when he could find his voice. “Did she tell you that they haven’t any nest?”

“I didn’t ask her,” replied Sammy. “All I asked about was the eggs, and as I have already told you they haven’t any.”

“How do you know that she told the truth?” asked Peter suspiciously.

“I know because I know,” retorted Sammy, which wasn’t much of an answer.

“Well,” said Peter at last, “I think I’ll give up and go home to the dear Old Briar-patch. Of course those eggs were no business of mine, anyway. It’s funny to me, though, that Ol’ Mistah Buzzard should tell me that they have two, and Mrs. Buzzard should tell you that they haven’t any. I don’t understand it at all.”

“By the way, Peter,” said Sammy, as Peter started for home, “I saw something which will interest you and perhaps make up for your disappointment.”

Peter pricked up his ears hopefully. “What was it?” he demanded.