At the sound of Sammy Jay’s voice Peter Rabbit stopped running. In fact, he stopped altogether. He sat up and listened. Yes, there was no doubt about it, that was the voice of Sammy Jay, and it came from right near that great hollow log where Peter had just received such a fright. Moreover, Sammy was chuckling as if at a great joke. Peter looked back, and in his eyes a suspicion grew and grew.

“Sammy Jay knew I was going to get that fright, and he followed me to see what would happen. He played a joke on me, that’s what he did,” declared Peter indignantly. “But who was it in that old log that could hiss like that? That’s what I want to know. Sammy told me that nothing would harm me and somehow I believe him. I suppose I’m foolish to, after such a trick, but just the same I don’t believe Sammy would send me into real danger. I don’t know any one who could hiss like that except one of the Snake family, and I’m too big for any of them to hurt me, excepting Buzz-tail the Rattler or Copperhead, and somehow I don’t believe it was either of them. I think I’ll go back and find out who it was.”

So Peter turned back and very, very carefully he approached the great hollow log. He found a place where he could see the open end of the great hollow log and be unseen himself, for he was hidden in a clump of ferns. At first he couldn’t make out anything, for it was dark inside that old log. Then little by little he made out a dim shape inside, but whose shape it was he couldn’t for the life of him tell. Presently he discovered Sammy Jay in a tree just above the old log. Sammy was talking to some one. After a little the dim shape in the hollow log moved and then out came—can you guess who? The very last person in the world Peter Rabbit expected to see—Ol’ Mrs. Buzzard!

Yes, Sir, it was Ol’ Mrs. Buzzard who walked out of the end of that hollow log, and when he saw her Peter was just as much surprised as when that terrible hiss had frightened him. He couldn’t possibly have been any more surprised. Of course, he had nothing to fear from Ol’ Mrs. Buzzard, so he promptly walked out of his hiding-place.

“Was it you that hissed when I looked in the hollow log a few minutes ago?” he demanded.

“It cert’nly was,” replied Mrs. Buzzard. “Yo’ startled me so Ah didn’t rightly know who you were, so Ah hissed. Mah goodness, but yo’ cert’nly can run, Brer Rabbit!”

Peter grinned but he let it pass, for his curiosity was all in what Mrs. Buzzard was doing in that old log. “If you please, Mrs. Buzzard, what were you doing in that old log?” he asked politely.

“That’s mah home fo’ a while,” replied Mrs. Buzzard proudly.

“What?” cried Peter, as if he didn’t trust his own ears.

He hopped a few steps nearer and peeped in. Then his eyes grew wide with astonishment. There was no nest there, but there were two little white downy birds. “Why—why—why—” stammered Peter and then stopped.

Sammy Jay laughed right out. “You see,” said Sammy, “Ol’ Mistah Buzzard told the truth when he said that they had no nest. Also he told the truth when he said that they had two eggs. That is, he thought he told the truth. He didn’t know that they had hatched. And Ol’ Mrs. Buzzard told the truth when she told me that they hadn’t any eggs. And I told the truth when I said that there was something here to interest you and that wouldn’t hurt you. So the great mystery is cleared up, and I hope your curiosity is satisfied, Peter Rabbit.”

“It is,” declared Peter, drawing a long breath.