To be jubilant is to be filled with joy and gladness. This was exactly Peter Rabbit’s condition. He was so jubilant that he had to kick up his heels half a dozen times. You see, Ol’ Mrs. Buzzard had stayed up in the air only a very short time. In fact, Peter had been in his hiding-place on the edge of the Green Forest only a very short time when she came down from high up in the blue, blue sky. He hadn’t had time to get sleepy this time.

Down, down, down she came and disappeared among the tree-tops. But Peter had seen just where she had disappeared. It was very near a certain tall pine-tree. He knew that he could go straight to that certain tall pine-tree without any trouble. And once there he had no doubt at all that he would find that nest. A nest big enough for such a big bird as Ol’ Mrs. Buzzard surely couldn’t be hidden so that he couldn’t find it.

So Peter was jubilant and hopped and skipped happily on his way toward that certain tall pine-tree. Forgotten was his stiff neck of the day before. Forgotten was his disappointment that very morning when Ol’ Mistah Buzzard, whom he had been watching, had come down out of the blue, blue sky while Peter was napping. His curiosity was about to be satisfied. He was about to find the nest of Ol’ Mistah and Mrs. Buzzard. Not a single doubt entered his foolish little head. In fact, he counted that nest as good as found already.

So he hopped and he skipped, and he skipped and he hopped on his way to the certain tall pine-tree, and all the way he thought what a smart chap he was.

“Of course,” said Peter to himself, “Ol’ Mistah and Mrs. Buzzard think their nest is a secret that no one will find out, and yet they give that secret away to any one as smart as I am. I don’t suppose it ever has entered their heads that any one would watch them. Of course when I have found that nest I won’t tell anybody. That wouldn’t be fair.”

It didn’t enter Peter’s head that he himself wasn’t fair in spying and trying to find that nest. Of course, it was no business of his. Certainly not. But Peter didn’t once think of this. Curiosity had taken possession of him, and when curiosity takes possession of anybody they are likely to give little heed to right and wrong.

So all in good time Peter came to the certain tall pine-tree near which he had seen Ol’ Mrs. Buzzard disappear among the tree tops. First he looked that over carefully though he didn’t expect to find the nest in it because it was such a conspicuous tree. Con-spic-u-ous means to stand out from surrounding things so as to be easily seen. Peter didn’t think that Ol’ Mistah and Mrs. Buzzard would build their nest in a tree that would be so easily and quickly picked out from among the other trees, but he looked it over carefully to make sure. While he was doing this a voice startled him.

“Good mo’ning, Brer Rabbit. Yo’ seem to be looking fo’ something. Can Ah help yo’ find it?” said the voice.

Peter whirled about to find Ol’ Mistah Buzzard looking down at him from the top of a tall dead tree which is a favorite roost of his, and in his eyes was a twinkle. Peter was confused. Yes, Sir, Peter was very much confused. He didn’t know just what to say.