who was screaming with the voice of Sammy Jay and talking with the voice of
Sticky-toes the Tree Toad. He just had to know!

So across the Green Meadows and up the Lone Little Path hurried Peter
Rabbit, so as to reach the Laughing Brook before jolly, round, red Mr. Sun
had wholly turned out his light, after going to bed behind the Purple
Hills. He was hurrying so that he almost ran into Unc' Billy Possum.

"Yo' seem to be in a powerful hurry, Brer Rabbit," said Unc' Billy.

"I am," replied Peter. "I must get down to the Laughing Brook before dark."

"'Pears to me it must be mighty impo'tant to make yo' hurry this way," said
Unc' Billy Possum.

"It is," replied Peter Rabbit. "It's to keep me from going crazy."

Unc' Billy looked at Peter very hard for a few minutes, just as if he
thought that Peter was crazy already. Then he put a hand behind one ear
just as if he was hard of hearing. "Ah beg yo' pardon, Brer Rabbit, but Ah
don' seem to have it quite right in mah haid what yo'all am going down to
the Laughing Brook for," said Unc' Billy in the politest way.

Peter chuckled in spite of himself, as he once more replied:

"It's to keep me from going crazy."

Then Peter told Unc' Billy all about Sammy Jay's troubles and all about the
troubles of Sticky-toes the Tree Toad. It was the first Unc' Billy Possum
had heard about it, for Unc' Billy had been away from the Green Forest and