of clover he went home to the dear Old Briar-patch, and there in his
favorite spot he settled himself to rest and think or dream as the case
might be. Presently his thoughts returned to Yellow-Wing, and he
chuckled again at the memory of his fright that morning. And then for
the first time it struck Peter as queer that Yellow-Wing should have
been out there on the Green Meadows on the ground. He often had seen
Yellow-Wing on the ground, but until that moment there never had seemed
anything queer about that. Now, however, it suddenly came to Peter that
Yellow-Wing belonged in trees, not on the ground.

Peter scratched his long left ear with his long left hind foot, which
was a sign that he was thinking of something that puzzled him. "He
belongs to the Woodpecker family," thought Peter, "and never have I seen
any of his relatives on the ground. They get all their food in the
trees. Now why is Yellow-Wing so different from his relatives?"

The more Peter thought about it, the queerer it seemed that a Woodpecker
should spend so much time on the ground, or visit the ground at all,
for that matter. But just wondering about it didn't get him anywhere,
and at last Peter decided that the only way to find out would be to ask
questions. So Peter made up his mind to watch for Yellow-Wing and ask
him all about it the first chance he got.

The chance came the very next day in the very same place where Peter had
been so startled. This time he was on the watch and saw Yellow-Wing very
busy about something. Peter stole up within speaking distance.

"Good morning, Yellow-Wing," said he. "I wonder if you will tell me
something."