Early one morning, Peter opened the gate and went out into the big, green meadow. On the branch of a big tree sat a little bird, Peter's friend. "All is quiet." chirped the bird happily. Just then, a duck came waddling 'round. She was glad that Peter had not closed the gate and decided to take a nice swim in the deep pond in the meadow.

Seeing the duck, the little bird flew down upon the grass, settled next to her, and shrugged his shoulders. "What kind of a bird are you if you can't fly?" said he. To this, the duck replied, "What kind of bird are you if you can't swim?" and dived into the pond. They argued and argued, the duck swimming in the pond, the little bird hopping along the shore.

What kind of bird are you if you can't fly?

What kind of bird are you if you can't swim?

Suddenly, something caught Peter's eye. He noticed a cat crawling through the grass. The cat thought, "The bird is busy arguing...I'll just grab him." Stealthily, she crept towards him on her velvet paws. "Look out!" shouted Peter, and the bird immediately flew up into the tree while the duck quacked angrily at the cat from the middle of the pond. The cat walked around the tree and thought, "Is it worth climbing up so high? By the time I get there, the bird will have flown away."

QUACK! QUACK!

LOOK OUT!

Is it worth climbing up so high?

Grandfather came out. He was angry because Peter had gone into the meadow. "It is a dangerous place. If a wolf should come out of the forest, then what would you do?" Peter paid no attention to his grandfather. Boys like him are not afraid of wolves. But Grandfather took Peter by the hand, locked the gate, and led him home.

No soon had Peter gone, that an enormous, grey wolf did come out of the forest. In a twinkling, the cat climbed into the tree. The ducked quacked, and in her excitement jumped out of the pond. But no matter how hard the duck tried to run, the wolf ran faster. He was getting nearer and nearer, catching up with her, and then he got her-and with one gulp, swallowed her.