CHAPTER XXVII 



A NEW FRIEND AND AN OLD ONE ! 



PETER RABBIT never will forget the first time he 

 caught a glimpse of Glory the Cardinal, sometimes 

 called Redbird. He had come up to the Old 

 Orchard for his usual morning visit and just as he 

 hopped over the old stone wall he heard a beautiful 

 clear, loud whistle which drew his eyes to the top 

 of an apple-tree. Peter stopped short with a little 

 gasp of sheer astonishment and delight. Then 

 he rubbed his eyes and looked again. He couldn't 

 quite believe that he saw what he thought he saw. 

 He hadn't supposed that any one, even among the 

 feathered folks, could be quite so beautiful. 



The stranger was dressed all in red, excepting a 

 little black around the base of his bill. Even his 

 bill was red. He wore a beautiful red crest which 

 made him still more distinguished looking, and how 

 he could sing ! Peter had noticed that quite often 

 the most beautifully dressed birds have the poorest 

 songs. But this stranger's song was as beautiful 

 as his coat, and that was one of the most beautiful, 

 if not the most beautiful, that Peter ever had seen. 

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