CHAPTER XXXVI 



A STRANGER AND A DANDY 



BUTCHER THE SHRIKE was not the only newcomer 

 in the Old Orchard. There was another stranger 

 who, Peter Rabbit soon discovered, was looked 

 on with some suspicion by all the other birds of the 

 Old Orchard. The first time Peter saw him, he was 

 walking about on the ground some distance off. 

 He didn't hop but walked, and at that distance 

 he looked all black. The way he carried himself 

 and his movements as he walked made Peter think 

 of Creaker the Grackle. In fact, Peter mistook 

 him for Creaker. That was because he didn't 

 really look at him. If he had he would have seen at 

 once that the stranger was smaller than Creaker. 



Presently the stranger flew up in a tree and Peter 

 saw that his tail was little more than half as long as 

 that of Creaker. At once it came over Peter that 

 this was a stranger to him, and of course his 

 curiosity was aroused. He didn't have any doubt 

 whatever that this was a member of the Blackbird 

 family, but which one it could be he hadn't the 

 least idea. "Jenny Wren will know," thought 

 Peter and scampered off to hunt her up. 

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