CHAPTER XL> 



SOME MERRY SEED-EATERS 



HAVING been reminded of Dotty the Tree Spar- 

 row, Peter Rabbit became possessed of a great 

 desire to find this little friend of the cold months 

 and learn how he had fared through the summer. 

 He was at loss just where to look for Dotty until he 

 remembered a certain weedy field along the edge 

 of which the bushes had been left growing. "Per- 

 haps I'll find him there," thought Peter, for he 

 remembered that Dotty lives almost wholly on 

 seeds, chiefly weed seeds, and that he dearly loves a 

 weedy field with bushes not far distant in which he 

 can hide. 



So Peter hurried over to the weedy field and 

 there, sure enough, he found Dotty with a lot of his 

 friends. They were very busy getting their break- 

 fast. Some were clinging to the weed-stalks> 

 picking the seeds out of the tops, while others were 

 picking up the seeds from the ground. It was 

 cold. Rough Brother North Wind was doing his 

 best to blow up another snow-cloud. It wasn't 

 at all the kind of day in which one would expect 

 to find anybody in high spirits. But Dotty was. 

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