94 THE ROMANCE OF EVERIFARM 



"Yes ; I surely have been asleep a long time. The 

 pastures were brown when I went to sleep and now 

 they are a beautiful green. And where is the corn 

 field? When I last saw it yesterday I was taking 

 com kernels in my pockets from the stalks and 

 carrying them down home, and now everything is 

 gone and an oat field is in its place," wondered 

 Stripes to himself. "I surely have missed some- 

 thing," he admitted at last. 



"I wonder where everyone is. Guess I will give 

 them a call," he said as he raised himself on his 

 hind legs and used his chirping call. First there 

 was no response; then he gave his peculiar trilling 

 whistle, which attracted the attention of Peter 

 Rabbit. 



"Why, hello, Stripes! First time I have seen you 

 or any of your crowd for an age. Where have you 

 been for the past six months? I see you still have 

 your thirteen stripes all right, but you look badly. 

 Had anything to eat lately?" asked Peter. 



"Say, Peter, do you know what snow is? Did you 

 ever see it?" asked Stripes. 



"Do I know what snow is? Oh! Boy! Say, 

 Stripes, I live from one year to another just for 

 snow. Ho! Ho! That's a good one, asking a rabbit 



