who strictly minds his own affairs
and cheerfully doth labor,
he is the one whom i would choose
always to be my neighbor.
that is just the kind of a neighbor peter rabbit found bob white to be. bob and mrs. bob had come down from the old pasture and built their home near the dear old briar-patch and so become the neighbors of peter and little mrs. peter. bob was very neighborly. he often dropped in to have a chat with peter, and peter was always glad to see him, for he is such a cheerful fellow that peter always felt better for having him about. it always is that way with cheerful people. they are just like sunshine.
but though bob and mrs. bob had built their home near peter, he didn't know just where it was. no, sir, peter didn't know just where that home of the bob whites was. it wasn't because he didn't try to find out. oh, my, no! peter could no more have helped trying to find out than he could have helped breathing. that was the curiosity in him. he wasted a great deal of time trying to find bob white's home, all to no purpose. at first he was rather put out because bob white wouldn't tell him where it was hidden. but bob just smiled and told peter that the reason he wouldn't was because he thought a great deal of peter and wanted him for a friend always.
“then,” said peter, “i should think you would tell me where your home is. there ought not to be secrets between friends. i don't think much of a friendship that cannot be trusted.”
“how would you feel, peter, if harm came to me and my family through you?” asked bob white.
“dreadfully,” declared peter. “but do you suppose i would let any harm come to you? a nice kind of a friend you must think me!”
“no,” replied bob white soberly, “i don't think you would let any harm come to us if you knew it. but you've lived long enough, peter, to know that there are eyes and ears and noses watching, listening, smelling everywhere all the time. now supposing that when you were sure that nobody saw you, somebody did see you visit my house. or supposing reddy fox just happened to run across your tracks and followed them to my house. it wouldn't be your fault if something dreadful happened to us, yet you would be the cause of it. you remember what i told you the other day, that there are some things it is better not to know.”
peter looked very thoughtful and pulled his whiskers while he turned this over in his mind. “that is a new idea to me,” said he at last. “i never had thought of it before. i certainly never would be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you because of me.”
“of course you wouldn't,” replied bob white. “no more would i ever be able to forgive myself if anything happened to my family because i had told some one where my home is.”
peter nodded. “of course if i should just happen to find your home all by myself, you wouldn't be angry, would you?” he asked.
bob white laughed. “of course not,” said he. “just the same i would advise you not to try to find it. then you will have nothing to trouble your mind if you should be followed, and something dreadful did happen to me or mine. you see there are just as many who would like to make a dinner of me as there are who would like to make a dinner of you, and i would a whole lot rather sit on a fence-post and whistle than to fill somebody's stomach.”
“and i would a lot rather have you,” declared peter.
