There were roses and pansies upon the facings of the coat; and the waistcoat was worked with poppies and corn-flowers.
Everything was finished except just one single cherry-coloured button-hole, and where that button-hole was wanting there was pinned a scrap of paper with these words – in little teeny weeny writing —
NO MORE TWIST.
And from then began the luck of the Tailor of Gloucester; he grew quite stout, and he grew quite rich.
He made the most wonderful waistcoats for all the rich merchants of Gloucester, and for all the fine gentlemen of the country round.
Never were seen such ruffles, or such embroidered cuffs and lappets! But his button-holes were the greatest triumph of it all.
The stitches of those button-holes were so neat – so neat – I wonder how they could be stitched by an old man in spectacles, with crooked old fingers, and a tailor’s thimble.
The stitches of those button-holes were so small – so small – they looked as if they had been made by little mice!
The End
The Adventures of Peter Cottontail
(Thornton Burgess)
I. Peter Rabbit Decides to Change His Name
III. There's Nothing Like the Old Name After All
IV. Peter Rabbit Fools Jimmy Skunk
V. Reddy Pox Gets into Trouble
VI. Reddy Fools Bowser the Hound
VII. Reddy Invites Peter Rabbit to Take a Walk
VIII. Peter Rabbit Gets an Early Breakfast
X. Peter has Another Great Laugh
XI. Shadow the Weasel Gets Lost
XIV. Peter Rabbit in a Tight Place
XVI. Reddy Fox Tells a Wrong Story
XVII. Reddy Almost Gets Peter Rabbit
XVIII. Johnny Chuck Prepares for Winter
XIX. Peter Rabbit Gets Another Surprise
XX. Peter Tries Ol' Mistah Buzzard
XI. Happy Jack Squirrel is to Busy to Talk
XXII. Unc' Billy Possum Explains Things
XXIII. Peter Rabbit has a Bright Idea
XXIV. Peter Prepares for a Long Sleep
XXV. Unc' Billy Possum Plays a Joke
XXVI. Peter Rabbit Learns His Lesson
I. Peter Rabbit Decides to Change His Name
Peter Rabbit! Peter Rabbit! I don't see what Mother Nature ever gave me such a common sounding name as that for. People laugh at me, but if I had a fine sounding name they wouldn't laugh. Some folks say that a name doesn't amount to anything, but it does. If I should do some wonderful thing, nobody would think anything of it. No, Sir, nobody would think anything of it at all just because—why just because it was done by Peter Rabbit."
Peter was talking out loud, but he was talking to himself. He sat in the dear Old Briar-patch with an ugly scowl on his usually happy face. The sun was shining, the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were dancing over the Green Meadows, the birds were singing, and happiness, the glad, joyous happiness of springtime, was everywhere but in Peter Rabbit's heart. There there seeded to be no room for anything but discontent. And such foolish discontent—discontent with his name! And yet, do you know, there are lots of people just as foolish as Peter Rabbit.
"Well, what are you going to do about it?"
The voice made Peter Rabbit jump and turn around hastily. There was Jimmy Skunk poking his head in at the opening of one of Peter's private little paths. He was grinning, and Peter knew by that grin that Jimmy had heard what he had said. Peter didn't know what to say. He hung his head in a very shame-faced way.
"You've got something to learn," said Jimmy Skunk.
"What is it?" asked Peter.
"It's just this," replied Jimmy.
"There's nothing in a name except
Just what we choose to make it.
It lies with us and no one else
How other folks shall take it.
It's what we do and what we say
And how we live each passing day
That makes it big or makes it small
Or even worse than none at all.
A name just stands for what we are;
It's what we choose to make it.
And that's the way and only way
That other