“Isn't any use to cry!
Not a bit! Not a bit!
Wipe your eyes and wipe 'em dry!
Use your wit! Use your wit!
Just remember that tomorrow
Never brings a single sorrow.
Yesterday has gone forever
And tomorrow gets here never.
Chase your worries all away;
Nothing's worse than just today.”
Peter smiled in spite of himself.
“That's right! That's right! Smile away, Peter Rabbit. Smile away! Your troubles, Sir, are all today. And between you and me, I don't believe they are so bad as you think they are. Now you lie still just where you are, while I go see what can be done.”
With that, off whisked Danny Meadow Mouse as spry as you please, in spite of his lame leg, and in a few minutes Peter knew by little twitches of the wire on his leg that Danny was doing something at the other end. He was. Danny Meadow Mouse had set out to gnaw that piece of stake all to splinters. So there he sat and gnawed and gnawed and gnawed. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun climbed higher and higher in the sky, and Danny Meadow Mouse grew hungry, but still he kept right on gnawing at that bothersome stake.
Danny Meadow Mouse had set out to gnaw that piece of stake all to splinters
By and by, happening to look across the snow-covered Green Meadows, he saw something that made his heart jump. It was Farmer Brown's boy coming straight over toward the dear Old Briar-patch.
Danny didn't say a word to Peter Rabbit, but gnawed faster than ever.
Farmer Brown's boy was almost there when Danny stopped gnawing. There was only a tiny bit of the stake left now, and Danny hurried to tell Peter Rabbit that there was nothing to stop him now from going to his most secret retreat in the very heart of the Old Briar-patch. While Peter slowly dragged his way along, Danny trotted behind to see that the wire did not catch on the bushes.