"Do tell me what it is!" he begged.
"Oh, if you don't know, I won't tell, for that wouldn't be fair," replied Sammy, and tried to look very honest and innocent, and then he flew over to the Green Forest. And as he flew, he said to himself: "Johnny Chuck can't fool me; he does know Peter Rabbit's secret."
Over in the Green Forest he found Drummer the Woodpecker making a great racket on the hollow limb of an old chestnut. Sammy sat down near by and listened. "My, that's fine! I wish I could do that. You must be practising," said Sammy at the end of a long rat-a-tat-tat.
Drummer the Woodpecker felt very much flattered. "I am," said he. "I'm practising for Peter Rabbit's party."
"I thought so," replied Sammy Jay. Of course he hadn't thought anything of the kind.
"Won't Unc' Billy Possum be surprised?" remarked Drummer the Woodpecker, as he sat down to rest.
"He surely will," replied Sammy Jay, and then he flattered and flattered Drummer the Woodpecker until finally Drummer told all about Peter's plan for a surprise party for Unc' Billy Possum.
By and by, as he flew home, Sammy Jay chuckled and said:
"You've got to rise 'fore break of day
If you want to fool old Mr. Jay."