No one moved, and this puzzled Sammy so that he hardly knew what to do, but he kept right on shrieking, just as if Bowser was right close at hand. Still no one moved. Sammy stopped on a tall pine and pretended to be terribly excited.
"You had better run before Bowser gets here," he shouted.
What do you think happened then? Why, everybody set up a great shout. "Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Peter Rabbit.
"Ho! ho! ho!" shouted Johnny Chuck.
"Hee! hee! hee!" giggled Danny Meadow Mouse.
"What time will Bowser get here?" asked Bobby Coon, gravely.
"Tell Bowser that we are all waiting for him," added Jimmy Skunk.
"Is Bowser quite out of breath?" inquired Jerry Muskrat.
"I would like nothing better than to run a race with Bowser the Hound," said Jumper the Hare, sitting up very straight.
Sammy Jay didn't know what to do or what to say. He was just the most disgusted looking Jay that ever flew through the Green Forest, and all the time he wondered and wondered and wondered how it could be that Peter Rabbit and his friends knew that Bowser the Hound was not in the Green Forest at all. You see, old Mr. Toad had told Peter all about Sammy's plan, and this is what Peter had been whispering to the others.