Johnny smoothed it down and brushed it carefully and tried to make himself look as spick and span as he knew how . `` Oh , dear ! '' he sighed . `` I do n't see why Old Mother Nature did n't give me as handsome a coat as she did Reddy Fox . And there are Jimmy Skunk and Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel and -- and -- why , almost every one has a handsomer coat than I have ! '' Now this was n't at all like Johnny Chuck . First he had been discontented with his house and had given it to Jimmy Skunk . Now he was discontented with his clothes . What was coming over Johnny Chuck ? He really did n't know himself . At least , he would n't have admitted that he knew . But right down deep in his heart was a great desire -- the desire to have Polly Chuck admire him . Yes , Sir , that is what it was ! And it seemed to him that she would admire him a great deal more if he wore fine clothes . You see , he had n't learned yet what Peter Rabbit had learned a long time ago , which is that Fine clothes but catch the passing eye ; Fine deeds win love from low and high . So Johnny Chuck wished and wished that he had a handsome suit , but as he did n't , and no amount of wishing would bring him one , he just made the one he did have look as good as he could , and then went in search of Polly Chuck . Sometimes she would not notice him at all . Sometimes he would find her shyly peeping at him from behind a clump of grass . Then Johnny Chuck would try to make himself look very important , and would strut about as if he really did own the Green Meadows . Sometimes she would hide from him , and when he found her she would run away .
Other times she would be just as nice XXXXX him as she could be , and they would have a jolly time hunting for sweet clover and other nice things to eat .
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