In Farmer Green’s garden there were many things that Billy Woodchuck liked to eat. It seemed to him that every time he stole down there he found some new vegetable that was nicer than any he had tasted before. And one day he came upon something that was far sweeter and juicier than anything he had ever eaten.

Farmer Green’s peas were just ready to be picked. Billy Woodchuck did not know what they were called. But that made no difference to him. He sat up on his hind legs and pulled off the fat pods and ate the tender green peas greedily.

I should hate to say how long he stayed there. But it was a very long time. When he reached the garden-patch it had been so early in the morning that none of Farmer Green’s family was astir. The sun rose while Billy was breakfasting. And after a while a door slammed now and then. But Billy Woodchuck never heard a sound, though the farmhouse was not far away. He was having such a good meal that he forgot everything else.

At last he could eat no more. He hated to stop. But he could not hold another mouthful. And now, as he looked around, he was startled to see Farmer Green’s hired man walking toward him. The hired man had a hoe on his shoulder; and he was coming to work in the garden.

But Billy did not know that. He was sure that the man was after him. So he dropped down on all fours and started to run. He really did try to run. But to his surprise he could only drag himself along the ground.

The first thing that came into his head was the thought that he had been poisoned. He had heard of such things happening. What else could be the matter? His hind legs seemed too weak to hold up his body. Yes! As he pulled himself slowly along, his fat stomach actually dragged on the ground.

Of course, he could not go fast at all. But he managed to reach a shallow ditch, where he hid and rested for a time, though he expected any moment that the hired man would pounce on him.

But nothing of the sort happened; though he did hear the hired man say:

“Well, look at that! What will Mr. Green say when he knows this?”

And that made Billy shiver all over. For he knew exactly what the hired man meant.

After a while he crept along the ditch. He wanted to get home to his mother. And at last he reached the pasture, pulled himself through the long tunnel, and fell in the middle of the chamber floor and wept.

“Oh, dear!” he cried. “I can’t run any more. I’m afraid I can never run again.”

Mrs. Woodchuck took one look at him.

“What have you been eating?” she asked.

“Some little green balls,” Billy answered.

“Where have you been eating them?” she inquired. To tell the truth, she was the least bit worried.

“It was down in Farmer Green’s garden,” he told her.

“Ah, ha!” said Mrs. Woodchuck. “Green peas!” she said. “Your father told me this very morning that they were ripe. You ate too many of them.”

“Will I get better?” Billy asked her.

“Yes, indeed!” she replied. “But it’s lucky no man came and found you like that. I don’t believe you could ever have got away.”

Billy Woodchuck said nothing more just then. But in a little while he asked his mother another question:

“Is it because they are in Farmer Green’s garden that you call them green peas, Mother?”