He sat for a while, then he began to wander about, going hop-hop-hop. He didn't go very fast, and he looked all around to see where he was. He found a door in a wall, but it was locked. There was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath.
An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the woods. Peter asked her the way to the gate. But she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter began to cry again.
Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden. But he became more and more confused. He didn't know this garden, and he didn't know which trail led out. After a while, he came to a pond where Mr. McGregor filled his watering cans. A white cat was staring at some goldfish in the pond. She sat very, very still. But now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her. He had heard about cats from his cousin, little @Benjamin Bunny. He didn't think she'd be very friendly.
He went back the way he came, towards the toolshed. Suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe -- scr-r-ritch, scr-r-ratch. Peter dove under the bushes, shaking with fear. He waited and waited, but nothing happened. He poked his nose out, then his front paws, then his back paws.
