"You
know, you are a Marmot, and these cousins of yours out there are
a great deal like you in a general way. The biggest and handsomest
of all is Whistler, who lives in the mountains of the Northwest.
The fact is, he is the biggest of all the Marmot family."
"Is he much bigger than Johnny Chuck?" asked Peter Rabbit.
"Considerably bigger," replied Old Mother Nature, nodding her head.
"Considerably bigger. I should think he would weight twice as much
as Johnny."
Johnny's eyes opened very wide. "My!" he exclaimed, "I should like
to see him. Does he look like me?"
"In his shape he does," said Old Mother Nature, "but he has a very
much handsomer coat. His coat is a mixture of dark brown and white
hairs which give him a grayish color. The upper part of his head,
his feet and nails are black, and so are his ears. A black band
runs from behind each ear down to his neck. His chin is pure white
and there is white on his nose. Underneath he is a light, rusty
color. His fur is thicker and softer than yours, Johnny; this is
because he lives where it is colder. His tail is larger, somewhat
bushier, and is a blackish-brown."
"If you please, why is he called Whistler?" asked Johnny Chuck eagerly.
"Because he has a sharp, clear whistle which can be heard a very long
distance," replied Old Mother Nature. "He sits up just as you do.
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