Part 1 (2/2)

continued Mr Toad_]

”Yes,” said Danny

”See suit of clothes you're wearing,” said Mr Toad, eyeing Danny critically ”Sunny weather, plenty to eat and drink, and good clothes--must be you don't knohen you're well off, Danny Meadow Mouse”

Danny hung his head Finally he looked up and caught a kindly twinkle in old Mr Toad's eyes ”Mr Toad, how can I get a long tail like my cousin Whitefoot of the Green Forest?” he asked

”So that's what's the matter! Ha! ha! ha! Danny Meadow Mouse, I'm ashamed of you! I certainly aood would a long tail do you? Tell me that”

For a minute Danny didn't know just what to say ”I--I--I'd look sotail,” he ventured

Old Mr Toad just laughed ”You never saw a Meadow Mouse with a long tail, did you? Of course not What a sight it would be! Why, everybody on the Green Meadoould laugh theht! You see, you need to be sli tail well And then what a nuisance it would be! You would always have to be thinking of your tail and taking care to keep it out of harly to look at But no one tries to catch me as Farmer Brown's boy does Billy Mink because of his fine coat; and no one wants to put e because of a fine voice I am satisfied to be just as I am, and if you'll take my advice, Danny Meadow Mouse, you'll be satisfied to be just as you are”

”Perhaps you are right,” said Danny Meadow Mouse after a little

”I'll try”

III

Danny Meadow Mouse Plays Hide-and-Seek

Life is always a game of hide-and-seek to Danny Meadow Mouse You see, he is such a fat little fellow that there are a great many other furry-coated people, and alobble Danny up for breakfast or for dinner if they could Some of them pretend to be his friends, but Danny always keeps his eyes open when they are around and always begins to play hide-and-seek Peter Rabbit and Jimmy Skunk and Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel are all friends who eye open for Reddy Fox and Billy Mink and Shadow the Weasel and old Whitetail the Marsh Hawk, and several ht

Now Danny Meadow Mouse is a stouthearted little fellow, and when rough Brother North Wind ca to pieces the snow clouds and shaking out the snowflakes until they covered the Green Meadows deep, deep, deep, Danny just snuggled down in his warrass and waited Danny liked the snow Yes, Sir, Danny Meadow Mouse liked the snow He just loved to dig in it and h those tunnels in every direction he could go where he pleased and when he pleased without being seen by anybody It was great fun!

Every little way he rass Out of this he could peep at the white world, and he could get the fresh, cold air Sometimes, when he was quite sure that no one was around, he would scamper across on top of the snow from one doorway to another, and when he did this, he made the prettiest little footprints

Now Reddy Fox knew all about those doorways and who h to eat this cold weather, and he was hungrysoftly over the meadohat should he see just ahead of him but the head of Danny Meadow Mouse pop out of one of those little round doorways! Reddy's mouth watered, and he stole forwarddistance, he drew his stout hind legs under hi Presto! Danny Meadow Mouse had disappeared! Reddy Fox ju as fast as he could o He could smell Danny Meadow Mouse and that made him almost frantic

All the ti one of his little tunnels, and when finally Reddy Fox stopped digging because he was quite out of breath, Danny popped his head out of another little doorway and laughed at Reddy Of course Reddy saw hi frantically just as before And of course Danny Meadow Mouse wasn't there

[Illustration: _Danny popped his head out of another little doorway and laughed at Reddy_]

After a while Reddy Fox grew tired of this kind of a game and tried another plan The next time he saw Danny Meadow Mouse stick his head out, Reddy pretended not to see hiround and made believe that he was very tired and sleepy He closed his eyes Then he opened them just the tiniest bit, so that he could see Danny Meadow Mouse and yet see tiht

No sooner was he gone than Reddy Fox stole over close to the little doorway and waited ”He'll surely stick his head out again to see if I'm asleep, and then I'll have him,” said Reddy to himself So he waited and waited and waited By and by he turned his head There was Danny Meadow Mouse at another little doorway, laughing at him!

IV

Old Granny Fox Tries for Danny Meadow Mouse