Part 2 (1/2)

Old Granny Fox Tries a New Plan

Old Granny Fox kept thinking about Danny Meadow Mouse She knew that he was fat, and it ht of him She made up her mind that she must and would have hihtened when she and Reddy Fox had tried so hard to catch hih the snow into his little tunnels after hio far away fro and safe

Old Granny Fox is very smart ”Danny Meadow Mouse won't put his nose out of that old fence post for a day or two Then he'll get tired of staying inside all the time, and he'll peep out of one of his little round doorways to see if the way is clear If he doesn't see any danger, he'll coet sorasses that stick out through the snow If nothing frightens hi a little farther and a little farther from that old fence post I htened for a few days” So said old Granny Fox to herself, as she lay under a heet the next meal

Then she called Reddy Fox to her and forbade hiht Reddy gruo where he pleased, but he didn't dare disobey You see, he had a sore foot He had hurt it on a wire barb when he was plunging through the snow after Danny Meadow Mouse, and now he had to run on three legs

That et enough to eat So Reddy didn't dare to disobey

It all caht it would Danny Meadow Mouse did get tired of staying in the old fence post He did peep out first, and then he did run a little way on the snow, and then a little farther and a little farther But all the tiet more than a ju down to his tunnels under the snow

Hidden on the edge of the Green Forest, Granny Fox watched hioing to snow again ”That's good,” said she ”To I'll have fat Meadow Mouse for breakfast,” and she s, before jolly, round, red Mr Sun was out of bed, old Granny Fox trotted down onto the ht over to where, down under the snow, lay the old fence post It had snowed again, and all the little doorways of Danny Meadow Mouse were covered up with soft, fleecy snow Behind Granny Fox li to himself

When they reached the place where the old fence post lay buried under the snow, old Granny Fox stretched out as flat as she could Then she told Reddy to cover her up with the new soft snow Reddy did as he was told, but all the tio off to the Green Forest and keep out of sight,” said Granny Fox ”By and by I'll bring you some Meadow Mouse for your breakfast,” and Granny Fox chuckled to think how s to catch Danny Meadow Mouse

[Illustration]

VIII

Brother North Wind Proves a Friend

Danny Meadow Mouse had seen nothing of old Granny Fox or Reddy Fox for several days Everyhe did, even before he had breakfast, was to climb up to one of his little round doorways and peep out over the beautiful white er near But every time he did this, Danny used a different doorway ”For,” said Danny to himself, ”if anyone should happen, just happen, to seejust outside ” You see, there is a great deal of wisdom in the little head that Danny Meadow Mouse carries on his shoulders

But the first day and the second day and the third day he saw nothing of old Granny Fox or of Reddy Fox, and he began to enjoy running through his tunnels under the snow and scurrying across from one doorway to another on top of the snow, just as he had before the Foxes had tried so hard to catch hiotten, as Granny Fox had hoped he would No, indeed, Danny Meadow Mouse hadn't forgotten He was too wise for that

One , when he started to climb up to one of his little doorways, he found that it was closed Yes, Sir, it was closed

In fact, there wasn't any doorway More snow had fallen froht and had covered up every one of the little round doorways of Danny Meadow Mouse

”Ha!” said Danny, ”I shall have a busy day, a very busy day, opening all o to work”

So Danny Meadow Mouse ate a good breakfast of seeds which he had stored in the hollow in the old fence post buried under the snow, and then he began work on the nearest doorway It really wasn't work at all, for you see, the snoas soft and light, and Danny dearly loved to dig in it In a few h which he could peep up at jolly, round, red Mr Sun

In a few h to put his head out He looked this way and he looked that way Far, far off on the top of a tree he could see old Roughleg the Hawk, but he was so far away that Danny didn't fear hi or anybody to be afraid of,” said Danny and poked his head out a little farther

[Illustration: _It was a beautiful white world, a very beautiful white world_]

Then he sat and studied everything around hi time

It was a beautiful white world, a very beautiful white world

Everything was so white and pure and beautiful that it didn't seeht of But Danny Meadow Mouse learned long ago that things are not alhat they see out of his doorway and studied and studied Just a little way off was a little heap of snow

”I don't re that wouldunderneath it Perhaps rough Brother North Wind heaped it up, just for fun”