The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse Read online

  "Ha!" cried Granny Fox, "I almost got him that time!"

  Then she ran ahead a little way over the snow, listening asbefore. Plunge! Into the snow she went again. It was lucky forhim that Danny had just turned into another tunnel, for otherwiseshe would surely have caught him.

  Granny Fox blew the snow out of her nose. "Next time I'll gethim!" said she.

  Now Reddy Fox is quick to learn, especially when it is a way toget something to eat. He watched Granny Fox, and when heunderstood what she was doing, he made up his mind to have a tryhimself, for he was afraid that if she caught Danny Meadow Mouse,she would think that he was not big enough to divide. Perhapsthat was because Reddy is very selfish himself. So the next timeGranny plunged into the snow and missed Danny Meadow Mouse justas before, Reddy rushed in ahead of her, and the minute he heardDanny running down below, he plunged in just as he had seenGranny do. But he didn't take the pains to make sure of justwhere Danny was, and so of course he didn't come anywhere nearhim. But he frightened Danny still more and made old Granny Foxlose her temper.

  Poor Danny Meadow Mouse! He had never been so frightened in allhis life. He didn't know which way to turn or where to run. Andso he sat still, which, although he didn't know it, was the verybest thing he could do. When he sat still he made no noise, andso of course Granny and Reddy Fox could not tell where he was.Old Granny Fox sat and listened and listened and listened, andwondered where Danny Meadow Mouse was. And down under the snowDanny Meadow Mouse sat and listened and listened and listened,and wondered where Granny and Reddy Fox were.

  "Pooh!" said Granny Fox after a while, "that Meadow Mouse thinkshe can fool me by sitting still. I'll give him a scare."

  Then she began to plunge into the snow this way and that way, andsure enough, pretty soon she landed so close to Danny MeadowMouse that one of her claws scratched him.

  VI

  Danny Meadow Mouse Remembers, Reddy Fox Forgets

  "There he goes!" cried old Granny Fox. "Don't let him sit stillagain!"

  "I hear him!" shouted Reddy Fox, and plunged down into the snowjust as Granny Fox had done a minute before. But he didn't catchanything, and when he had blown the snow out of his nose andwiped it out of his eyes, he saw Granny Fox dive into the snowwith no better luck.

  "Never mind," said Granny Fox, "as long as we keep him running,we can hear him, and some one of these times we'll catch him.Pretty soon he'll get too tired to be so spry, and when he is--"Granny didn't finish, but licked her chops and smacked her lips.Reddy Fox grinned, then licked his chops and smacked his lips.Then once more they took turns diving into the snow.

  _Granny didn't finish, but licked her chops andsmacked her lips_]

  And down underneath in the little tunnels he had made, DannyMeadow Mouse was running for his life. He was getting tired,just as old Granny Fox had said he would. He was almost out ofbreath. He was sore and one leg smarted, for in one of her jumpsold Granny Fox had so nearly caught him that her claws had tornhis pants and scratched him.

  "Oh dear! Oh dear! If only I had time to think!" panted DannyMeadow Mouse, and then he squealed in still greater fright asReddy Fox crashed down into his tunnel right at his very heels."I've got to get somewhere! I've got to get somewhere where theycan't get at me!" he sobbed. And right that very instant heremembered the old fence post!

  The old fence post lay on the ground and was hollow. Fastened toit were long wires with sharp, cruel barbs. Danny had made atunnel over to that old fence post the very first day after thesnow came, for in that hollow in the old post he had a secretstore of seeds. Why hadn't he thought of it before? It must havebeen because he was too frightened to think. But he rememberednow, and he dodged into the tunnel that led to the old fencepost, running faster than ever, for though his heart was in hismouth from fear, in his heart was hope, and hope is a wonderfulthing.

  Now old Granny Fox knew all about that old fence post and sheremembered all about those barbed wires fastened to it. Althoughthey were covered with snow she knew just about where they lay,and just before she reached them she stopped plunging down intothe snow. Reddy Fox knew about those wires, too, but he was soexcited that he forgot all about them.

  "Stop!" cried old Granny Fox sharply.

  But Reddy Fox didn't hear, or if he heard he didn't heed. Hissharp ears could hear Danny Meadow Mouse running almostunderneath him. Granny Fox could stop if she wanted to, but hewas going to have Danny Meadow Mouse for his breakfast! Down intothe snow he plunged as hard as ever he could.

  "Oh! Oh! Wow! Wow! Oh dear! Oh dear!"

  That wasn't the voice of Danny Meadow Mouse. Oh, my, no! It wasthe voice of Reddy Fox. Yes, Sir, it was the voice of Reddy Fox.He had landed with one of his black paws right on one of thosesharp wire barbs, and it did hurt dreadfully.

  "I never did know a young Fox who could get into as much troubleas you can!" snapped old Granny Fox, as Reddy hobbled along onthree legs behind her, across the snow-covered Green Meadows. "Itserves you right for forgetting!"

  "Yes'm," said Reddy meekly.

  And safe in the hollow of the old fence post, Danny Meadow Mousewas dressing the scratch on his leg made by the claws of oldGranny Fox.

  VII

  Old Granny Fox Tries a New Plan

  Old Granny Fox kept thinking about Danny Meadow Mouse. She knewthat he was fat, and it made her mouth water every time shethought of him. She made up her mind that she must and would havehim. She knew that Danny had been very, very much frightened whenshe and Reddy Fox had tried so hard to catch him by plungingdown through the snow into his little tunnels after him, and shefelt pretty sure that he wouldn't go far away from the old fencepost, in the hollow of which he was snug and safe.

  Old Granny Fox is very smart. "Danny Meadow Mouse won't put hisnose out of that old fence post for a day or two. Then he'll gettired of staying inside all the time, and he'll peep out of oneof his little round doorways to see if the way is clear. If hedoesn't see any danger, he'll come out and run around on top ofthe snow to get some of the seeds in the tops of the tall grassesthat stick out through the snow. If nothing frightens him, he'llkeep going a little farther and a little farther from that oldfence post. I must see to it that Danny Meadow Mouse isn'tfrightened for a few days." So said old Granny Fox to herself, asshe lay under a hemlock tree, studying how she could best get thenext meal.

  Then she called Reddy Fox to her and forbade him to go down onthe meadows until she should tell him he might. Reddy grumbledand mumbled and didn't see why he shouldn't go where he pleased,but he didn't dare disobey. You see, he had a sore foot. He hadhurt it on a wire barb when he was plunging through the snowafter Danny Meadow Mouse, and now he had to run on three legs.That meant that he must depend upon Granny Fox to help him getenough to eat. So Reddy didn't dare to disobey.

  It all came out just as Granny Fox had thought it would. DannyMeadow Mouse did get tired of staying in the old fence post. Hedid peep out first, and then he did run a little way on thesnow, and then a little farther and a little farther. But all thetime he took great care not to get more than a jump or two fromone of his little round doorways leading down to his tunnelsunder the snow.

  Hidden on the edge of the Green Forest, Granny Fox watched him.She looked up at the sky, and she knew that it was going to snowagain. "That's good," said she. "Tomorrow morning I'll have fatMeadow Mouse for breakfast," and she smiled a hungry smile.

  The next morning, before jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was out ofbed, old Granny Fox trotted down onto the meadows and straightover to where, down under the snow, lay the old fence post. Ithad snowed again, and all the little doorways of Danny MeadowMouse were covered up with soft, fleecy snow. Behind Granny Foxlimped Reddy Fox, grumbling to himself.

  When they reached the place where the old fence post lay buriedunder the snow, old Granny Fox stretched out as flat as shecould. Then she told Reddy to cover her up with the new softsnow. Reddy did as he was told, but all the time
he grumbled."Now you go off to the Green Forest and keep out of sight," saidGranny Fox. "By and by I'll bring you some Meadow Mouse for yourbreakfast," and Granny Fox chuckled to think how smart she wasand how she was going to catch Danny Meadow Mouse.

  VIII

  Brother North Wind Proves a Friend

  Danny Meadow Mouse had seen nothing of old Granny Fox or ReddyFox for several days. Every morning the first thing he did, evenbefore he had breakfast, was to climb up to one of his littleround doorways and peep out over the beautiful white meadows, tosee if there was any danger near. But every time he did this,Danny used a different doorway. "For," said Danny to himself, "ifanyone should happen, just happen, to see me this morning, theymight be waiting just outside my doorway to catch me tomorrowmorning." You see, there is a great deal of wisdom in the littlehead that Danny Meadow Mouse carries on his shoulders.

  But the first day and the second day and the third day he sawnothing of old Granny Fox or of Reddy Fox, and he began to enjoyrunning through his tunnels under the snow and scurrying acrossfrom one doorway to another on top of the snow, just as he hadbefore the Foxes had tried so hard to catch him. But he hadn'tforgotten, as Granny Fox had hoped he would. No, indeed, DannyMeadow Mouse hadn't forgotten. He was too wise for that.

  One morning, when he started to climb up to one of his littledoorways, he found that it was closed. Yes, Sir, it was closed.In fact, there wasn't any doorway. More snow had fallen from theclouds in the night and had covered up every one of the littleround doorways of Danny Meadow Mouse.

  "Ha!" said Danny, "I shall have a busy day, a very busy day,opening all my doorways. I'll eat my breakfast, and then I'll goto work."

  So Danny Meadow Mouse ate a good breakfast of seeds which he hadstored in the hollow in the old fence post buried under the snow,and then he began work on the nearest doorway. It really wasn'twork at all, for you see, the snow was soft and light, and Dannydearly loved to dig in it. In a few minutes he had made a weehole through which he could peep up at jolly, round, red Mr. Sun.In a few minutes more he had made it big enough to put his headout. He looked this way and he looked that way. Far, far off onthe top of a tree he could see old Roughleg the Hawk, but he wasso far away that Danny didn't fear him at all.

  "I don't see anything or anybody to be afraid of," said Danny andpoked his head out a little farther.

  _It was a beautiful white world, a very beautifulwhite world_]

  Then he sat and studied everything around him a long, long time.It was a beautiful white world, a very beautiful white world.Everything was so white and pure and beautiful that it didn'tseem possible that harm or danger for anyone could even bethought of. But Danny Meadow Mouse learned long ago that thingsare not always what they seem, and so he sat with just his littlehead sticking out of his doorway and studied and studied. Just alittle way off was a little heap of snow.

  "I don't remember that," said Danny. "And I don't rememberanything that would make that. There isn't any little bush or oldlog or anything underneath it. Perhaps rough Brother North Windheaped it up, just for fun."

  But all the time Danny Meadow Mouse kept studying and studyingthat little heap of snow. Pretty soon he saw rough Brother NorthWind coming his way and tossing the snow about as he came. Hecaught a handful from the top of the little heap of snow thatDanny was studying, and when he had passed, Danny's sharp eyessaw something red there. It was just the color of the cloak oldGranny Fox wears.

  "_Granny Fox, you can't fool me! I see you plain as plain can be!_"

  shouted Danny Meadow Mouse and dropped down out of sight, whileold Granny Fox shook the snow from her red cloak and, with asnarl of disappointment and anger, slowly started for the GreenForest, where Reddy Fox was waiting for her.

  IX

  Danny Meadow Mouse Is Caught at Last

  "_Tippy-toppy-tippy-toe, Play and frolic in the snow! Now you see me! Now you don't! Think you'll catch me, but you won't! Tippy-toppy-tippy-toe, Oh, such fun to play in snow!_"

  Danny Meadow Mouse sang this, or at least he tried to sing it, ashe skipped about on the snow that covered the Green Meadows. ButDanny Meadow Mouse has such a little voice, such a funny littlesqueaky voice, that had you been there you probably would neverhave guessed that he was singing. He thought he was, though, andwas enjoying it just as much as if he had the most beautifulvoice in the world. You know, singing is nothing in the world buthappiness in the heart making itself heard.

  Oh, yes, Danny Meadow Mouse was happy! Why shouldn't he havebeen? Hadn't he proved himself smarter than old Granny Fox? Thatis something to make anyone happy. Some folks may fool Granny Foxonce; some may fool her twice; but there are very few who cankeep right on fooling her until she gives up in disgust. That isjust what Danny Meadow Mouse had done, and he felt very smart andof course he felt very happy.

  So Danny sang his little song and skipped about in the moonlight,and dodged in and out of his little round doorways, and all thetime kept his sharp little eyes open for any sign of Granny Foxor Reddy Fox. But with all his smartness, Danny forgot. Yes, Sir,Danny forgot one thing. He forgot to watch up in the sky. He knewthat of course old Roughleg the Hawk was asleep, so he hadnothing to fear from him. But he never once thought of Hooty theOwl.

  Dear me, dear me! Forgetting is a dreadful habit. If nobody everforgot, there wouldn't be nearly so much trouble in the world.No, indeed, there wouldn't be nearly so much trouble. And DannyMeadow Mouse forgot. He skipped and sang and was happy as couldbe, and never once thought to watch up in the sky.

  _Over in the Green Forest Hooty the Owl had hadpoor hunting_]

  Over in the Green Forest Hooty the Owl had had poor hunting, andhe was feeling cross. You see, Hooty was hungry, and hunger isapt to make one feel cross. The longer he hunted, the hungrierand crosser he grew. Suddenly he thought of Danny Meadow Mouse.

  "I suppose he is asleep somewhere safe and snug under the snow,"grumbled Hooty, "but he might, he just might, be out for a frolicin the moonlight. I believe I'll go down on the meadows and see."

  Now Hooty the Owl can fly without making the teeniest, weeniestsound. It seems as if he just drifts along through the air like agreat shadow. Now he spread his great wings and floated out overthe meadows. You know Hooty can see as well at night as mostfolks can by day, and it was not long before he saw Danny MeadowMouse skipping about on the snow and dodging in and out of hislittle round doorways. Hooty's great eyes grew brighter andfiercer. Without a sound he floated through the moonlight untilhe was just over Danny Meadow Mouse.

  Too late Danny looked up. His little song ended in a tiny squeakof fear, and he started for his nearest little round doorway.Hooty the Owl reached down with his long cruel claws and--DannyMeadow Mouse was caught at last!

  X

  A Strange Ride and How It Ended

  Danny Meadow Mouse often had sat watching Skimmer the Swallowsailing around up in the blue, blue sky. He had watched Ol'Mistah Buzzard go up, up, up, until he was nothing but a tinyspeck, and Danny had wondered how it would seem to be way upabove the Green Meadows and the Green Forest and look down. Ithad seemed to him that it must be very wonderful and beautiful.Sometimes he had wished that he had wings and could go up in theair and look down. And now here he was, he, Danny Meadow Mouse,actually doing that very thing!

  But Danny could see nothing wonderful or beautiful now. No,indeed! Everything was terrible, for you see, Danny Meadow Mousewasn't flying himself. He was being carried. Yes, Sir, DannyMeadow Mouse was being carried through the air in the cruel clawsof Hooty the Owl! And all because Danny had forgotten--forgottento watch up in the sky for danger.

  _Danny was being carried through the air in thecruel claws of Hooty the Owl!_]

  Poor, poor Danny Meadow Mouse! Hooty's great cruel claws hurt himdreadfully! But it wasn't the pain that was the worst. No,indeed! It wasn't the pain! It was the thought of what wouldha
ppen when Hooty reached his home in the Green Forest, for heknew that there Hooty would gobble him up, bones and all. As heflew, Hooty kept chuckling, and Danny Meadow Mouse knew just whatthose chuckles meant. They meant that Hooty was thinking of thegood meal he was going to have.

  Hanging there in Hooty's great cruel claws, Danny looked down onthe snow-covered Green Meadows he loved so well. They seemed afrightfully long way below him, though really they were not farat all, for Hooty was flying very low. But Danny Meadow Mouse hadnever in all his life been so high up before, and so it seemed tohim that he was way, way up in the sky, and he shut his eyes soas not to see. But he couldn't keep them shut. No, Sir, hecouldn't keep them shut! He just had to keep opening them. Therewas the dear old Green Forest drawing nearer and nearer. Italways had looked very beautiful to Danny Meadow Mouse, but nowit looked terrible, very terrible indeed, because over in it,hidden away there in some dark place, was the home of Hooty theOwl.

  Just ahead of him was the Old Briar-patch where Peter Rabbitlives so safely. Every old bramble in it was covered with snowand it was very, very beautiful. Really everything was just asbeautiful as ever--the moonlight, the Green Forest, thesnow-covered Green Meadows, the Old Briar-patch. The only changewas in Danny Meadow Mouse himself, and it was all because he hadforgotten.

  Suddenly Danny began to wriggle and struggle. "Keep still!"snapped Hooty the Owl.

  But Danny only struggled harder than ever. It seemed to him thatHooty wasn't holding him as tightly as at first. He felt one ofHooty's claws slip. It tore his coat and hurt dreadfully, but itslipped! The fact is, Hooty had only grabbed Danny Meadow Mouseby the loose part of his coat, and up in the air he couldn't gethold of Danny any better. Danny kicked, squirmed, and twisted,and twisted, squirmed, and kicked. He felt his coat tear and ofcourse the skin with it, but he kept right on, for now he washanging almost free. Hooty had started down now, so as to get abetter hold. Danny gave one more kick and then--he felt himselffalling!