IV

Old Granny Fox Tries

for Danny Meadow Mouse

DANNY MEADOW MOUSE had not enjoyed anything so much for a long time as he did that game of hide-and-seek. He tickled¹ and chuckled² all the afternoon as he thought about it. Of course, Reddy had been “it.” He had been “it” all the time, for never once had he caught Danny Meadow Mouse. If he had—well, there wouldn't have been any more stories about Danny Meadow Mouse, because there wouldn't have been any Danny Meadow Mouse any more.

But Danny never let himself think about this. He had enjoyed the game all the more because it had been such a dangerous game. It had been such fun to dive into one of his little round doorways³ in the snow, run along one of his own little tunnels, and then peep out at another doorway and watch Reddy Fox digging as fast as ever he could at the doorway Danny had just left. Finally Reddy had given up in disgust and gone off muttering angrily to try to find something else for dinner. Danny had sat up on the snow and watched him go. In his funny little squeaky voice Danny shouted:

“Though Reddy Fox is smart and sly,

Hi-hum-diddle-de-o!

I'm just as smart and twice as spry.

Hi-hum-diddle-de-o!”

That night Reddy Fox told old Granny Fox all about how he had tried to catch Danny Meadow Mouse. Granny listened with her head cocked on one side. When Reddy told how fat Danny Meadow Mouse was, her mouth watered. You see, now that snow covered the Green Meadows and the Green Forest, Granny and Reddy Fox had hard work to get enough to eat, and they were hungry most of the time.

“I'll go with you down on the meadows tomorrow morning, and then we'll see if Danny Meadow Mouse is as smart as he thinks he is,” said Granny Fox.

So, bright and early the next morning, old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox went down on the meadows where Danny Meadow Mouse lives. Danny had felt in his bones that Reddy would come back, so he was watching, and he saw them as soon as they came out of the Green Forest. When he saw old Granny Fox, Danny's heart beat a little faster than before, for he knew that Granny Fox is very smart and very wise, and has learned most of the tricks of all the other little meadow and forest people.

“This is going to be a more exciting game than the other,” said Danny to himself, and scurried⁴ down out of sight to see that all his little tunnels were clear so that he could run fast through them if he had to. Then he peeped out of one of his little doorways hidden in a clump⁵ of tall grass.

Old Granny Fox set Reddy to hunting for Danny's little round doorways, and as fast as he found them, Granny came up and sniffed⁷ at each. She knew that she could tell by the smell which one he had been at last. Finally she came straight toward the tall bunch of grass. Danny ducked down and scurried along one of his little tunnels. He heard Granny Fox sniff⁶ at the doorway he had just left. Suddenly something plunged⁸ down through the snow right at his very heels. Danny didn't have to look to know that it was Granny Fox herself, and he squeaked⁹ with fright.