The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse

by Thornton W. Burgess

  Now Danny can run very fast along his private little paths, buthe knew that Mr. Blacksnake could run faster. "If my legs can'tsave me, my wits must," thought Danny as he started to run asfast as ever he could. "I must reach that fallen old hollow fencepost."

  He was almost out of breath when he reached the post and scurriedinto the open end. He knew by the sound of the rustling that Mr.Blacksnake was right at his heels. Now the old post was hollowits whole length, but halfway there was an old knothole just bigenough for Danny to squeeze through. Mr. Blacksnake didn't knowanything about that hole, and because it was dark inside the oldpost, he didn't see Danny pop through it. Danny ran back alongthe top of the log and was just in time to see the tip of Mr.Blacksnake's tail disappear inside. Then what do you think Dannydid? Why, he followed Mr. Blacksnake right into the old post, butin doing it he didn't make the least little bit of noise.

  Mr. Blacksnake kept right on through the old post and out theother end, for he was sure that that was the way Danny had gone.He kept right on along the little path. Now Danny knew that hewouldn't go very far before he found out that he had been fooled,and of course he would come back. So Danny waited only longenough to get his breath and then ran back along the path towhere another little path branched off. For just a minute hepaused.

  "If Mr. Blacksnake follows me, he will be sure to think that ofcourse I have taken this other little path," thought Danny, "so Iwon't do it."

  Then he ran harder than ever, until he came to a place where twolittle paths branched off, one to the right and one to the left.He took the latter and scampered on, sure that by this time Mr.Blacksnake would be so badly fooled that he would give up thechase. And Danny was right.

  "_Brains are better far than speed As wise men long ago agreed,_"

  said Danny, as he trotted on his way for the grass seed he likedso well. "I felt it in my bones that this would be an excitingday. I wonder what next."

  XXII

  What Happened Next to Danny Meadow Mouse

  Danny is so used to narrow escapes that he doesn't waste any timethinking about them. He didn't this time. "He who tries to looktwo ways at once is pretty sure to see nothing," says Danny, andhe knew that if he thought too much about the things that hadalready happened, he couldn't keep a sharp watch for the thingsthat might happen.

  Nothing more happened as he hurried along his private little pathto the edge of a great patch of grass so short that he couldn'thide under it. He had to cross this, and all the way he would bein plain sight of anyone who happened to be near. Very cautiouslyhe peeped out and looked this way and looked that way, notforgetting to look up in the sky. He could see no one anywhere.Drawing a long breath, Danny started across the open place asfast as his short legs could take him.

  Now all the time, Redtail the Hawk had been sitting in a treesome distance away, sitting so still that he looked like a partof the tree itself. That is why Danny hadn't seen him. ButRedtail saw Danny the instant he started across the open place,for Redtail's eyes are very keen, and he can see a greatdistance. With a satisfied chuckle, he spread his broad wings andstarted after Danny.

  Just about halfway to the safety of the long grass on the otherside, Danny gave a hurried look behind him, and his heart seemedto jump right into his mouth, for there was Redtail with hiscruel claws already set to seize him! Danny gave a frightenedsqueak, for he thought that surely this time he would be caught.But he didn't mean to give up without trying to escape. Threejumps ahead of him was a queer-looking thing. He didn't know whatit was, but if there was a hole in it he might yet fool Redtail.

  _With a frightened squeak, Danny dived into theopening just in time_]

  One jump! Would he be able to reach it? Two jumps! There was ahole in it! Three jumps! With another frightened squeak, Dannydived into the opening just in time. And what do you think he wasin? Why, an old tomato can Farmer Brown's boy had once used tocarry bait in when he went fishing at the Smiling Pool. He haddropped it there on his way home.

  Redtail screamed with rage and disappointment as he struck theold can with his great claws. He had been sure, very sure, ofDanny Meadow Mouse this time! He tried to pick the can up, but hecouldn't get hold of it. It just rolled away from him every time,try as he would. Finally, in disgust, he gave up and flew back tothe tree from which he had first seen Danny.

  Of course Danny had been terribly frightened when the canrolled, and by the noise the claws of Redtail made when theystruck his queer hiding place. But he wisely decided that thebest thing he could do was to stay there for a while. And it wasvery fortunate that he did so, as he was very soon to find out.

  XXIII

  Reddy Fox Grows Curious

  Danny Meadow Mouse had sat perfectly still for a long time insidethe old tomato can in which he had found a refuge from Redtailthe Hawk. He didn't dare so much as put his head out for a lookaround, lest Redtail should be circling overhead ready to pounceon him.

  "If I stay here long enough, he'll get tired and go away, if hehasn't already," thought Danny. "This has been a pretty excitingmorning so far, and I find that I am a little tired. I may aswell take a nap while I am waiting to make sure that the way isclear."

  With that Danny curled up in the old tomato can. But it wasn'tmeant that Danny should have that nap. He had closed his eyes,but his ears were still open, and presently he heard softfootsteps drawing near. His eyes flew open, and he forgot allabout sleep, you may be sure, for those footsteps soundedfamiliar. They sounded to Danny very, very much like thefootsteps of--whom do you think? Why, Reddy Fox! Danny's heartbegan to beat faster as he listened. Could it be? He didn't darepeep out. Presently a little whiff of scent blew into the oldtomato can. Then Danny knew--it was Reddy Fox.

  "Oh dear! I hope he doesn't find that I am in here!" thoughtDanny. "I wonder what under the sun has brought him up here justnow."

  If the truth were to be known, it was curiosity that had broughtReddy up there. Reddy had been hunting for his breakfast somedistance away on the Green Meadows when Redtail the Hawk hadtried so hard to catch Danny Meadow Mouse. Reddy's sharp eyes hadseen Redtail the minute he left the tree in pursuit of Danny, andhe had known by the way Redtail flew that he saw something hewanted to catch. He had watched Redtail swoop down and had heardhis scream of rage when he missed Danny because Danny had dodgedinto the old tomato can. He had seen Redtail strike and strikeagain at something on the ground, and finally fly off in disgustwith empty claws.

  "Now I wonder what it was Redtail was after and why he didn'tget it," thought Reddy. "He acts terribly put out and disappointed.I believe I'll go over there and find out."

  Off he started at a smart trot toward the patch of short grasswhere he had seen Redtail the Hawk striking at something on theground. As he drew near, he crept very softly until he reachedthe very edge of the open patch. There he stopped and lookedsharply all over it. There was nothing to be seen but an oldtomato can. Reddy had seen it many times before.

  "Now what under the sun could Redtail have been after here?"thought Reddy. "The grass isn't long enough for a grasshopper tohide in, and yet Redtail didn't get what he was after. It's veryqueer. It certainly is very queer."

  He trotted out and began to run back and forth with his nose tothe ground, hoping that his nose would tell him what his eyescouldn't. Back and forth, back and forth he ran, and thensuddenly he stopped.

  "Ha!" exclaimed Reddy. He had found the scent left by DannyMeadow Mouse when he ran across toward the old tomato can. Rightup to the old can Reddy's nose led him. He hopped over the oldcan, but on the other side he could find no scent of Danny MeadowMouse. In a flash he understood, and a gleam of satisfactionshone in his yellow eyes as he turned back to the old can. Heknew that Danny must be hiding in there.

  "I've got you this time!" he snarled, as he sniffed at theopening in the end of the can.

  XXIV

  Reddy Fox
Loses His Temper

  Reddy Fox had caught Danny Meadow Mouse, and yet he hadn't caughthim. He had found Danny hiding in the old tomato can, and itdidn't enter Reddy's head that he couldn't get Danny out when hewanted to. He was in no hurry. He had had a pretty good breakfastof grasshoppers, and so he thought he would torment Danny awhilebefore gobbling him up. He lay down so that he could peep in atthe open end of the old can and see Danny trying to make himselfas small as possible at the other end. Reddy grinned until heshowed all his long teeth. Reddy always is a bully, especiallywhen his victim is a great deal smaller and weaker than himself.

  "I've got you this time, Mr. Smarty, haven't I?" taunted Reddy.

  Danny didn't say anything.

  "You think you've been very clever because you have fooled me twoor three times, don't you? Well, this time I've got you whereyour tricks won't work," continued Reddy, "so what are you goingto do about it?"

  Danny didn't answer. The fact is, he was too frightened toanswer. Besides, he didn't know what he could do. So he just keptstill, but his bright eyes never once left Reddy's cruel face.For all his fright, Danny was doing some hard thinking. He hadbeen in tight places before and had learned never to give uphope. Something might happen to frighten Reddy away. Anyway,Reddy had to get him out of that old can before he would admitthat he was really caught.

  For a long time Reddy lay there licking his chops and saying allthe things he could think of to frighten poor Danny Meadow Mouse.At last he grew tired of this and made up his mind that that itwas time to end it and Danny Meadow Mouse at the same time. Hethrust his sharp nose in at the opening in the end of the oldcan, but the opening was too small for him to get more than hisnose in, and he only scratched it on the sharp edges without somuch as touching Danny.

  "I'll pull you out," said Reddy and thrust in one black paw.

  Danny promptly bit it so hard that Reddy yelped with pain andpulled it out in a hurry. Presently he tried again with the otherpaw. Danny bit this one harder still, and Reddy danced with painand anger. Then he lost his temper completely, a very foolishthing to do, as it always is. He hit the old can, and away itrolled with Danny Meadow Mouse inside. This seemed to make Reddyangrier than ever. He sprang after it and hit it again. Then hebatted it first this way and then that way, growing angrier andangrier. And all the time Danny Meadow Mouse managed to keepinside, although he got a terrible shaking up.

  Back and forth across the patch of short grass Reddy knocked theold can, and he was in such a rage that he didn't notice where hewas knocking it to. Finally he sent it spinning into the longgrass on the far side of the open patch, close to one of Danny'sprivate little paths. Like a flash Danny was out and scurryingalong the little path. He dodged into another and presently intoa third, which brought him to a tangle of barbed wire leftthere by Farmer Brown when he had built a new fence. Under thishe was safe.

  _Like a flash, Danny dodged into a tangle ofbarbed wire_]

  "Phew!" exclaimed Danny, breathing very hard. "That was thenarrowest escape yet! But I guess I'll get that special grassseed I started out for, after all."

  And he did, while to this day Reddy Fox wonders how Danny got outof the old tomato can without his knowing it.

  _And so you see what temper does For those who give it rein; It cheats them of the very thing They seek so hard to gain._

  Danny has had many more adventures, but there isn't room to tellabout them here. Besides, Grandfather Frog is anxious that youshould hear about the queer things that have happened to him.They are told in the next book.

  _Bedtime Story-Books_

  By THORNTON W. BURGESS

  The Adventures of Reddy Fox The Adventures of Johnny Chuck The Adventures of Peter Cottontail The Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum The Adventures of Mr. Mocker The Adventures of Jerry Muskrat The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse The Adventures of Grandfather Frog The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel The Adventures of Sammy Jay The Adventures of Buster Bear The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad The Adventures of Prickly Porky The Adventures of Old Man Coyote The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack The Adventures of Bobby Coon The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk The Adventures of Bob White The Adventures of Ol' Mistah Buzzard