HE FIELD-MOUSE

Once upon a time, when the Field-Mouse was out gathering wild beans for
the winter, his neighbor, the Buffalo, came down to graze in the meadow.
This the little Mouse did not like, for he knew that the other would mow
down all the long grass with his prickly tongue, and there would be no
place in which to hide. He made up his mind to offer battle like a man.

"Ho, Friend Buffalo, I challenge you to a fight!" he exclaimed in a
small, squeaking voice.

The Buffalo paid no attention, no doubt thinking it only a joke. The
Mouse angrily repeated the challenge, and still his enemy went on
quietly grazing. Then the little Mouse laughed with contempt as he
offered his defiance. The Buffalo at last looked at him and replied
carelessly:

"You had better keep still, little one, or I shall come over there and
step on you, and there will be nothing left!"

"You can't do it!" replied the Mouse.

"I tell you to keep still," insisted the Buffalo, who was getting angry.
"If you speak to me again, I shall certainly come and put an end to
you!"

"I dare you to do it!" said the Mouse, provoking him.

Thereupon the other rushed upon him. He trampled the grass clumsily and
tore up the earth with his front hoofs. When he had ended, he looked for
the Mouse, but he could not see him anywhere.

"I told you I would step on you, and there would be nothing left!" he
muttered.

Just then he felt a scratching inside his right ear. He shook his head
as hard as he could, and twitched his ears back and forth. The gnawing
went deeper and deeper until he was half wild with the pain. He pawed
with his hoofs and tore up the sod with his horns. Bellowing madly, he
ran as fast as he could, first straight forward and then in circles, but
at last he stopped and stood trembling. Then the Mouse jumped out of his
ear, and said:

"Will you own now that I am master?"

"No!" bellowed the Buffalo, and again he started toward the Mouse, as if
to trample him under his feet. The little fellow was nowhere to be seen,
but in a minute the Buffalo felt him in the other ear. Once more he
became wild with pain, and ran here and there over the prairie, at times
leaping high in the air. At last he fell to the ground and lay quite
still. The Mouse came out of his ear, and stood proudly upon his dead
body.

"Eho!" said he, "I have killed the greatest of all beasts. This will
show to all that I am master!"

Standing upon the body of the dead Buffa