ing
Pool and ask Great-Grandfather Frog, who is my first cousin, how it
happened your grandfather a thousand times removed lost the half of his
tail. But before you go catch three fat, foolish, green flies and take
them with you as a present to Grandfather Frog."

Danny Meadow Mouse could hardly wait for old Mr. Toad to stop speaking.
In fact, he was in such a hurry that he almost forgot his manners. Not
quite, however, for he shouted "Thank you, Mr. Toad, thank you!" over
his shoulder as he rushed off down the Lone Little Path.

You see his short tail had always been a matter of mortification to
Danny Meadow Mouse. All his cousins in the Mouse family and the Rat
family have long, smooth, tapering tails, and they have always been a
source of envy to Danny Meadow Mouse. He had felt his queer short tail
to be a sort of disgrace. So when he would meet one of his cousins
dancing down the Lone Little Path, with his long, slim, tapering tail
behind him, Danny Meadow Mouse would slip out of sight under the long
grass, he was so ashamed of his own little tail. It looked so mean and
small! He had wondered and wondered if the Meadow Mice had always had
short tails. He used to ask everyone who came his way if they had ever
seen a Meadow Mouse with a long tail, but he had never found any one
who had.

"Perhaps," thought Danny Meadow Mouse as he hurried down the Lone
Little Path, "perhaps Grandfather Frog, who is very wise, will know why
my tail is short."

So he hurried this way and he hurried that way over the Green Meadows
in search of fat, foolish, green flies. And when he had caught three,
he caught one more for good measure. Then he started for the Smiling
Pool as fast as his short legs would take him.

When finally he reached the edge of the Smiling Pool he was quite out
of breath. There sat Great-Grandfather Frog on his big, green lily
pad. He was blinking his great goggle eyes at jolly, round, red Mr.
Sun.

"Oh, Grandfather Frog," said Danny Meadow Mouse in a very small voice,
for you know he was quite out of breath with running, "Oh, Grandfather
Frog, I've brought you four fat, foolish, green flies."

Grandfather Frog put a hand behind an ear and listened. "Did I hear
someone say 'foolish, green flies?'" asked Grandfather Frog.

"Yes, Grandfather Frog, here they are," said Danny Meadow Mouse, still
in a very small voice. Then he gave Grandfather Frog the four fat,
foolish, green flies.

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