as almost out of breath. He was
sore and one leg smarted, for in one of her jumps old Granny Fox had
so nearly caught him that her claws had torn his pants and scratched
him.

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

The old fence-post lay on the ground and was hollow. Fastened to it
were long wires with sharp cruel barbs. Danny had made a tunnel over
to that old fence-post the very first day after the snow came, for
in that hollow in the old post he had a secret store of seeds. Why
hadn't he thought of it before? It must have been because he was too
frightened to think. But he remembered now, and he dodged into the
tunnel that led to the old fence-post, running faster than ever, for
though his heart was in his mouth from fear, in his heart was hope,
and hope is a wonderful thing.

Now old Granny Fox knew all about that old fence-post and she
remembered all about those barbed wires fastened to it. Although
they were covered with snow she knew just about where they lay, and
just before she reached them she stopped plunging down into the
snow. Reddy Fox knew about those wires; too, but he was so excited
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. His sharp
ears could hear Danny Meadow Mouse running almost underneath him.
Granny Fox could stop if she wanted to, but he was going to have
Danny Meadow Mouse for his breakfast! Down into the 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 was the
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 those sharp wire
barbs, and it did hurt dreadfully.

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

"Yes'm," said Reddy meekly.

And safe in the hollow of the old fence-post, Danny Meadow Mouse was
dressing the scratch on his leg made by the claws o