adows. But Danny
Meadow Mouse has such a little voice, such a funny little squeaky
voice, that had you been there you probably would never have guessed
that he was singing. He thought he was, though, and was enjoying it
just as much as if he had the most beautiful voice in the world. You
know singing is nothing in the world but happiness in the heart
making itself heard.

Oh, yes, Danny Meadow Mouse was happy! Why shouldn't he have been?
Hadn't he proved himself smarter than old Granny Fox? That is
something to make anyone happy. Some folks may fool Granny Fox once;
some may fool her twice; but there are very few who can keep right
on fooling her until she gives up in disgust. That is just what
Danny Meadow Mouse had done, and he felt very smart and of course he
felt very happy.

So Danny sang his little song and skipped about in the moonlight,
and dodged in and out of his little round doorways, and all the time
kept his sharp little eyes open for any sign of Granny Fox or Reddy
Fox. But with all his smartness, Danny forgot. Yes, sir, Danny
forgot one thing. He forgot to watch up in the sky. He knew that of
course old Roughleg the Hawk was asleep, so he had nothing to fear
from him. But he never once thought of Hooty the Owl.

Dear me, dear me! Forgetting is a dreadful habit. If nobody ever
forgot, there wouldn't be nearly so much trouble in the world. No,
indeed, there wouldn't be nearly so much trouble. And Danny Meadow
Mouse forgot. He skipped and sang and was happy as could be, and
never once thought to watch up in the sky.

Over in the Green Forest Hooty the Owl had had poor hunting, and he
was feeling cross. You see, Hooty was hungry, and hunger is apt to
make one feel cross. The longer he hunted, the hungrier and crosser
he grew. Suddenly he thought of Danny Meadow Mouse.

[Illustration: Hooty the Owl was hungry and cross.]

"I suppose he is asleep somewhere safe and snug under the snow,"
grumbled Hooty, "but he might be, he just _might_ be out for a
frolic in the moonlight. I believe I'll go down on the meadows and
see."

Now Hooty the Owl can fly without making the teeniest, weeniest
sound. It seems as if he just drifts along through the air like a
great shadow. Now he spread his great wings and floated out over the
meadows. You know Hooty can see as well at night as most folks can
by day, and it was not long before he saw Danny Meadow Mouse
skipping about on the snow and dodging in and out of his lit