es that this is going to be an exciting day,"
said Danny to himself as he trotted along. "I suppose that if I were
really wise, I would stay nearer home and do without that nice seed.
But nothing is really worth having unless it is worth working for,
and that seed will taste all the better if I have hard work getting
it."

So he trotted along his private little path, his ears wide open, and
his eyes wide open, and his little nose carefully testing every
Merry Little Breeze who happened along for any scent of danger which
it might carry. Most of all he depended upon his ears, for the grass
was so tall that he couldn't see over it, even when he sat up. He
had gone only a little way when he thought he heard a queer rustling
behind him. He stopped to listen. There it was again, and it
certainly was right in the path behind him! He didn't need to be
told who was making it. There was only one who could make such a
sound as that--Mr. Blacksnake.

Now Danny can run very fast along his private little paths, but he
knew that Mr. Blacksnake could run faster. "If my legs can't save
me, my wits must," thought Danny as he started to run as fast as
ever he could. "I must reach that fallen old hollow fence-post."

He was almost out of breath when he reached the post and scurried
into the open end. He knew by the sound of the rustling that Mr.
Blacksnake was right at his heels. Now the old post was hollow its
whole length, but halfway there was an old knot-hole just big enough
for Danny to squeeze through. Mr. Blacksnake didn't know anything
about that hole; and because it was dark inside the old post, he
didn't see Danny pop through it. Danny ran back along the 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 Danny did? Why, he followed
Mr. Blacksnake right into the old post, but in doing it he didn't
make the least little bit of noise.

Mr. Blacksnake kept right on through the old post and out the other
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 he wouldn't go
very far before he found out that he had been fooled, and of course
he would come back. So Danny waited only long enough to get his
breath and then ran back along the path to where another little path
branched off. For just a minute he paused.

"If Mr. Blacksnake follows me, he will be sure to think that of
course I have taken thi