? Tell me that."

For a minute Danny didn't know just what to say. "I--I--I'd look so
much better if I had a long tail," he ventured.

Old Mr. Toad just laughed. "You never saw a Meadow Mouse with a long
tail, did you? Of course not. What a sight it would be! Why,
everybody on the Green Meadows would laugh themselves sick at the
sight! You see you need to be slim and trim and handsome to carry a
long tail well. And then what a nuisance it would be! You would
always have to be thinking of your tail and taking care to keep it
out of harm's way. Look at me. I'm homely. Some folks call me ugly
to look at. But no one tries to catch me as Farmer Brown's boy does
Billy Mink because of his fine coat; and no one wants to put me in a
cage because of a fine voice. I am satisfied to be just as I am, and
if you'll take my advice, Danny Meadow Mouse, you'll be satisfied to
be just as you are."

[Illustration: Old Mr. Toad gave Danny some good advice.]

"Perhaps you are right," said Danny Meadow Mouse after a little.
"I'll try."

CHAPTER III

_Danny Meadow Mouse Plays Hide and Seek_

Life is always a game of hide and seek to Danny Meadow Mouse. You
see, he is such a fat little fellow that there are a great many
other furry-coated people, and almost as many who wear feathers, who
would gobble Danny up for breakfast or for dinner if they could.
Some of them pretend to be his friends, but Danny always keeps his
eyes open when they are around and always begins to play hide and
seek. Peter Rabbit and Jimmy Skunk and Striped Chipmunk and Happy
Jack Squirrel are all friends whom he can trust, but he always has a
bright twinkling eye open for Reddy Fox and Billy Mink and Shadow
the Weasel and old Whitetail the Marsh Hawk, and several more,
especially Hooty the Owl at night.

Now Danny Meadow Mouse is a stout-hearted little fellow, and when
rough Brother North Wind came shouting across the Green Meadows,
tearing to pieces the snow clouds and shaking out the snowflakes
until they covered the Green Meadows deep, deep, deep, Danny just
snuggled down in his warm coat in his snug little house of grass and
waited. Danny liked the snow. Yes, sir, Danny Meadow Mouse liked the
snow. He just loved to dig in it and make tunnels. Through those
tunnels in every direction he could go where he pleased and when he
pleased without being seen by anybody. It was great fun!

Every little way he made a little round doorway up beside a stiff
st