t he could peep in at the
open end of the old can and see Danny trying to make himself as
small as possible at the other end. Reddy grinned until he showed
all his long teeth. Reddy always is a bully, especially when his
victim is a great deal smaller and weaker than himself.

"I've got you this time, Mr. Smarty, haven't I?" taunted Reddy.

Danny didn't say anything.

"You think you've been very clever because you have fooled me two or
three times, don't you? Well, this time I've got you where your
tricks won't work," continued Reddy, "so what are you going to do
about it?"

Danny didn't answer. The fact is, he was too frightened to answer.
Besides, he didn't know what he could do. So he just kept still, but
his bright eyes never once left Reddy's cruel face. For all his
fright, Danny was doing some hard thinking. He had been in tight
places before and had learned never to give up hope. Something might
happen to frighten Reddy away. Anyway, Reddy had to get him out of
that old can before he would admit that he was really caught.

For a long time Reddy lay there licking his chops and saying all the
things he could think of to frighten poor Danny Meadow Mouse. At
last he grew tired of this and made up his mind that it was time to
end it and Danny Meadow Mouse at the same time. He thrust his sharp
nose in at the opening in the end of the old can, but the opening
was too small for him to get more than his nose in, and he only
scratched it on the sharp edges without so much as touching Danny.

"I'll pull you out," said Reddy and thrust in one black paw.

Danny promptly bit it so hard that Reddy yelped with pain and pulled
it out in a hurry. Presently he tried again with the other paw.
Danny bit this one harder still, and Reddy danced with pain and
anger. Then he lost his temper completely, a very foolish thing to
do, as it always is. He hit the old can, and away it rolled with
Danny Meadow Mouse inside. This seemed to make Reddy angrier than
ever. He sprang after it and hit it again. Then he batted it first
this way and then that way, growing angrier and angrier. And all the
time Danny Meadow Mouse managed to keep inside, although he got a
terrible shaking up.

Back and forth across the patch of short grass Reddy knocked the old
can, and he was in such a rage that he didn't notice where he was
knocking it to. Finally he sent it spinning into the long grass on
the far side of the open patch, close to one of Danny's