ching Billy's front door.

While Jolly Robin sat there in the garden he happened to look down at
the ground. And right before his eyes a long snout suddenly rose out of
the dirt, followed by the squat form of Grandfather Mole.

Jolly Robin gave a cheerful chirp. Everybody knew that Grandfather Mole
was the champion digger of Pleasant Valley. And if he couldn't answer
Mrs. Robin's question, then no one could.

XVII

A PUZZLE SOLVED

"Good morning, Grandfather Mole!" Jolly Robin called.

"What!" cried Grandfather Mole. "Have I made the mistake again of coming
up on top of Farmer Green's garden?"

"You certainly have," Jolly told him.

"I must be getting old," said Grandfather Mole. "I'm growing more
careless every day. I didn't mean to dig my way above ground." And then,
thrusting his long nose right into the dirt, he began to burrow out of
sight.

"Stop! Please stop!" Jolly Robin besought him. "I want to ask you a
question about digging."

Grandfather Mole pulled his nose out of the ground.

"What's your question?" he inquired.

"It's about Grunty Pig," Jolly Robin began.

"I thought you said it was about digging," Grandfather Mole grumbled.
And he started to burrow once more.

"So it is!" Jolly exclaimed. "I want to know how long it will take
Grunty Pig to dig up the apple tree where I live."

Again Grandfather Mole paused.

"It all depends," he muttered. "It all depends on how much of his time
he spends at digging."

"He works every day," said Jolly Robin. "A good, long while every day!"

Grandfather Mole appeared to be thinking deeply.

"He boasts--" Jolly Robin explained--"he boasts that he will have the
tree uprooted before fall."

"Nonsense!" Grandfather Mole snorted. "If Grunty Pig says that, he
doesn't know much about apple trees. He may be a fair digger; but he
must be stupid."

"That's what I've always thought!" Jolly Robin exclaimed.

"He can't go very deep into things, or he'd never have made such a
boast," Grandfather Mole declared. "When Grunty Pig digs, does he dig
right down out of sight?"

"Oh, no! Never!" said Jolly Robin.

"Ah! He merely scratches the surface!" Grandfather Mole remarked with a
wise nod of his head. "Well, it's no wonder that he made such a
mistake."

"Mistake!" Jolly Robin echoed. "Do you mean that Grunty Pig won't have
our apple tree down by fall?"

"I do," Grandfather Mole answered. "The roots of a big, old apple tree
spread out a good rod