can beat them," Billy answered.

"I have an idea," said Mr. Fox. He really had a great many ideas in
his head--more, probably, than any other of the forest-people.
"I'm very fond of music and I want to have a fife-and-drum corps."

"What's that? I never heard of such a thing," exclaimed Billy
Woodchuck.

"Fifes and drums--they make music, you know," Mr. Fox explained.
"Now, everybody knows that old Mother Grouse's sons are famous
drummers."

Billy agreed that that was true. He had often heard the Grouse boys
drumming in the woods.

"I've already spoken to them. And they are asking me every day when
we are going to begin to practise," Mr. Fox continued. "But I
couldn't think of any fifers until I happened to remember about you
and your brothers."

"I don't know how to play a fife," said Billy. "I've never even
seen one."

"Oh, that's nothing! You can hold a stick up to your mouth, and
wriggle your fingers, and whistle. No one will know that you are
not playing a fife. It will sound just the same. And the music will
be just as sweet." Mr. Fox smiled at Billy. And Billy smiled at
him.

"Good!" said Billy. "Will you bring the drummers to my house?"

"Well--no! Not just yet!" said Mr. Fox. "We ought to go off in the
woods, where nobody can hear us, until we learn a tune. Then we can
come and play for your mother. But I wouldn't say anything to her
about the fife-and-drum corps if I were you. Let's surprise her!"

Billy thought that was a good idea.

"Bring your brothers over to my house late this afternoon," Mr. Fox
said. "I'll have the Grouse boys there. And we can begin to learn
to make music at once."

"Who will teach us?" asked Billy. "Do _you_ know how to drum or
whistle?"

"Don't you worry about that!" Mr. Fox answered. "I can teach you a
thing or two." And he hurried away to find Mother Grouse's sons and
tell them the good news.

XV

"POP! GOES THE WEASEL!"

Just as he had promised, Billy Woodchuck led his two brothers to
Mr. Fox's house late in the afternoon, to join the fife-and-drum
corps, and make sweet music.

The Grouse boys--all four of them--were already there and waiting
to begin. And Mr. Fox was all smiles.

"Let's go further into the woods," he said. "I know a fine place,
where we won't be disturbed." He had noticed that old Mr. Crow was
sitting in the top of a tall elm, and he did not care to have the
old gentleman see what was going on.

So they followed Mr. Fox. And