be right for others, and wrong for us, but
OLD-man didn't understand that, you see.

"One day he saw some mice playing and went near to watch them. It was
spring-time, and the frost was just coming out of the ground. A big
flat rock was sticking out of a bank near a creek, and the sun had
melted the frost from the earth about it, loosening it, so that it was
about to fall. The Chief-Mouse would sing a song, while all the other
mice danced, and then the chief would cry 'now!' and all the mice would
run past the big rock. On the other side, the Chief-Mouse would sing
again, and then say 'now!'--back they would come--right under the
dangerous rock. Sometimes little bits of dirt would crumble and fall
near the rock, as though warning the mice that the rock was going to
fall, but they paid no attention to the warning, and kept at their
playing. Finally OLD-man said:

"'Say, Chief-Mouse, I want to try that. I want to play that game. I
am a good runner.'

"He wasn't, you know, but he thought he could run. That is often where
we make great mistakes--when we try to do things we were not intended
to do.

"'No--no!' cried the Chief-Mouse, as OLD-man prepared to make the race
past the rock. 'No!--No!--you will shake the ground. You are too
heavy, and the rock may fall and kill you. My people are light of foot
and fast. We are having a good time, but if you should try to do as we
are doing you might get hurt, and that would spoil our fun.'

"'Ho!' said OLD-man, 'stand back! I'll show you what a runner I am.'

"He ran like a grizzly bear, and shook the ground with his weight.
Swow!--came the great rock on top of OLD-man and held him fast in the
mud. My! how he screamed and called for aid. All the Mice-people ran
away to find help. It was a long time before the Mice-people found
anybody, but they finally found the Coyote, and told him what had
happened. Coyote didn't like OLD-man very much, but he said he would
go and see what he could do, and he did. The Mice-people showed him
the way, and when they all reached the spot--there was OLD-man deep in
the mud, with the big rock on his back. He was angry and was saying
things people should not say, for they do no good and make the mind
wicked.

"Coyote said: 'Keep still, you big baby. Quit kicking about so. You
are splashing mud in my eyes. How can I see with my eyes full of mud?
Tell me that. I am going to try to help you out of your trouble.' He
tried b