it--saw it--coming.

Then a shower of dirt flew into their faces and both Jolly Robin and his
wife tumbled over backward.

It was no worm that Mrs. Robin had found, but Grandfather Mole's
hairless tail sticking out of the ground. Together they had dragged him
to the surface.

And if Mrs. Robin hadn't found the grandfather of all angleworms, at
least she had found Grandfather Mole.

And she had given him a surprise, too.

XII

MR. BLACKBIRD'S ADVICE

OUT of the pine woods beyond the meadow Mr. Blackbird sometimes came to
breakfast in Farmer Green's garden. He claimed that he came there to
look for angleworms. But those that knew him best said that he wasn't
above taking an egg out of some small bird's nest. And some whispered
that he had even been known to devour a nestling.

Whenever he visited the garden he told everybody that he should never
come there again because Grandfather Mole was too greedy. Mr. Blackbird
said that Grandfather Mole didn't leave enough angleworms to make it
worth his while to fly across the meadow. And one day when he chanced to
meet Grandfather Mole he told him that it was a shame, the way he was
treating Farmer Green.

"Farmer Green is good enough to let you live underneath his garden. But
instead of showing him that you are grateful you eat all of his
angleworms you can."

Grandfather Mole was thunderstruck. After pondering over Mr. Blackbird's
speech for a few moments he raised his head. "What shall I do?" he asked
in a plaintive voice.

"I should think you'd turn over a new leaf," Mr. Blackbird told him
severely.

And Grandfather Mole promised that he would.

"I'll turn one over to-day," he said, "if you think it will please
Farmer Green."

"There's no doubt that it will," Mr. Blackbird assured him in a
slightly more amiable tone.

A hopeful look came into Grandfather Mole's face. And after thanking Mr.
Blackbird for his advice, he turned away and burrowed out of sight.

Then Mr. Blackbird selected a good many choice tidbits here and there,
which he bolted with gusto. And after he had eaten what Jolly Robin, who
had been watching him, declared afterward to have been a hearty meal and
big enough for any one, Mr. Blackbird began to scold. He announced that
there wasn't any use of his looking for anything more to eat in that
neighborhood, for there wasn't enough there to keep a mosquito alive.
And thereupon he flew away. Nor was anybody sorry to see him go.

Mos