le.

"You'd better be careful what you say!" he warned Mr. Meadow Mouse. "If
you make me angry it will go hard with you."

Now, Grandfather Mole was known to be a terrible fighter when aroused.
And Mr. Meadow Mouse had no liking for a fight with any one. So he
moved backward a few steps and made ready to run.

"I'm sorry if I have caused you trouble," he said. "Couldn't you explain
to Mr. Crow that you have tunnelled into the hills of corn in order to
catch the grubs that would eat the corn if you didn't eat them first?
Can't you tell him that you are helping the corn crop, instead of
ruining it?"

Grandfather Mole shook his head.

"You're not much acquainted with Mr. Crow," he replied. "If he has made
up his mind that I'm stealing corn nothing I could say would change his
opinion."

"Can't I help you in some way?" Mr. Meadow Mouse asked. "I'd do almost
anything, because you've let me use your galleries."

Grandfather Mole pondered for a time.

"Perhaps there is a way you can help," he said at last. "If you'll
manage somehow to let Mr. Crow catch you in one of these hills, with
your mouth full of corn, he'd know that you were the guilty party."

Mr. Meadow Mouse paled at the thought of such a situation. And his legs
shook beneath him. "Oh! I--I couldn't do that!" he stammered. "Can't you
think of some other way?"

"Yes, I can!" Grandfather replied. "I'll let him catch me in a hill of
corn."

"With corn in your mouth?" Mr. Meadow Mouse inquired eagerly.

"No!" said Grandfather Mole. "With _you_ in my mouth!" When he chose,
Grandfather Mole could be very spry. And as he said those words he made
a quick rush toward Mr. Meadow Mouse.

Then there was a great scurrying down there in the dark.

XIX

MR. CROW'S APOLOGY

IT was lucky for Mr. Meadow Mouse that he had placed a little distance
between himself and Grandfather Mole down in the gallery under the
cornfield. For when Grandfather Mole rushed at him, Mr. Meadow Mouse had
just enough lead to escape. He made for the open air as fast as he could
scramble, knowing that Grandfather Mole could never catch him once he
reached the great out-of-doors.

Perhaps it was only natural that Grandfather Mole should have been
angry with Mr. Meadow Mouse. Nobody likes to be accused of
thieving--especially when he is innocent. And when the real
corn thief (Mr. Meadow Mouse) declined to take the blame off
Grandfather Mole's shoulders maybe his anger was not alt