sk him if he wouldn't like to help dig a
winter home in the pasture. But before starting on his journey Billy
Woodchuck waited until Mr. Crow came back and told him that Grandfather
Mole had just appeared above ground.

Billy Woodchuck hurried off across the pasture as fast as he could
scamper. And in a short time he reached Farmer Green's garden. He was
somewhat out of breath, because there had been plenty of good things to
eat all summer long and he was round as a ball of butter.

Luckily he arrived just in time. Grandfather Mole had been on the point
of creeping down into one of his many underground halls when he heard a
strange voice say, "Stop a moment, please! I've something important to
say to you."

It was a pleasant voice. If it hadn't been, Grandfather Mole wouldn't
have waited an instant. He turned his head toward the place where the
voice came from and said, "What is it, stranger? And talk fast, because
I'm busy. I have some digging to do down below."

XXIII

SEEING A SAMPLE

GRANDFATHER MOLE'S remark made Billy Woodchuck smile.

"I'm a very busy person. I've some digging to do down below,"
Grandfather had said.

"You're just the one I need to help me!" Billy Woodchuck exclaimed, for
he had heard somewhere that if you want a thing done, you should get a
busy person to do it.

"I hope you don't want me to catch angleworms for you," Grandfather Mole
told him. "The neighbors are always asking me to do that. And I've
decided that I can't do it. Somehow I can't help eating 'em myself."

Billy Woodchuck assured him that he had no use at all for angleworms.

"What I want," he explained, "is a good digger to help dig a new house
for me."

"Is anybody else going to help too?" Grandfather Mole inquired
carefully.

"No--only myself!" Billy said.

"Then I'm sorry; but I can't work for you," Grandfather Mole announced.
And he had already turned away, as if the business were ended, when
Billy Woodchuck stopped him again.

"Perhaps"--said Billy--"perhaps I can find one or two others besides
myself."

"You've missed my point," said Grandfather Mole. "I don't want anybody
else to help--not even you! For I won't share the fun of digging with
any one."

Well, Billy Woodchuck could hardly believe his own ears.

"You shall have things all your own way!" he cried. "I won't scratch a
speck of dirt, I promise you!"

"That's different," Grandfather Mole remarked. "That's more like it. And
if you're