ackbird began to regret his bargain with Grandfather
Mole, for Grandfather was even a greater eater than Mr. Blackbird had
supposed. Mr. Blackbird began to be afraid that there wouldn't be worms
enough left for himself.

"This is a fine place to dig," he remarked to Grandfather Mole in what
seemed a careless way. But he watched Grandfather Mole narrowly, with a
grin on his face, to see what the old chap would do.

And after that Grandfather Mole couldn't resist burrowing in the loose
earth now and then. It pleased Mr. Blackbird to see him amuse himself in
that fashion, because while he was digging Grandfather Mole lost his
chance at a good many angleworms. They found their way quickly down Mr.
Blackbird's throat. And it was not long before he was in the best of
spirits.

Day after day while the spring ploughing went on, the strange pair
followed the plough together. And since Grandfather Mole spent more than
half the time in digging, Mr. Blackbird felt that on the whole their
bargain had proved a good one.

When Farmer Green had finished the last furrow in the field Mr.
Blackbird told Grandfather Mole that the ploughing had come to an end.

"And now"--he said--"now it's your turn to carry out your part of the
bargain. I showed you where the food was plentiful; and it's time for
you to begin furnishing me twenty fat angleworms a day."

Grandfather Mole was amazed. There hadn't been a word said about the
_number_ of angleworms he was to supply Mr. Blackbird.

"Twenty!" he exclaimed. "Nobody said 'twenty!'"

"That's so," said Mr. Blackbird. "It was forty."

Grandfather Mole was staggered. But he didn't dare object again, for
fear Mr. Blackbird would double the number once more and make it eighty.

"Agreed!" he cried. "And I'll have them ready for you at midnight
regularly."

"Midnight!" Mr. Blackbird repeated after him, in great surprise.
"Nothing was said about 'midnight!'"

"That's so!" Grandfather Mole admitted. "It was one o'clock in the
morning." And in spite of everything Mr. Blackbird said, Grandfather
Mole wouldn't change the time. Everybody knew that he was very stubborn.

"A hundred angleworms in the middle of the night wouldn't do me any
good," Mr. Blackbird complained. "I'm always asleep at that time."

"You'd better change your habits," Grandfather Mole replied. "You ought
to be glad to change your hours for sleep, if it would make things
easier for you."

Now that was very like the sort of r