rom that high perch he swept the whole valley with his keen, cruel
eyes, because (as he said) he "liked to see what was going on."

If Henry Hawk saw anything anywhere that interested him he lost no time
in reaching that place. It might be a bird, or a meadow mouse, or maybe
a plump chicken. And he was always hoping to catch a glimpse of Grumpy
Weasel.

One day early in the fall Mr. Hawk saw what he had been looking for so
long. Near the old cider mill, up the road from Farmer Green's house, he
spied a long, slender, brownish shape moving swiftly among a pile of
barrels outside the building. He knew at once that it was Grumpy
Weasel; and though he was a long way off Mr. Hawk could see that Grumpy
was very busy looking for something--so busy, Mr. Hawk hoped, that
Grumpy wouldn't notice anything else.

Henry Hawk had wonderful eyesight. As he came hurtling down out of the
sky he could see that Grumpy was playing hide-and-seek with a mouse.

"It's a shame to break up the game," Mr. Hawk chuckled to himself.

And just then something made Grumpy Weasel look up. It must have been
Henry Hawk's shadow flickering over a barrel. There was no other sign
that could have warned Grumpy.

He put the meadow mouse out of his mind without a bit of trouble and
made a sidewise spring for the first hole on which his eyes lighted.

Grumpy was through it in a twinkling. Henry Hawk made a frantic grab
with his talons at the black tip of Grumpy's tail, just as it whisked
out of sight. But he was too late.

It did not soothe Henry Hawk's feelings to find that the meadow mouse
had vanished at the same time. Henry would have liked to play
hide-and-seek with him himself.

Mr. Hawk knew well enough where Grumpy was hiding. That slim fellow had
sought safety in an empty jug, which was lying on its side near the pile
of barrels. It made a fine fort for Grumpy Weasel. The enemy couldn't
break through it. And there was only one loophole, which was far too
small to do Henry Hawk the least good.

Henry saw at once that he might as well go away. So he went off
grumbling.

"This," he said, "is what comes of disorderly habits. Farmer Green ought
not to have left that jug lying there. If he hadn't, I might have been
able to do him a good turn."

XX

A FREE RIDE

Inside the jug, where he had hidden to escape Henry Hawk, Grumpy Weasel
yawned widely and licked his chops. He was having a dull time, waiting
until he was sure that Henry Ha