he had met the fellow before.
That mouth had plenty of white, needle-like teeth. It had a cruel look,
too.

Then the stranger jumped straight toward Sandy Chipmunk. And in that
instant Sandy knew who he was. No one could leap like that except Grumpy
Weasel!

Sandy turned and ran madly for shelter. Luckily he had the advantage of
Grumpy in one way. He had a bare ledge to run on, while Grumpy Weasel
had to flounder for some distance through a snow-choked hollow.

So Sandy escaped. And it was lucky that Grumpy didn't find the door to
the Chipmunk family's burrow. If he had he would have gone right in
himself.

Mrs. Chipmunk blamed herself for Sandy's adventure. She had never
remembered to tell her son that every fall Grumpy Weasel changed his
summer dress for the one in which Sandy had just seen him.

XXII

GRUMPY'S THREAT

Meeting Grumpy Weasel in the woods one day, Tommy Fox stopped to have a
chat with him. He always liked to chat with Grumpy, it was so easy to
get him angry, and such fun to see him fly into a passion.

"You're looking very elegant in your winter suit," Tommy Fox remarked.
"White is becoming to you--there's no doubt of that. And that black tip
on the end of your tail is just what's needed to complete your costume.
It matches your eyes nicely.... You must have a good tailor."

[Illustration: Sandy Chipmunk Runs From Grumpy Weasel. (_Page 96_)]

People were apt to be wary of Tommy Fox when fine words dripped from his
mouth like that. It usually meant that he was bent on some mischief. And
now Grumpy Weasel looked at him suspiciously.

"If you admire my clothes so much why don't you get some like them?" he
demanded.

Tommy Fox shook his head mournfully.

"I'd like to," he said, "but I'm too humble a person to dress like a
king, in ermine. My family have always worn red. The neighbors wouldn't
know me in anything else. Or if they did they'd say I was putting on
airs."

"If you want to know what I think, I'll tell you that red's entirely too
good for you," Grumpy Weasel sneered.

Tommy Fox smiled somewhat sourly. Grumpy Weasel's remark did not please
him. But he managed to say nothing disagreeable.

"I suppose," he went on, "you've met the newcomer in our valley who
dresses as you do, in white and black?"

"What's that you say?" Grumpy Weasel barked. "Who's gone and copied my
cold-weather clothes? If I meet him I'll make it hot for him."

"Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned th