afely till I come back," she thought.
Presently, however, Sleepy-head opened his eyes and thought he would like
to take a walk out in the fresh air. So he crept out of the nest and
through the long grass that nodded over the hole in the bank. He ran here
and he ran there, stopping again and again to cock his little ears for
sound of any creeping thing that might be close at hand. His little fur
coat was soft and silky as velvet. Mother had licked it clean before
starting her day's work, you may be sure. As Sleepy-head moved from place
to place his long tail swayed from side to side and tickled the daisies so
that they could not hold themselves still for laughing.

Presently something very cold fell on Sleepy-head's nose. What could it
be? He put up his little paw and dabbed at the place. Then the same thing
happened to his tail. He whisked it quickly round to the front. Ah, it was
raining! Now Sleepy-head couldn't bear rain, and he had got a long way
from home. What would mother say if his nice furry coat got wet and
draggled? He crept under a bush, but soon the rain found him out. Then he
ran to a tree, but this was poor shelter. He began to think that he was in
for a soaking when what should he spy, a little distance off, but a fine
toadstool which stood bolt upright just like an umbrella. The next moment
Sleepy-head was crawling underneath the friendly shelter. He fixed himself
up as snugly as he could, with his little nose upon his paws and his
little tail curled round all, and before you could count six, eight, ten,
twenty, he was fast asleep.

Now it happened that Sleepy-head was not the only creature that was caught
by the rain that morning in the wood. A little elf had been flitting about
in search of fun or mischief, and he, too, had got far from home when the
raindrops began to come pattering through the leafy roof of the beautiful
wood. It would never do to get his pretty wings wet, for he hated to
walk--it was such slow work and, besides, he might meet some big wretched
animal that could run faster than himself. However, he was beginning to
think that there was no help for it, when, on a sudden, there before him
was the toadstool, with Sleepy-head snug and dry underneath! There was
room for another little fellow, thought the elf, and ere long he had
safely bestowed himself under the other half of the toadstool, which was
just like an umbrella.

Sleepy-head slept on, warm and comfortable in his furry coat, a