Green Meadows. Rather, they were almost
happening. He hadn't minded when Reddy Fox all alone tried to
catch him. Indeed, he had made a regular game of hide-and-seek of
it and had enjoyed it immensely. But now it was different.
Granny Fox wasn't so easily fooled as Reddy Fox. Just Granny
alone would have made the game dangerous for Danny Meadow Mouse.
But Reddy was with her, and so Danny had two to look out for, and
he got so many frights that it seemed to him as if his heart had
moved right up into his mouth and was going to stay there. Yes,
Sir, that is just how it seemed.

Down in his little tunnels underneath the snow Danny Meadow Mouse
felt perfectly safe from Reddy Fox, who would stop and dig
frantically at the little round doorway where he had last seen
Danny. But old Granny Fox knew all about those little tunnels,
and she didn't waste any time digging at the doorways. Instead
she cocked her sharp little ears and listened with all her might.
Now Granny Fox has very keen ears, oh, very keen ears, and she
heard just what she hoped she would hear. She heard Danny Meadow
Mouse running along one of his little tunnels under the snow.

Plunge! Old Granny Fox dived right into the snow and right
through into the tunnel of Danny Meadow Mouse. Her two black
paws actually touched Danny's tail. He was glad then that it was
no longer.

"Ha!" cried Granny Fox, "I almost got him that time!"

Then she ran ahead a little way over the snow, listening as
before. Plunge! Into the snow she went again. It was lucky for
him that Danny had just turned into another tunnel, for otherwise
she would surely have caught him.

Granny Fox blew the snow out of her nose. "Next time I'll get
him!" said she.

Now Reddy Fox is quick to learn, especially when it is a way to
get something to eat. He watched Granny Fox, and when he
understood what she was doing, he made up his mind to have a try
himself, for he was afraid that if she caught Danny Meadow Mouse,
she would think that he was not big enough to divide. Perhaps
that was because Reddy is very selfish himself. So the next time
Granny plunged into the snow and missed Danny Meadow Mouse just
as before, Reddy rushed in ahead of her, and the minute he heard
Danny running down below, he plunged in just as he had seen
Granny do. But he didn't take the pains to make sure of just
where Danny was, and so of course he didn't come anywhere near
him. But he frightened Danny still more and made old