. Then she told Reddy to cover her up with the new soft
snow. Reddy did as he was told, but all the time he grumbled.
"Now you go off to the Green Forest and keep out of sight," said
Granny Fox. "By and by I'll bring you some Meadow Mouse for your
breakfast," and Granny Fox chuckled to think how smart she was
and how she was going to catch Danny Meadow Mouse.

[Illustration]

VIII

Brother North Wind Proves a Friend

Danny Meadow Mouse had seen nothing of old Granny Fox or Reddy
Fox for several days. Every morning the first thing he did, even
before he had breakfast, was to climb up to one of his little
round doorways and peep out over the beautiful white meadows, to
see if there was any danger near. But every time he did this,
Danny used a different doorway. "For," said Danny to himself, "if
anyone should happen, just happen, to see me this morning, they
might be waiting just outside my doorway to catch me tomorrow
morning." You see, there is a great deal of wisdom in the little
head that Danny Meadow Mouse carries on his shoulders.

But the first day and the second day and the third day he saw
nothing of old Granny Fox or of Reddy Fox, and he began to enjoy
running through his tunnels under the snow and scurrying across
from one doorway to another on top of the snow, just as he had
before the Foxes had tried so hard to catch him. But he hadn't
forgotten, as Granny Fox had hoped he would. No, indeed, Danny
Meadow Mouse hadn't forgotten. He was too wise for that.

One morning, when he started to climb up to one of his little
doorways, he found that it was closed. Yes, Sir, it was closed.
In fact, there wasn't any doorway. More snow had fallen from the
clouds in the night and had covered up every one of the little
round doorways of Danny Meadow Mouse.

"Ha!" said Danny, "I shall have a busy day, a very busy day,
opening all my doorways. I'll eat my breakfast, and then I'll go
to work."

So Danny Meadow Mouse ate a good breakfast of seeds which he had
stored in the hollow in the old fence post buried under the snow,
and then he began work on the nearest doorway. It really wasn't
work at all, for you see, the snow was soft and light, and Danny
dearly loved to dig in it. In a few minutes he had made a wee
hole through which he could peep up at jolly, round, red Mr. Sun.
In a few minutes more he had made it big enough to put his head
out. He looked this way and he