nny should have that nap. He had closed his eyes,
but his ears were still open, and presently he heard soft
footsteps drawing near. His eyes flew open, and he forgot all
about sleep, you may be sure, for those footsteps sounded
familiar. They sounded to Danny very, very much like the
footsteps of--whom do you think? Why, Reddy Fox! Danny's heart
began to beat faster as he listened. Could it be? He didn't dare
peep out. Presently a little whiff of scent blew into the old
tomato can. Then Danny knew--it was Reddy Fox.

"Oh dear! I hope he doesn't find that I am in here!" thought
Danny. "I wonder what under the sun has brought him up here just
now."

If the truth were to be known, it was curiosity that had brought
Reddy up there. Reddy had been hunting for his breakfast some
distance away on the Green Meadows when Redtail the Hawk had
tried so hard to catch Danny Meadow Mouse. Reddy's sharp eyes had
seen Redtail the minute he left the tree in pursuit of Danny, and
he had known by the way Redtail flew that he saw something he
wanted to catch. He had watched Redtail swoop down and had heard
his scream of rage when he missed Danny because Danny had dodged
into the old tomato can. He had seen Redtail strike and strike
again at something on the ground, and finally fly off in disgust
with empty claws.

"Now I wonder what it was Redtail was after and why he didn't
get it," thought Reddy. "He acts terribly put out and disappointed.
I believe I'll go over there and find out."

Off he started at a smart trot toward the patch of short grass
where he had seen Redtail the Hawk striking at something on the
ground. As he drew near, he crept very softly until he reached
the very edge of the open patch. There he stopped and looked
sharply all over it. There was nothing to be seen but an old
tomato can. Reddy had seen it many times before.

"Now what under the sun could Redtail have been after here?"
thought Reddy. "The grass isn't long enough for a grasshopper to
hide in, and yet Redtail didn't get what he was after. It's very
queer. It certainly is very queer."

He trotted out and began to run back and forth with his nose to
the ground, hoping that his nose would tell him what his eyes
couldn't. Back and forth, back and forth he ran, and then
suddenly he stopped.

"Ha!" exclaimed Reddy. He had found the scent left by Danny
Meadow Mouse when he ran across toward the old tomato can. Right
up to the old can Reddy's nose led him.