Tale of Master Meadow Mouse — Chapters 10 - 12

A Handy Sign HUNTING played a great part in the life of Master Meadow Mouse.

Somebody or other was always hunting him.

And he was always hunting for something to eat.

He spent a good deal of his time away from home, looking for seeds and grain.

On the other hand, he spent a good deal of his time in his house; for Master Meadow Mouse liked to take naps--especially in the daytime.

After he started to live in Farmer Green's woodpile, but moved away from it before he had finished building his nest there, Master Meadow Mouse settled near the fence between the meadow and the pasture.

The mowing machine hadn't cut the weeds and grass that grew close to the fence.

He found shelter there from the sharp eyes of birds that would have caught him had they been able to.

This time Master Meadow Mouse didn't live underground.

He made a sort of little hut for himself, which kept out the cold in chilly weather, and shed the rain when it didn't pour down too hard.

It was a good home.

But it had one drawback.

If anybody came along when its owner was asleep in it--Well, Master Meadow Mouse didn't like to think about that.

The little nest at the end of the tunnel where he had once lived had been far safer.

"I know what I'll do!"

he cried at last, as a happy thought came to him.

"I'll hang a sign outside my door."

He set to work.

And soon he had printed a sign.

On one side of this was the notice, "Gone to Lunch.

Back To-morrow."

And on the other side were the words, "At Home.

Don't Knock.

Walk In."

"There!"

said Master Meadow Mouse as he stood off a few paces and looked at his handiwork.

"That ought to do the trick."

Then he hung the sign outside his door and went into his house to enjoy a nap.

And the side of the sign that was turned outward said, "Gone to Lunch.

Back To-morrow."

Master Meadow Mouse slept late into the afternoon.

And towards sunset, while he was still asleep, Tommy Fox slipped through the pasture fence.

"Hullo!"

he murmured softly as his eyes fell on Master Meadow Mouse's dwelling.

"Here's a bit of luck.

I smell a Mouse.

And he must be taking a nap inside his house."

Tommy Fox crept closer to the little hut.

Then all at once he straightened up with a look of displeasure on his sharp face.

He had just noticed the sign.

"He's away from home!"

Tommy exclaimed.

"That's a pity.

He can't have been gone long.

Maybe I can catch him near-by."

But he couldn't find Master Meadow Mouse anywhere.

He looked all around--except inside the shelter where Master Meadow Mouse was fast asleep.

Tommy Fox came back and read the sign once more.

"Back To-morrow," he muttered.

"Very well!

I'll come back here to-morrow.

For that's what the sign tells me to do."

And the next day he returned.

He grinned from ear to ear as he read what the sign said: "At Home.

Don't Knock.

Walk In."

Then he thrust his long, sharp nose right through Master Meadow Mouse's doorway.

There was nobody there.

And Tommy Fox looked silly as anything.

"Fooled!"

he growled.

"Fooled by a Meadow Mouse!

I hope nobody ever finds it out."

[Illustration] [Illustration] 11 A Castle in the Air IT seemed as if Master Meadow Mouse was always moving.

Perhaps the pleasantest move he ever made was when he went to the cornfield to live.

When autumn came Farmer Green shocked the corn.

All over the field bundles of cornstalks stood in rows, like soldiers.

And what suited Master Meadow Mouse especially was the ripe ears in the shocks, which Farmer Green had not yet gathered.

For some weeks past Master Meadow Mouse had been living in a rude shelter, which he had built for himself near the fence between the pasture and the meadow.

Though he had been quite comfortable there during the hot weather, there were days, now, when a chilly wind swept through Pleasant Valley and made him shiver slightly as he thought of the frosts which his neighbors told him were on the way.

He had made up his mind to seek some snugger home.

But not until he saw what Farmer Green was doing with the cornstalks did Master Meadow Mouse decide on his new dwelling.

"What a fine idea of Farmer Green's!"

he cried, when he first looked upon the shocked corn.

"I never dreamed that he had been raising corn to make homes for our family."

He changed his opinion of Farmer Green.

Master Meadow Mouse had been much upset when Farmer Green cut the grass in the meadow at haying time.

All the birds in the air could see him whenever he crossed the bare field.

Now, however, he forgot his displeasure in the joy that Farmer Green's latest move gave him.

That night Master Meadow Mouse crept into the cornfield.

The round, yellow harvest moon shone down on the field, bathing the shocks of corn in a flood of light and making the pumpkins that lay on every side look almost as golden as they appeared under the midday sun.

Master Meadow Mouse was surprised to find that many of his cousins had had the same happy thought about moving that had come to him.

He met dozens of the big Meadow Mouse family that night.

And every one of them was intent on picking out a shock of corn to live in.

Luckily there were shocks enough for all--and more.

And no disputes arose.

Some wanted to settle near the fence.

Some preferred to live in the middle of the field.

Many decided to make their new homes near Broad Brook, so they could enjoy a swim now and then without having to travel far to get to the water.

Master Meadow Mouse was one of the best swimmers.

He found a huge shock that stood near the bank of the brook.

Crawling through it, he discovered at least two dozen ears of ripe corn there.

"I won't look any further," he exclaimed.

"Here's food enough to last for months, all stored for me and ready to be eaten whenever I'm hungry."

Then he set to work.

And high in the top of the shock he made himself a nest of dry husks, which he stripped off some of the ears.

It was an easy matter to build that home.

Everything that he needed was right at hand.

And it was no time at all before Master Meadow Mouse had his house in order.

Then he was ready for a nap.

But first he made a hearty meal of corn because--as he said--he always slept better on a full stomach.

As he settled himself at last in his new quarters, just before he dozed off Master Meadow Mouse murmured happily to himself.

"I never thought," he said, "that I'd sleep in a castle in the air."

[Illustration] [Illustration] 12 A Midnight Frolic MASTER MEADOW MOUSE had always been pudgy.

Before he went to the cornfield to live he had been fat enough.

And after he had spent two weeks in and out of his new nest in the cornshock he was a sight to see.

His sides bulged.

And he had a look as if his skin weren't big enough for him.

Life had become very easy for Master Meadow Mouse.

He didn't even have to leave home to get all the corn he could eat.

He simply crept out of his nest, and right there in his cornshock he had two dozen ears of ripe corn.

He didn't need to set foot to the ground, unless he wanted a drink.

Of course Master Meadow Mouse wasn't content to stay at home morning, noon and night.

He scampered away whenever he pleased.

Sometimes he went for a swim in Broad Brook.

Sometimes he visited his cousins, who dwelt in other shocks in the cornfield.

And every night he joined the big Meadow Mouse family in a frolic.

They chased one another around the pumpkins that strewed the ground, dodged behind the shocked corn, or ran along the rail fence.

During the daytime Master Meadow Mouse and his companions lay low.

When they went abroad they kept a close watch for Mr. Crow.

Late as it was, the old gentleman still lingered in Pleasant Valley.

Although his cronies had started on their yearly journey to the South, he let it be known that he was expecting to spend the winter in the North.

"I've noticed signs," he had said, "that tell me we're going to have a mild winter."

Whenever Mr. Crow visited the cornfield, the Meadow Mouse family hastened to hide.

They didn't try to go to their own homes, but plunged inside the nearest shocks of corn.

Mr. Crow was far from stupid.

He knew what was going on right under his nose--or his bill.

Flapping towards the cornfield from the woods he could see a great scurrying of small, reddish-brown persons.

But when he settled down in the field there was never a Meadow Mouse anywhere in sight.

"They're stealing corn!"

the old gentleman spluttered.

"I'd stop them if I could.

But what can I do when they hide the moment they see me coming?"

The old fellow pondered over the question.

"Somebody," he said, "will have to tear these shocks apart in order to catch the Meadow Mouse people.

And I don't know anyone that could do it better than Fatty Coon."

Now, Mr. Crow knew where Fatty Coon lived, in a hollow tree in Cedar Swamp.

And he actually started to fly over to the Swamp and ask Fatty Coon to rid the cornfield of the Meadow Mouse family.

But on the way to Cedar Swamp Mr. Crow happened to think of something.

He happened to think that Fatty Coon had an enormous appetite and was very fond of corn.

Mr. Crow suddenly veered off his straight course and alighted in a tree.

"That will never do," he croaked.

"Fatty would eat more than all the Meadow Mice in Pleasant Valley."

Little did Mr. Crow know that Fatty Coon was already planning to visit the cornfield as soon as it grew dark.

Nor did Master Meadow Mouse and his cousins guess that they were to have an unwelcome guest that night.

As usual, after dark they poured out of their castles in the air to enjoy their nightly frolic.

And they were having what they called "high jinks" when the word went around to hide.

For somebody squeaked in a frightened voice: "Fatty Coon is crawling through the pasture fence!"

[Illustration] [Illustration] 13