“Tippy-toppy-tippy-toe,
Play and frolic in the snow!
Now you see me! Now you don’t!
Think you’ll catch me, but you won’t!
Tippy-toppy-tippy-toe,
Oh, such fun to play in snow!”
DANNY MEADOW MOUSE sang this, or at least he tried to sing it, as he
skipped about on the snow that covered the Green Meadows. But Danny
Meadow Mouse has such a little voice, such a funny little squeaky
voice, that had you been there you probably would never have guessed
that he was singing. He thought he was, though, and was enjoying it
just as much as if he had the most beautiful voice in the world. You
know singing is nothing in the world but happiness in the heart making
itself heard.
Oh, yes, Danny Meadow Mouse was happy! Why shouldn’t he have been?
Hadn’t he proved himself smarter than old Granny Fox? That is something
to make any one happy. Some folks may fool Granny Fox once; some may
fool her twice; but there are very few who can keep right on fooling
her until she gives up in disgust. That is just what Danny Meadow Mouse
had done, and he felt very smart and of course he felt very happy.
So Danny sang his little song and skipped about in the moonlight, and
dodged in and out of his little round doorways, and all the time kept
his sharp little eyes open for any sign of Granny Fox or Reddy Fox.
But with all his smartness, Danny forgot. Yes, Sir, Danny forgot one
thing. He forgot to watch up in the sky. He knew that of course old
Roughleg the Hawk was asleep, so he had nothing to fear from him. But
he never once thought of Hooty the Owl.
Dear me, dear me! Forgetting is a dreadful habit. If nobody ever
forgot, there wouldn’t be nearly so much trouble in the world. No,
indeed, there wouldn’t be nearly so much trouble. And Danny Meadow
Mouse forgot. He skipped and sang and was happy as could be, and never
once thought to watch up in the sky.
Over in the Green Forest Hooty the Owl had had poor hunting, and he was
feeling cross. You see, Hooty was hungry, and hunger is apt to make one
feel cross. The longer he hunted, the hungrier and crosser he grew.
Suddenly he thought of Danny Meadow Mouse.
“I suppose he is asleep somewhere safe and snug under the snow,”
grumbled Hooty, “but he might be, he just _might_ be out for a frolic
in the moonlight. I believe I’ll go down on the meadows and see.”
Now Hooty the Owl can fly without making the teeniest, weeniest sound.
It seems as if he just drifts along through the air like a great
shadow. Now he spread his great wings and floated out over the meadows.
You know Hooty can see as well at night as most folks can by day, and
it was not long before he saw Danny Meadow Mouse skipping about on the
snow and dodging in and out of his little round doorways. Hooty’s great
eyes grew brighter and fiercer. Without a sound he floated through the
moonlight until he was just over Danny Meadow Mouse.
Too late Danny looked up. His little song ended in a tiny squeak of
fear, and he started for his nearest little round doorway. Hooty the
Owl reached down with his long cruel claws and—Danny Meadow Mouse was
caught at last!
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