ping cough--it is catching. The
first thing Danny Meadow Mouse knew his tears would not come. It's a
fact, Danny Meadow Mouse had run short of tears. The next thing he
knew he wasn't crying at all--he was laughing. Yes, Sir, he actually
was laughing. He tried to cry, but it was of no use at all; he just
_had_ to laugh.

The more he laughed the harder old Mr. Toad laughed. And the harder
Mr. Toad laughed the funnier he looked. Pretty soon all three of them,
Danny Meadow Mouse, old Mr. Toad and Jimmy Skunk, were holding their
sides and rolling over and over in the grass, they were laughing so
hard.

By and by Mr. Toad stopped laughing.

"Dear me, dear me, this will never do!" said Mr. Toad. "I must get
busy in my garden.

"The little slugs, they creep and crawl
And eat and eat from spring to fall
They never stop to laugh nor cry,
And really couldn't if they'd try.

So if you'll excuse me I'll hurry along to get them out of my garden."

Mr. Toad started down the Lone Little Path. After a few hops he paused
and turned around.

"Danny Meadow Mouse," said old Mr. Toad, "an honest laugh is like
sunshine; it brightens the whole world. Don't forget it."

Jimmy Skunk remembered that he had started out to find some beetles, so
still chuckling he started for the Crooked Little Path up the hill.
Danny Meadow Mouse, once more alone, sat down on his doorstep. His
sides were sore, he had laughed so hard, and somehow the whole world
had changed. The grass seemed greener than he had ever seen it before.
The sunshine was brighter and the songs of the birds were sweeter.
Altogether it was a very nice world, a very nice world indeed to live
in. Somehow he felt as if he never wanted to cry again.

Pretty soon along came the Merry Little Breezes again, chasing
butterflies. When they saw Danny Meadow Mouse sitting on his doorstep
they pointed their fingers at him, just as before, and shouted:

"Fie, Danny Meadow Mouse!
Better go inside the house!
Babies cry--oh my! oh my!
You're a baby--go and cry!"

For just a little minute Danny Meadow Mouse wanted to cry. Then he
remembered old Mr. Toad and instead began to laugh.

The Merry Little Breezes didn't know just what to make of it. They
stopped chasing butterflies and crowded around Danny Meadow Mouse.
They began to tease him. They pulled his whiskers and rumpled his
hair. The more they teased the more Danny Meadow Mouse laughed.

When they