would take them a long time to dig him out, even if they noticed
his tunnel.

"But they didn't. They dug down to the bottom of his hole and then,
because they didn't find him there, they straightway fell to
quarreling, each blaming the other for suggesting such a lot of hard
work for nothing. Finally they went away, still calling each other
names, and from that day to this, Foxes and Badgers have never been
friends.

"Mr. Mole was very thankful for his narrow escape, and it set him to
thinking. If he had a lot of these underground tunnels, no one would
be able to catch him. It was a splendid idea! He went to work on it at
once. And then he made a discovery--such a splendid discovery! There
was plenty of food to eat right down under ground--worms and
grubs--all he needed. After that, Mr. Mole spent all his time in his
tunnels and seldom put his nose outside. He was safe, and he was
comfortable, and he could always find something to eat by digging for
it.

"Little by little his old neighbors forgot all about him. Because he
had little use for them, his eyes grew smaller and smaller, and when
he did come up into the light, they hurt him so that he was glad to go
back into the dark again. He was perfectly happy and satisfied there,
and what is there in life better than to be happy and satisfied?"

"Nothing," replied Striped Chipmunk, at whom Grandfather Frog happened
to be looking when he asked the question.

"Right!" replied Grandfather Frog. "And now you know why Miner the
Mole lives under ground--because he is perfectly happy and satisfied
there."

Just then up came Peter Rabbit, all out of breath.

"Has Grandfather Frog been telling a story?" he panted.

"Yes," replied Striped Chipmunk, winking at Grandfather Frog, "and now
we are going back home perfectly happy and satisfied."

And to this day Peter Rabbit wonders what the story was that he
missed.

X

WHY MR. SNAKE CANNOT WINK

Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck were playing tag on the Green Meadows.
Of course Peter can run so much faster than Johnny Chuck that he would
never have been "it" if he had tried his best to keep out of the way.
But he didn't. No, Sir, Peter Rabbit didn't do anything of the kind.
He pretended that one of his long hind-legs was lame so that he had to
run on three legs, while Johnny Chuck could use all four. It was great
fun. They raced and dodged and twisted and turned. Sometimes Peter was
so excited that he would forget a