m, Granny came up and sniffed
at each. She knew that she could tell by the smell which one he had
been at last. Finally she came straight towards the tall bunch of
grass. Danny ducked down and scurried along one of his little
tunnels. He heard Granny Fox sniff at the doorway he had just left.
Suddenly something plunged down through the snow right at his very
heels. Danny didn't have to look to know that it was Granny Fox
herself, and he squeaked with fright.
CHAPTER V
_What Happened on the Green Meadows_
Thick and fast things were happening to Danny Meadow Mouse down on
the snow-covered Green Meadows. Rather, they were almost happening.
He hadn't minded when Reddy Fox all alone tried to catch him.
Indeed, he had made a regular game of hide and seek of it and had
enjoyed it immensely. But now it was different. Granny Fox wasn't so
easily fooled as Reddy Fox. Just Granny alone would have made the
game dangerous for Danny Meadow Mouse. But Reddy was with her, and
so Danny had two to look out for, and he got so many frights that it
seemed to him as if his heart had moved right up into his mouth and
was going to stay there. Yes, sir, that is just how it seemed.
Down in his little tunnels underneath the snow Danny Meadow Mouse
felt perfectly safe from Reddy Fox, who would stop and dig
frantically at the little round doorway where he had last seen
Danny. But old Granny Fox knew all about those little tunnels, and
she didn't waste any time digging at the doorways. Instead she
cocked her sharp little ears and listened with all her might. Now
Granny Fox has very keen ears, oh, very keen ears, and she heard
just what she hoped she would hear. She heard Danny Meadow Mouse
running along one of his little tunnels under the snow.
Plunge! Old Granny Fox dived right into the snow and right through
into the tunnel of Danny Meadow Mouse. Her two black paws actually
touched Danny's tail. He was glad then that it was no longer.
"Ha!" cried Granny Fox, "I almost got him that time!"
Then she ran ahead a little way over the snow, listening as before.
Plunge! Into the snow she went again. It was lucky for him that
Danny had just turned into another tunnel, for otherwise she would
surely have caught him.
Granny Fox blew the snow out of her nose. "Next time I'll get him!"
said she.
Now Reddy Fox is quick to learn, especially when it is a way to get
something to eat. He watched Granny Fox, and when he understood what
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