farm.

So the next time that Billy Woodchuck hurried by on his way to the
clover-patch, the Muley Cow stood right in his path and stopped him.

"Go back!" she said severely. "You mustn't eat any more clover. You've
had too much of it already."

Billy Woodchuck sat up on his hind feet and stared very hard at the
Muley Cow.

But he said never a word.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked him. "Can't you speak when
you're spoken to? Have you nothing to say?"

It appeared that he had. "I was thinking," he stammered, "what a pity
it is that you lost your horns."

The Muley Cow gave a sort of snort.

"Don't be a ninny!" she cried. "I never lost my horns. I never had any
to lose. That's why they call me the Muley Cow."

Billy Woodchuck sat as still as a mouse and never took his eyes off her.
It gave the Muley Cow a queer turn to be looked at so steadily. It made
her fidget and squirm.

"Well! well!" she exclaimed. "How strangely you act! What's the trouble
with you? Are you ill?"

"No!" said Billy Woodchuck. "I was only thinking what a long face you
have."

"Nothing of the sort!" the Muley Cow spluttered. "It's my opinion that
you can't see well. There must be something wrong with your eyes. And I
haven't a doubt that the trouble is just this: You've eaten too much
clover."

XVII

NO HELP FROM SPOT

Billy Woodchuck was a great deal wiser than the Muley Cow had ever
suspected. She had thought she could frighten him. By telling him that
he couldn't see well because he had eaten too much clover, she actually
expected to keep him out of the clover-patch. So she had a great
surprise when he said to her:

"You must be mistaken. I know there's nothing the matter with my eyes,
because _I can see right through you_!"

The Muley Cow knew then that she had only been wasting words on Billy
Woodchuck. She realized that she hadn't frightened him in the least. And
she felt sure that the moment her back was turned he would scurry into
the clover-patch and nip off as many of the juicy red tops as he could
hold.

[Illustration: The Muley Cow Tries to Stop Billy Woodchuck.

(_Page 80_)]

So she turned away. And sure enough! The moment she moved aside, out of
his path, Billy Woodchuck made a bee line for the fence. He was under it
in a twinkling.

And the Muley Cow knew what was happening to the clover-tops.

"There's only one thing to do," she muttered to herself. "I'll speak to
old dog Spot about this