ecause it was hardly the sort of thing to say to an old
gentleman like Grandfather Mole.

For a few moments Grandfather Mole was silent. He couldn't say a word
for himself. And Mrs. Robin whispered to some of her friends that it
certainly looked as if Grandfather Mole was guilty.

At last he managed to speak. But it was a most peculiar question that he
asked; so far as Mrs. Robin could see, it had absolutely nothing to do
with the case:

"If you happen to see Mr. Meadow Mouse, will you tell him that I'd like
to have a talk with him?"

XVIII

A TALK WITH MR. MEADOW MOUSE

THE next time she saw Mr. Meadow Mouse Mrs. Robin gave him Grandfather
Mole's message. "He says," said she, "he'd like to have a talk with
you."

"Does he?" Mr. Meadow Mouse exclaimed. "Now I wonder what he has to say!
I returned his umbrella to him, after the rain. So it can't be about
that."

"If I wanted to know, I'd go and find Grandfather Mole," Mrs. Robin
suggested tartly.

Being a mild sort of person, Mr. Meadow Mouse thanked Mrs. Robin
politely, both for the message and for the advice. And then, scampering
to a certain spot that he knew, near the fence, he disappeared through
an opening into the ground. It was one of Grandfather Mole's doorways.
Mr. Meadow Mouse did not hesitate to use it, being one of those
fortunate folk that are quite at home anywhere. It made little
difference to him whether he was above the ground or in it. And aside
from Grandfather Mole and his own family there was no one that knew his
way about Grandfather Mole's galleries as well as Mr. Meadow Mouse.

To be sure, he had some trouble in finding the old gentleman, there were
so many different passages in which to look for him. But at last Mr.
Meadow Mouse met Grandfather Mole in a long tunnel that followed a row
of newly planted corn.

"Ah, ha!" Grandfather Mole cried. "There's something I want to say to
you."

"So I hear!" Mr. Meadow Mouse replied a bit anxiously, for Grandfather
Mole sounded none too pleasant.

"You've been getting me into trouble with old Mr. Crow," Grandfather
Mole complained. "He thinks I've been eating the seed corn that Farmer
Green planted. And if I told him that it was you that's done it, and
that you've been using my galleries to reach the hills of corn, Mr. Crow
would never believe what I said."

"It looks bad for you, doesn't it?" said Mr. Meadow Mouse more
cheerfully.

Somehow his remark displeased Grandfather Mo