seen Mr. Meadow Mouse venture forth in safety.

"Just by accident I overheard your remarks a few minutes ago," Mr. Owl
explained. "I'd like to watch this hole-crawling contest. And I'll stay
here and be the umpire--and see that there's fair play."

VI

MR. MEADOW MOUSE ESCAPES

Grumpy Weasel did not like Solomon Owl's offer to be umpire of the
hole-crawling contest between Mr. Meadow Mouse and himself. He hissed a
few times and glared at Solomon Owl, up in the hemlock tree.

Solomon Owl did not appear to mind that, but calmly outstared Grumpy
Weasel without once blinking. "Are you both ready?" he asked presently.

"Yes, thank you!" Mr. Meadow Mouse answered. And Grumpy Weasel gave a
sort of shrug, as if to say that he supposed he was.

"First you may try that hole between those mossy stones," Mr. Owl
announced, with a tilt of his head toward the wall.

"Certainly!" cried Mr. Meadow Mouse.

"You go first and I'll follow," Grumpy Weasel told him.

And Mr. Meadow Mouse didn't dare disobey. He whisked through the hole
spryly and was back again in no time.

Then Grumpy took his turn. He was certainly quicker than Mr. Meadow
Mouse. Even the umpire, Solomon Owl, had to admit that.

"But of course that's not the point," Solomon observed. "It's the one
that gets stuck in a hole that loses the contest."

Well, after Grumpy and Mr. Meadow Mouse had slipped through several
holes, each one smaller than the one before, Mr. Meadow Mouse said that
he thought it was only polite to let Grumpy go first. Secretly Mr.
Meadow Mouse was afraid of what might happen if he should have the
misfortune to get wedged in a hole, with Grumpy Weasel ready to follow
him. He had had some trouble getting through the last one and he knew
that he could never squeeze through one that was much smaller.

Grumpy Weasel lost his temper at once.

"I'll do as I please on my stone wall!" he snapped. And he was angrier
than ever when Solomon Own said to him, "It's your turn!" Probably no
other of the woods people--unless it was one of the Hawk family--could
have made Grumpy Weasel obey. And now he insisted that if he "went
first" he ought to be allowed to choose whatever hole he pleased.

Both Solomon Owl and Mr. Meadow Mouse agreed. So Grumpy Weasel popped
through a hole of his own choosing, and he did not reappear, though he
called to Mr. Meadow Mouse to "come on."

Mr. Meadow Mouse hung back.

"You'll have to excuse me," he stammered