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Show JflEDTlME STORO DANNY SHAKES MORE THAN EVER DANNX MEADOW MOUSE was trapped. He was trapped, but not caught, which sounds rather mixed and isn't at all. You see he was trapped because Billy Mink was waiting for him just outside the only doorway to that hollow log in which he was hiding. But he wasn't caught, because that doorway door-way was too small for Billy Mink "You'll Have to Come Out Some Time and I'm Going to Stay Right Here and Wait for You," Declared De-clared Billy Mink. - y-- to get through and Billy couldn't . reach him despite all his efforts. "You'll have to come out some time and I'm going to stay right here and wait for you," declared Billy Mink. "You may Just as well come out now as to keep me waiting, wait-ing, because you are going to be caught anyway and I am going to catch you." Danny didn't say a word. He held lils tongue, which was the wisest thing he could do. It usually is wise to hold one's tongue. But I suspect sus-pect that it was fear more than wisdom which caused Danny to hold his tongue. You see, poor Danny was shaking all over with fear. He knew that for the time being he was safe, but he also felt sure that if Billy Mink kept his word and watched just outside that doorway door-way he would either starve to death inside that hollow log or furnish Billy Mink a good meal. Danny couldn't decide which end would be the worst and the more he thought it over the more he shivered shiv-ered and shook. Either end was dreadful. The fact is Danny Meadow Mouse was so badly frightened fright-ened that he wasn't using his usually usu-ally lively wits at all. It never once entered his head that If Billy Mink waited long enough for him to starve, Billy would himself be likely like-ly to starve, and that is something Billy would be the very last person in the Great World to do. Billy is altogether too active to be patient. But Danny was too frightened to think of this and so he crouched shivering and shaking, as miserable a little Meadow Mouse as ever lived. "I ought to have remembered Billy Mink's wonderful nose and that if he once found my trail he would follow me straight here," thought Danny. "I ought to have waded in the water after crossing the Laughing Brook, and so broken my trail. I ought to have found a hiding place with more than one entrance. I ought but what's the use of thinking the things I ought to have done and didn't do? There isn't any. There isn't any at all." That was quite true. When it is too late there seldom is any use in thinking of what should or should not have been done. But because there seemed to him nothing else to think about, Danny Meadow Mouse continued to think about his mistakes and to shake with fear. And outside Billy Mink grinned and licked his lips and tried to think of some way to make Danny Meadow Mouse come out of that hollow log. . T. W. Burgess. WNU Service. |