The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Page 3

at my
breakfast and now I've lost it."
Mr. Crow was rocking back and forth on his perch, for a joke--on
anybody except himself--always delighted him.
[Illustration: Grandfather Mole Escapes From Miss Kitty. (Page 8)]
"Grandfather Mole is right here in the garden," he declared.
"Then he must have hidden beneath a vegetable," the cat observed.
"I shouldn't say that, exactly," Mr. Crow replied.
"How far away is he?" the cat demanded.
"That would be hard to tell," Mr. Crow answered.
Farmer Green's cat had never liked Mr. Crow, for no particular reason.
And now she certainly had a very special reason for being angry with
him.
"It's all your fault," she scolded. "If you hadn't spoken to me I'd never

have taken my eyes off Grandfather Mole.... The least you can do," she
added, "is to tell me this instant where Grandfather Mole is."
"I've already told you," Mr. Crow reminded her. "He's here in the
garden. Find him if you can!"
At that Farmer Green's cat began to run up and down between the rows
of vegetables. But she had no luck at all. So after a while she came
back and told Mr. Crow that she didn't believe him.
"Tut, tut!" said Mr. Crow. "You haven't looked in the right place."
"I've searched the whole garden!" the cat cried.
"Oh, no!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. "You've looked only on top of the
ground. If you want to find Grandfather Mole you must look beneath
the surface."
The cat was greatly disappointed when she heard that.
"You don't mean to say that he went into a hole, do you?" she asked.
"I do," Mr. Crow declared.
"I don't see one anywhere," she said.
"If I had I'd have been more careful how I let him run about."
"Ah!" said Mr. Crow. "I see you don't know that Grandfather Mole
always carries a hole around with him, wherever he goes. He believes
in having one handy, in case of sudden need."
"I didn't see it," the cat told him angrily.
"Of course not!" Mr. Crow agreed. "How could you see a hole until it's
put in a certain place, ready to use?"
Well, the cat was puzzled. Somehow she couldn't quite understand Mr.
Crow's remarks. And yet there seemed some sense in them, too. But

she pretended that she understood, because she didn't want him to think
she was stupid. And without thanking him for his explanation (for she
was still angry) she turned and went off towards the meadow.
The whole affair amused Mr. Crow greatly. It kept him in a good
humor all that day. And he went about telling everybody how
Grandfather Mole had dug himself out of sight in the garden, almost
under the cat's nose.
For that was exactly what had happened.

IV
A NEW WAY OF TAKING A STROLL
GRANDFATHER MOLE was digging a new gallery under the garden,
leading out from his house into a field of corn, where he expected to
find a good many fine grubs.
His work was half done, and he was under the cabbage-patch, when he
found himself in the open air. Farmer Green's hired man's hoe had left a
small hollow between two heads of cabbage; and as luck had it,
Grandfather Mole's gallery led straight into it. So the first thing he
knew, there he was right out in the light of early morning! And
somebody called out in a cheery sort of voice, "How-dy-do,
Grandfather Mole! It's a pleasure to see you! And isn't this a beautiful
day?"
Grandfather Mole knew at once that he had nothing to fear, for he
recognized Jimmy Rabbit's voice. And he knew, too, without being told,
that he was in the cabbage-patch. For Jimmy Rabbit could be nowhere
else at breakfast time.
"Good morning!" said Grandfather Mole. "I hope you are enjoying
your breakfast."
"I am," Jimmy Rabbit answered. "And as soon as I've finished this leaf

I'm eating now, I'm going to take a stroll. Won't you join me?"
"I don't care if I do," said Grandfather Mole--meaning that he'd be glad
to walk with Jimmy. And in about half a minute Jimmy Rabbit said he
was ready.
"Very well!" Grandfather Mole told him. "Let's be on our way! I'll see
you at the edge of the duck-pond." And to Jimmy Rabbit's amazement
he stuck his nose straight down into the loose dirt, thrust out his strong
fore-feet, and was out of sight before Jimmy Rabbit could speak.
The duck-pond was just beyond the garden fence. And since
Grandfather Mole had accepted Jimmy's invitation there was nothing
for Jimmy Rabbit to do but to go to the edge of the pond and wait.
He grew very restless, for it was a long time before Grandfather Mole
appeared. But at last