The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Page 4

the old gentleman's head came popping up out of
the ground, and the owner of the head cried, "Here I am! And I'm glad
to see you haven't kept me waiting, young man. I dug so fast I was
afraid I'd get here before you did."
Really, he had made astonishing speed for one who had tunnelled his
way underground. And being a polite person, Jimmy Rabbit could only
tell Grandfather Mole that he had been very quick.
"And now we're this far," Grandfather Mole remarked, "I'd like to stroll
over in the meadow--if that suits you."
Jimmy Rabbit said that it did. There was clover in the meadow. And he
had waited so long for Grandfather Mole that he had begun to feel
hungry again. A luncheon of clover-tops! It would be exactly what he
needed.
"Then let's be on our way!" Grandfather Mole cried again. "I'll join you
on the other side of the duck-pond!"

V

JIMMY RABBIT CAN'T WAIT
AFTER telling Jimmy Rabbit that he would meet him on the other side
of the duck-pond, Grandfather Mole waded into the water and started to
swim across.
Why he did that, instead of walking around on the shore, Jimmy Rabbit
couldn't understand. He was so amazed that he stood still and stared at
Grandfather Mole.
One thing was certain: Grandfather Mole could travel much faster
through the water than he could underground. His strong legs and his
broad, spade-like feet helped to make him a fine swimmer. And Jimmy
Rabbit had noticed for the first time that Grandfather Mole's hind feet
were webbed. It was no wonder that he felt quite at home in the
duck-pond, which was made for web-footed folk.
Jimmy Rabbit was so interested in watching Grandfather Mole swim
that he didn't start to run around the pond until the swimmer had almost
reached the other side. Then Jimmy remembered suddenly that he had
to meet Grandfather Mole over there. So he raced along the edge of the
duck-pond at top speed. And since he was a very fast runner--for short
distances--he met Grandfather Mole just as the old chap was crawling
up the bank.
"There!" Grandfather Mole exclaimed. "I almost beat you this time,
young man! If you're going to take a morning stroll with me you'll have
to step lively."
Of course Jimmy Rabbit was too polite to explain that he had waited a
long time while Grandfather Mole was tunnelling his way from the
garden to the pond, and that he hadn't begun to run around the pond
until Grandfather Mole had swum almost across it. He merely smiled
and replied that he would do his best to keep up, for he shouldn't like to
make Grandfather Mole wait, especially since he had invited
Grandfather Mole to go walking with him.
"You don't mind staying here in the sunshine, I hope, while my coat

dries?" Grandfather Mole inquired. "As soon as it's dry we'll start for
the meadow."
Though Jimmy Rabbit was in a great hurry to reach the place where the
clover grew he said that he would be glad to wait with Grandfather
Mole. "The sun feels good on this cool morning," he observed. "And
it's cheerful, too."
"Do you really think so?" Grandfather Mole asked him. And when
Jimmy Rabbit assured him that he did, Grandfather Mole muttered that
it was the strangest thing he ever heard of. As for him, he much
preferred the darkness of his cool, damp galleries under the ground.
And the only reason why he wanted his coat to dry was so that the dirt
wouldn't stick to it.
It seemed to Jimmy Rabbit that Grandfather Mole's coat would never
get dry enough to suit the old gentleman. But at last he announced that
he was ready to stroll on. And when Jimmy Rabbit cried that he was
ready, too, Grandfather Mole said, "Then let's be on our way! And I'll
meet you----"
"Where the clover grows!" Jimmy interrupted.
Grandfather Mole had already buried his nose in the sand and was fast
digging himself out of sight. And Jimmy thought that if he must wait
for him again he would wait in a pleasant place.
So Jimmy Rabbit hurried to the meadow. And as he lunched on
luscious clover-tops he reflected that Grandfather Mole had a queer
notion of taking a stroll with a friend. He made up his mind then and
there that he would never again invite Grandfather Mole to walk with
him.

VI
A HEARTY EATER

A GREAT eater was Grandfather Mole. And having an enormous
appetite he was fortunate in being expert at finding angleworms.
To be sure, he had one advantage that the birds, for instance, didn't
enjoy: he was able to prowl about his galleries through the ground and