Arthur Scott Bailey

“ And one day the Worm-eating Warbler spoke to Grandfather Mole when he happened to see him come out of a hole.
"Why don't you live up here where you can get plenty of fresh air and sunshine?" he asked. "Don't you know they'd be good for your health?" ”

“ Sandy Chipmunk said that if the cat hunted coons, she kept it to herself.
"She's too wise to run any risk," said Grandfather Mole. "But if she's washing her face just because she expects rain, then she's stupid.
"If the cat wants to wash her face, why doesn't she stick her head out in thep. 95 rain?" Grandfather Mole demanded. And without waiting for his young companion to answer, he went on to say that in his opinion anybody that washed his face in anything but dirt was stupid beyond all hope. "I claim," said Grandfather Mole, "that there's nothing quite like a dirt bath." ”

“ Not every one, of course, would have felt as Grandfather Mole did about angleworms, and grubs and dirt, or dampness, or the dark. Many of his bird neighbors,p. 31 for instance, liked the same things to eat that he did. But most of them—except such odd ones as Solomon Owl, and Mr. Nighthawk, and Willie Whip-poor-will—loved the bright sunshine.
Spending a summer in Pleasant Valley was a small gentleman of the well known Warbler family, who had so great a liking for worms that he was known as the Worm-eating Warbler. ”

“ Whenever he visited the garden he told everybody that he should never come there again because Grandfather Mole was too greedy. Mr. Blackbird said that Grandfather Mole didn't leave enough anglep. 53worms to make it worth his while to fly across the meadow. And one day when he chanced to meet Grandfather Mole he told him that it was a shame, the way he was treating Farmer Green.
"Farmer Green is good enough to let you live underneath his garden. But instead of showing him that you are grateful you eat all of his angleworms you can." ”

“ 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 rep. 12minded 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. ”

“ These little books for little people tell of the adventures of the four-footed creatures of our American woods and fields in an amusing way which delights small two-footed human beings; and at the same time, in the shortcomings of Cuffy Bear and his neighbors, children are quick to recognize their own faults and to take home the obvious lessons. ”

“ Since Henry Hawk could sit in a great elm far up the road and see himp. 30 the moment he stuck his head out of the ground, while Grandfather Mole couldn't even see the tree, it was not surprising that Grandfather Mole preferred to stay below while Henry Hawk was awake and on watch.
Down in his galleries and chambers where it was dark as a pocket Grandfather Mole enjoyed himself thoroughly. It was lucky he was fond of worms and grubs. If he hadn't been it would be hard to say what he could have found to eat—unless it was dirt. ”

“ XXIII SEEING A SAMPLE Grandfather Mole's remark made Billy Woodchuck smile.
"I'm a very busy person. I've some digging to do down below," Grandfather had said.
"You're just the one I need to help me!" Billy Woodchuck exclaimed, for he had heard somewhere that if you want a thing done, you should get a busy person to do it.
"I hope you don't want me to catch angleworms for you," Grandfather Mole told him. "The neighbors are always asking me to do that. ”

“ Sandy Chipmunk told him.
"There's a lot of stupid people in this valley," Grandfather Mole retorted.
Sandy Chipmunk thought deeply for a few moments.
"I know of one person who would say you were right," he remarked at last.
"Who's that?" Grandfather asked him.
"The boy, Johnnie Green!" Sandy Chipmunk replied. "If you could see his face you'd know that he takes a dirt bath every day!"
p. 96
XXI MRS. WREN TRIES TO HELP "Have you found him yet?" Mrs. Rusty Wren asked Grandfather Mole one day when the old gentleman had left his dark underground home to brave the dangers of the garden. ”

“ I follow the plough," he explained. "It turns up a great quantity of angleworms. The only work I have to do is to pick 'em up with my bill."
p. 115Somehow Grandfather Mole did not appear as delighted as Mr. Blackbird had expected.
"How can I follow the plough when I can't see where it's going?" he asked.
"Silly!" Mr. Blackbird jeered. "You can find your way along a furrow, can't you?"
Grandfather Mole thought he could do that. "But you're forgetting Henry Hawk!" he reminded Mr. Blackbird. "Farmer Green ploughs in the daytime. And Henry Hawk might see me." ”

“ Robin said that it gave her a queer turn to have Grandfather Mole stick hisp. 45 nose out of the ground at her very feet. And since he was too busy catching angleworms for himself to help her and her husband, she wished he would keep out of sight.
Sometimes Grandfather Mole would speak to Mrs. Robin, or her husband; for he could hear them talking. And when you hear anybody in a garden exclaiming, "Oh, here's a big one! The children will like him, if I can ever pull him loose!" you may know at once that the speaker is talking about an angleworm. There can be no mistake about it. ”

“ Meadow Mouse. "If you make me angry it will go hard with you."
Now, Grandfather Mole was known to be a terrible fighter when aroused. And Mr. Meadow Mouse had no liking for ap. 84 fight with any one. So he moved backward a few steps and made ready to run.
"I'm sorry if I have caused you trouble," he said. "Couldn't you explain to Mr. Crow that you have tunnelled into the hills of corn in order to catch the grubs that would eat the corn if you didn't eat them first? Can't you tell him that you are helping the corn crop, instead of ruining it?" ”

“ He was thinking how comfortable his own cool, dark chambers were, and wondering why anybody should prefer to live above ground in the heat, when a voice called to him, "What a fine umbrella you have! It must be a handy thing to have in one's family!"
It was Mr. Meadow Mouse speaking. p. 62And since Grandfather Mole knew him to be a harmless sort of person he asked him to come over and join him.
"To be sure, there's not room enough for two under my sunshade," Grandfather Mole said. "But you can stand just outside it. ”

“ Jimmy Rabbit cried.
"No!" said Mr. Crow. "And I found no corn, either. But there was one ofp. 79 Grandfather Mole's galleries leading up to the center of the hill. So it's easy to guess where the corn goes."
Since news always travels fast in Pleasant Valley and tales such as Mr. Crow told spread more rapidly than any other, it wasn't long before Mrs. Robin repeated Mr. Crow's remarks in Grandfather Mole's hearing.
"What's that?" he called. "Please say that again!"
"Old Mr. Crow claims that you are eating Farmer Green's seed corn out of the hills," Mrs. Robin said. ”

“ Meadow Mouse. Nobody likes to be accused of thieving—especially when hep. 87 is innocent. And when the real corn thief (Mr. Meadow Mouse) declined to take the blame off Grandfather Mole's shoulders maybe his anger was not altogether uncalled-for.
After all, Grandfather Mole was glad, in a way, that Mr. Meadow Mouse had got away from him. "It proves"—Grandfather Mole told himself—"it proves that Mr. Meadow Mouse is not only a thief: he's a coward as well."
At the same time, any one that really knew old Mr. Crow couldn't have blamed Mr. ”

“ The kiddies will love these fascinating stories of Farmyard Folk, which tell of the daily doings of Muley Cow, Old Dog Spot, and their companions. These tales will show them that they have much in common with Henrietta Hen and the others, and will develop in them a wholesome respect for those good friends. ”

“ Mrs. Wren assured him. "I shouldn't want a youngp. 98ster of mine walking about the garden alone. I'm glad to do what I can. And meanwhile you had better stay close to that hole, for there's no need of your running any risks. If I can't find young Moses Mole, then nobody can."
Grandfather Mole said she was very kind and that he would take her advice. So he stationed himself beside the hole through which he had lately appeared and waited there while Rusty Wren's wife looked for his grandson. ”

“ Grandfather Mole Greets Mr. Meadow Mouse. (Page 61)
"At least," Grandfather Mole continued, "I've turned over the newestp. 59 leaves I could. Of course you can't turn over a leaf unless it's big enough to turn over. When a leaf is so young that it wraps itself around the main stalk it's useless to try to turn it over. And it's a great waste of time waiting for it to grow.... But it's easy to turn over a big one." Suiting his action to his words, Grandfather Mole stepped up to a loose-growing head of lettuce, and thrusting his long nose under a drooping leaf he lifted it up and pushed it over. ”