THE QUARRELSOME MOLE
When the first hillock of fresh brown earth was thrown up in the edge ofthe Forest, the People who lived there said to each other. "Can it bethat we have a new neighbor?"
Perhaps the Rabbits, the Ground Hogs, and the Snakes cared the most, forthey also made their homes in the ground; yet even the Orioles wanted toknow all about it. None of them had ever been acquainted with a Mole.They had seen the ridges in the meadows beneath which the Moles hadtheir runways, and they knew that when the Moles were making these longstreets under ground, they had to cut an opening through the grass oncein a while and throw the loose earth out. This new mound in the forestlooked exactly like those in the meadow, so they decided there must be aMole in the neighborhood.
If that were so, somebody should call upon him and get acquainted; buthow could they call? Mrs. Red Squirrel said: "Why can't some of youpeople who are so clever at digging, burrow down and find him?"
"Yes indeed," twittered the birds; "that is a good plan."
But Mr. Red Squirrel smiled at his wife and said: "I am afraid,Bushy-tail (that was his pet name for her) that none of our friends herecould overtake the Mole. You know he is a very fast runner. If they werefollowing they could never catch him."
"Let them burrow down ahead of the place where he is working, then,"said she.
"And the Mole would turn and go another way, not knowing it was a friendlooking for him."
"Well, why not make an opening into one of his runways and go into it,hunting until he is found?" said Mrs. Red Squirrel, who was like someother people in not wishing to give up her own ideas.
"Yes," cried a mischievous young Woodpecker; "let the Ground Hog go. Yousurely don't think him too fat?"
Now there was no denying that the Ground Hog was getting too stout tolook well, and people thought he would be angry at this. Perhaps he wasangry. The little Rabbits were sure of it. They said they knew by theexpression of his tail. Still, you know, the Ground Hog came of a goodfamily, and well-bred people do not say mean things even if they areannoyed. He combed the fur on his face with both paws, and answeredwith a polite bow: "If I had the slender and graceful form of mycharming friend, Mrs. Red Squirrel, I should be delighted to do as shesuggests."
That was really a very clever thing for Mr. Ground Hog to say. It wasmuch more agreeable than if he had grunted out, "Much she knows aboutit! We burrowing people are all too large." And now Mrs. Red Squirrelwas pleased and happy although her plan was not used.
That night Mrs. Ground Hog said to her husband: "I didn't know youadmired Mrs. Red Squirrel so much." And he answered: "Pooh! Admire her?She is a very good-looking person for one of her family, and I want tobe polite to her for her husband's sake. He and I have businesstogether. But for my part I prefer more flesh. I could never havemarried a slender wife, and I am pleased to see, my dear, that you arestouter than you were." And this also shows how clever a fellow Mr.Ground Hog was.
The very next night, as luck would have it, the Mole came out of hisrunway for a scamper on the grass. Mr. Ground Hog saw him and made hisacquaintance. "We are glad to have you come," said he. "You will find ita pleasant neighborhood. People are very friendly."
"Well, I'm glad of that," answered the Mole. "I don't see any sense inpeople being disagreeable, myself, but in the meadow which I have justleft there were the worst neighbors in the world. I stood it just aslong as I could, and then I moved."
"I am sorry to hear that," said the Ground Hog, gently. "I had alwayssupposed it a pleasant place to live in." He began to wonder what kindof fellow the Mole was. He did not like to hear him say such unkindthings before a new acquaintance. Sometimes unpleasant things have to besaid, but it was not so now.
"Umph!" said the Mole. "You have to live with people to know them. Ofcourse, we Moles had no friends among the insects. We are always glad tomeet them in the ground, but they do not seem so glad to meet us. Thatis easily understood when you remember what hungry people Moles are.Friendship is all very well, but when a fellow's stomach is empty, hecan't let that stand in the way of a good dinner. There was no suchreason why the Tree Frog or the Garter Snake should dislike me."
"Are you sure they did dislike you?"
"Certain of it. I remember how one night I wanted to talk with theGarter Snake, and asked him to come out of his hole for a visit in themoonlight. He wouldn't come."
"What did he say?" asked the Ground Hog.
"Not a word! And that was the worst of it. Think how provoking it wasfor me to stand there and call and call and not get any reply."
"Perhaps he was not at home," suggested the Ground Hog.
"That's what he said when I spoke to him. Said he was spending the nightdown by the river. As though I'd be likely to believe that! I guess hesaw that he couldn't fool me, though, for after I told him what Ithought of him he wriggled away without saying a word."
"Still he is not so disagreeable as the Tree Frog," said the Mole, aftera pause in which the Ground Hog had been trying not to laugh. The GroundHog said afterward that it was the funniest sight imaginable to see thestout little Mole scampering back and forth in the moonlight, andstopping every few minutes to scold about the Meadow People. Thetwitching of his tiny tail and the jerky motions of his large,pink-palmed digging hands, showed how angry he grew in thinking ofthem, and his pink snout fairly quivered with rage.
"I will tell you about the Tree Frog," said the Mole. "He is one ofthese fellows who are always just so good-natured and polite. I can'tendure them. I say it's putting on airs to act that way. I was tellinghim what I thought of the Garter Snake, and what should he do but drawhimself up and say: 'Excuse me, but the Garter Snake is a particularfriend of mine, and I do not care to hear him spoken of in that way.' Iguess I taught him one good lesson, though. I told him he was just thekind of person I should expect the Garter Snake to like, and that Iwished them much joy together, but that I didn't want anything to dowith them.
"It was only a short time after this that I had such trouble aboutmaking my fort. Whenever I started to dig in a place I would find someother Mole there ahead of me."
"And then you would have to go somewhere else, of course?" said theGround Hog.
"I'd like to know why!" said the Mole, with his glossy silver-brown furon end. "No indeed! I had a perfect right to dig wherever I wished, andI would tell them so, and they would have to go elsewhere. One Mole wasbad-tempered enough to say that he had as much right in the meadow asanybody, and I had to tussle with him and bite him many times before hesaw his mistake.... They are disagreeable people over there,--but whyare you going so soon? I thought we would have a good visit together."
"I promised to meet Mrs. Ground Hog," said her husband, "and must go.Good-night!" and he trotted away.
Not long afterward this highly respectable couple were feeding togetherin the moonlight. "What do you think of the Mole?" said she.
"Well,--er--ahem," answered her husband. "You know, my dear, that I donot like to talk against people, and I might better not tell you exactlywhat I think of him. He is a queer-looking fellow, and I always distrustanyone who will not look me in the eye. Perhaps that is not his fault,for the fur hides his eyes and he wears his ears inside of his head; butI must say that a fiercer or more disagreeable-looking snout I neversaw. He has had trouble with all his old neighbors, and a fellow whocannot get along peaceably in one place will not in another. He isalways talking about his rights and what he thinks----"
"You have told me enough," said Mrs. Ground Hog, interrupting him."Nobody ever liked a person who insists on his 'rights' every time. Andsuch a person never enjoys life. What a pity it is!" and she gave a sighthat shook her fat sides. "Now, I had it all planned that he shouldmarry and set up housekeeping, and that I should have another pleasantneighbor soon."
"Ah! Mrs. Ground Hog," said her husband teasingly, "I knew you would bethinking of that. You are a born matchmaker. Now I think we could standa few bachelors around here,--fine young fellows who have nothing to dobut
enjoy life." And his eyes twinkled as he said it.
"As though you did not enjoy life!" answered his wife. "Still, I couldnot wish any young Mole such a husband as this fellow. It is a greatundertaking to marry a grumpy bachelor and teach him the happiness ofliving for others." And she looked very solemn.
"I suppose you found it so?" said Mr. Ground Hog, sidling up toward her.
"What a tease you are!" said his wife. "You know that I am happy." Andreally, of all the couples on whom the moon looked that night, therewas not a happier one than this pair of Ground Hogs; and there was not alonelier or more miserable person than the Mole, who guarded his ownrights and told people what he thought of them. But it is always so.