Danny Meadow Mouse Shivers and Shakes

“A-H-H-H!” exclaimed Old Man Coyote as he sniffed along the edge of the pile of brush under which Danny Meadow Mouse had stopped to rest on his way to see the Great World.

"Fee, fi, fo, fum!" said he
"That smell is good to me.
Unless I'm very wrong
A Mouse has been along.
There's nothing quite so fine
On which I'd like to dine.
Come out you little sinner!
I want you for my dinner."

But Danny Meadow Mouse didn’t come out. No siree! That was an invitation he had no desire to accept. He just crept farther in, and he shivered and he shook as he heard Old Man Coyote sniff and sniff along the edge of the pile of brush. Danny didn’t know anything about that pile of brush. He didn’t know how big it was, for he hadn’t taken particular notice when he slipped under it to rest. Old Man Coyote might be able to pull it all apart, and if he could and should why then—Danny shivered some more at the mere thought of what would be likely to happen then. It didn’t make him feel any better to hear Old Man Coyote say:

“Come out, you Danny Meadow Mouse! Come out! I’ll get you any way beyond a doubt.”

Perhaps it was true that Old Man Coyote would get him any way, but Danny intended to make it as hard work for him as he could. He was that his teeth chattered, but he wouldn’t for the world let Old Man Coyote know that. Danny had learned long since that no matter how frightened you are it is always best to appear unafraid, so in his funny little voice he boldly squeaked:

“It’s of no use for you to try to get me, Mr. Coyote. You will just be wasting your time.”

Old Man Coyote chuckled and the sound of that chuckle sent more little shivers all over Danny.

“Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps you’re wrong. We’ll find out which ere very long,”

said he, and began to tear at the brush and scatter it in all directions.

Poor Danny Meadow Mouse. He wished with all his heart that he had been content to stay at home instead of going forth adventuring to see the Great World. What should he do? What should he do? He thought of slipping out on the opposite side from the one where Old Man Coyote was at work, but if he did he wouldn’t know where to go, and unless there was another hiding place very near Old Man Coyote would be sure to smell his tracks and run him down. He was in a fix, a terrible fix, and all because he was in a strange place. Still he was sorely tempted to run and take a chance. You see Danny is quite like other folks; the first thing they think of when greatly frightened is to run away. It was just so with Danny. He just had to hold on to himself to keep from running.

It was lucky he did, very lucky. Abruptly Old Man Coyote stopped tearing at the brush and Danny heard his footsteps as he ran swiftly around to the other side. Danny understood just what that meant. Old Man Coyote had hoped to frighten Danny into doing the very thing Danny had so nearly done, and he was running around now to see if Danny had run out. That settled the matter for Danny; he would stay right where he was. In a minute Old Man Coyote was back tearing at the brush again. For a minute or two he worked with all his might, then ran around again to see if Danny had been frightened out.

"I'll get you if you run," said he,
"I'll get you if you stay.
You may as well make up your mind
You'll never get away."

“Perhaps he’s right,” whimpered Danny to himself, “but while there’s life there’s hope. He hasn’t got me yet.”

Then for the first time he noticed something which he had been too frightened to notice before. It was a little ridge of earth and it was soft as if recently pushed up from beneath. It took Danny just about one teeny weeny second to jump up on top of it and begin to dig, and as he dug all fear of Old Man Coyote left him. He actually chuckled himself. He had found a way to escape.