Towser Dog no longer ago than
yesterday, that she was of more value around this farm than I. Just
think of it! And it has been proven that I have a good deal more sense
than Mr. Fox, cunning as he thinks he is."
WHEN MR. FOX WAS FOOLISH.
As a matter of course, your Aunt Amy asked her what she meant, and Mrs.
Mouser sat down at one side of the fireplace, as if making ready for an
afternoon of story-telling.
[Illustration: Mrs. Mouser Flatters Mr. Fox.]
"It was like this;" she said. "I was down in the meadow looking for
field mice one day, and met Mr. Fox. You know some animals think that he
and I are relations; but whether we are or not, we have always been good
friends. So he sat down for a chat, and we talked of first this thing
and then that, until finally I said, just to make myself agreeable:
"'Do you know, Mr. Fox, I think you are very smart.'
"Well now, would you believe it, that puffed him way up with pride, and
he said, grinning in a way that was enough to make any cat laugh:
"'Indeed I am, Mrs. Mouser. There isn't an animal around here who can
hold a candle to me for smartness.'
"'What about the dogs?' I asked, thinking to joke him a little, and he
turned up his nose as he said:
"'I don't give a snap of my claws for all the dogs there are around this
place! Even if four or five of them should come right up here this
minute, it wouldn't bother me any. You may not think it; but Mr. Towser
is actually afraid of me.
"Well now, do you know that made me laugh again, because in the first
place I knew it wasn't true; but what was the use of saying anything of
the kind to him? He was swelled way out with pride, so I changed the
conversation, and began talking about mice, when suddenly there was a
terrible commotion down the lane, and up came Mr.
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