The Tale of Grandfather Mole

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The Tale of Grandfather Mole, by Arthur Scott

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Title: The Tale of Grandfather Mole
Author: Arthur Scott Bailey

Release Date: April 22, 2007 [eBook #21203]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
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THE TALE OF GRANDFATHER MOLE
Sleepy-Time Tales (Trademark Registered)
by
ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY
Author of Tuck-Me-in Tales (Trademark Registered)
THE TALE OF CUFFY BEAR THE TALE OF FRISKY SQUIRREL THE TALE OF TOMMY FOX THE TALE OF FATTY COON THE TALE OF BILLY WOODCHUCK THE TALE OF JIMMY RABBIT THE TALE OF PETER MINK THE TALE OF SANDY CHIPMUNK THE TALE OF BROWNIE BEAVER THE TALE OF PADDY MUSKRAT THE TALE OF FERDINAND FROG THE TALE OF DICKIE DEER MOUSE THE TALE OF TIMOTHY TURTLE THE TALE OF MAJOR MONKEY THE TALE OF BENNY BADGER

[Illustration: Grandfather Mole Made a Rush for Mr. Meadow Mouse. Frontispiece--(Page 85)]

Sleepy-Time Tales (Trademark Registered)
THE TALE OF GRANDFATHER MOLE
by
ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY
Author of "Tuck-Me-in Tales" (Trademark Registered)
Illustrated by Harry L. Smith

New York Grosset & Dunlap Publishers Made in the United States of America Copyright, 1920, by Grosset & Dunlap

CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I A QUEER OLD PERSON 1 II WHAT THE CAT CAUGHT 5 III A BREAKFAST LOST 10 IV A NEW WAY OF TAKING A STROLL 15 V JIMMY RABBIT CAN'T WAIT 19 VI A HEARTY EATER 24 VII TWO WORM-EATERS 29 VIII LOSING HIS BEARINGS 34 IX GOOD NEWS FROM BELOW 38 X MRS. ROBIN'S WISH 43 XI SURPRISING GRANDFATHER MOLE 47 XII MR. BLACKBIRD'S ADVICE 52 XIII TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF 56 XIV THE NEW SUNSHADE 61 XV TWO AND A TOADSTOOL 65 XVI GRANDFATHER MOLE'S VISITOR 70 XVII MR. CROW SCOLDS 76 XVIII A TALK WITH MR. MEADOW MOUSE 81 XIX MR. CROW'S APOLOGY 86 XX A SIGN OF RAIN 91 XXI MRS. WREN TRIES TO HELP 96 XXII TWO FAMOUS DIGGERS 102 XXIII SEEING A SAMPLE 107 XXIV FOLLOWING THE PLOUGH 112 XXV STUBBORN AS EVER 116

THE TALE OF GRANDFATHER MOLE
I
A QUEER OLD PERSON
THERE was a queer old person that lived in Farmer Green's garden. Nobody knew exactly how long he had made his home there because his neighbors seldom saw him. He might have been in the garden a whole summer before anybody set eyes on him.
Those that were acquainted with him called him Grandfather Mole. And the reason why his friends didn't meet him oftener was because he spent most of his time underground. Grandfather Mole's house was in a mound at one end of the garden. He had made the house himself, for he was a great digger. And Mr. Meadow Mouse often remarked that it had more halls than any other dwelling he had ever seen. He had visited it when Grandfather Mole was away from home, so he knew what it was like.
Some of those halls that Mr. Meadow Mouse mentioned ran right out beneath the surface of the garden. Grandfather Mole had dug them for a certain purpose. Through them he made his way in the darkness, whenever he was hungry (which was most of the time, for he had a huge appetite!). And when he took an underground stroll he was almost sure to find a few angleworms, which furnished most of his meals.
To be sure, he did not despise a grub--if he happened to meet one--nor a cutworm nor a wire-worm.
The wonder of it was that Grandfather Mole ever found anything to eat, for the old gentleman was all but blind. The only good Grandfather Mole's eyes did him was to let him tell darkness from light. They were so small that his neighbors claimed he hadn't any at all.
Another odd thing about this odd person was his ears. The neighbors said they couldn't see them, either. But they were in his head, even if they didn't show. And Grandfather Mole himself sometimes remarked that he didn't know how he could have burrowed as he did if he had been forever getting dirt in his eyes and ears. He seemed quite satisfied to be just as he was.
And he used to say that he didn't know what good eyes were to anyone whether he was under the ground or on top of it!
Liking to dig as he did, he certainly had nothing to complain about. His long nose was