master meadow mouse had always been pudgy. before he went to the cornfield to live he had been fat enough. and after he had spent two weeks in and out of his new nest in the cornshock he was a sight to see. his sides bulged. and he had a look as if his skin weren't big enough for him.
life had become very easy for master meadow mouse. he didn't even have to leave home to get all the corn he could eat. he simply crept out of his nest, and right there in his cornshock he had two dozen ears of ripe corn. he didn't need to set foot to the ground, unless he wanted a drink.
of course master meadow mouse wasn't content to stay at home morning, noon and night. he scampered away whenever he pleased. sometimes he went for a swim in broad brook. sometimes he visited his cousins, who dwelt in other shocks in the cornfield. and every night he joined the big meadow mouse family in a frolic. they chased one another around the pumpkins that strewed the ground, dodged behind the shocked corn, or ran along the rail fence.
during the daytime master meadow mouse and his companions lay low. when they went abroad they kept a close watch for mr. crow. late as it was, the old gentleman still lingered in pleasant valley. although his cronies had started on their yearly journey to the south, he let it be known that he was expecting to spend the winter in the north.
"i've noticed signs," he had said, "that tell me we're going to have a mild winter."
whenever mr. crow visited the cornfield, the meadow mouse family hastened to hide. they didn't try to go to their own homes, but plunged inside the nearest shocks of corn.
mr. crow was far from stupid. he knew what was going on right under his nose—or his bill. flapping towards the cornfield from the woods he could see a great scurrying of small, reddish-brown persons. but when he settled down in the field there was never a meadow mouse anywhere in sight.
"they're stealing corn!" the old gentleman spluttered. "i'd stop them if i could. but what can i do when they hide the moment they see me coming?"
the old fellow pondered over the question.
"somebody," he said, "will have to tear these shocks apart in order to catch the meadow mouse people. and i don't know anyone that could do it better than fatty coon."
now, mr. crow knew where fatty coon lived, in a hollow tree in cedar swamp. and he actually started to fly over to the swamp and ask fatty coon to rid the cornfield of the meadow mouse family.
but on the way to cedar swamp mr. crow happened to think of something. he happened to think that fatty coon had an enormous appetite and was very fond of corn.
mr. crow suddenly veered off his straight course and alighted in a tree.
"that will never do," he croaked. "fatty would eat more than all the meadow mice in pleasant valley."
little did mr. crow know that fatty coon was already planning to visit the cornfield as soon as it grew dark.
nor did master meadow mouse and his cousins guess that they were to have an unwelcome guest that night.
as usual, after dark they poured out of their castles in the air to enjoy their nightly frolic. and they were having what they called "high jinks" when the word went around to hide.
for somebody squeaked in a frightened voice: "fatty coon is crawling through the pasture fence!"
