the whole meadow mouse family enjoyed swimming. they liked to live near water. that was why they made their home in the low meadow, where broad brook ran deeper and more quietly than in the hillside pasture. and black creek, too, was near-by. so the meadow mouse family never had to travel far when they wanted a cool dip.

almost as soon as he was able to wander about the meadow alone master meadow mouse began to swim. he didn't have to be taught, any more than he had to be taught how to walk. swimming came to him as easily as eating. and his mother never worried about his being drowned. but when he went for his first swim in black creek mrs. meadow mouse couldn't help feeling a bit anxious.

"look out!" she warned her son. "look out for the pickerel tribe! they're the most dangerous fish in the creek."

"yes!" said master meadow mouse. "i know that. i've been told about them already."

"you have!" his mother exclaimed. "who told you?"

"a greenish gentleman with a very wide smile and queer, bulging eyes," master meadow mouse replied.

"that's ferdinand frog!" mrs. meadow mouse cried. "he's as dangerous as any pickerel that ever swam. where did you meet him?"

"i stood on the bank of the creek one day and saw him among the lily pads," her son explained. "we had quite a long talk together.... i forgot to mention it to you," he added.

the news made mrs. meadow mouse turn slightly pale. she shuddered although the day was warm; for she feared and detested ferdinand frog.

"don't ever go near that slippery villain!" she warned her son. "if you ever see him when you are swimming in the creek, make for the shore at once."

now, master meadow mouse sometimes thought that he knew more than his mother, about certain matters. and he was inclined to take her advice lightly.

"ferdinand frog was very pleasant when i met him," he remarked. "he cracked jokes. and he laughed at them himself."

"oh, he's pleasant enough," mrs. meadow mouse agreed. "he'd grin and swallow you at the same time with that great mouth of his. that's what makes him so dangerous."

"well, he's a fine swimmer, anyhow," her son declared.

"another reason why you should avoid him!" his mother retorted.

"you ought to see him dive," said master meadow mouse. "he promised to teach me to dive if i'd join him in the water."

"it's a mercy you didn't,". mrs. meadow mouse gasped. "i'm glad you had sense enough to stay on the bank."

"oh, i knew better than to take a swim in the creek that day," master meadow mouse said. "the pickerel family were nosing about among the pickerel weeds around the bend of the creek. i saw them myself. and mr. frog told me i ought to beware of them. he was very anxious—so he said—about me and the pickerel. he said he didn't want them to catch me. he was very kind, i thought."

"kind!" mrs. meadow mouse spluttered. "he didn't want them to catch you because he hopes to catch you himself!"

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