"this means another move for me," said master meadow mouse. fatty coon had broken into the house in the shock of corn where master meadow mouse had been living. and master meadow mouse had fled.

somehow he felt that a change of scene would be good for him. although he had dwelt but a short time in the cornfield, he had no longer any desire to stay there. for fatty coon had given him a great fright. there was no denying that.

"it seems as if i were always moving," master meadow mouse mused. "it's lucky for me the world is wide. thank goodness there's plenty of places left where i can go. i've tried the meadow, farmer green's woodpile, the tangle beside the pasture fence and the cornfield. and now—now let me see! i believe i'll settle along black creek, under the bank."

he was talking with long bill wren, who had a nest in a marshy spot near the creek.

"oh, don't make yourself a home under the bank!" long bill cried. "the fall rains will come soon. the creek is sure to rise. and then where will you be?"

"i'll be in the water, i suppose," master meadow mouse answered.

"correct!" said long bill wren. "and you want to avoid that. maybe you've noticed that my wife and i built our nest off the ground. we fasten it to the reeds so we'll be dry, no matter if there's a freshet in midsummer."

"ah!" master meadow mouse exclaimed with a smile. "i see you don't like water as much as i do. the fall rains won't trouble me. if the creek rises as high as my house it will be all the more fun."

long bill wren gave him an odd look.

"you're a queer one," he remarked. "anyhow, you can't say i didn't warn you. if there's a flood when the fall rains come, and you get drowned out, you can't say it's my fault."

"certainly not!" cried master meadow mouse. "and i thank you for your kind advice. but i'm not going to be drowned out. i can swim."

long bill wren shook his head.

"i hope you'll escape," he said. "i shall not be here to know whether you do or not. for we're starting for the south to-morrow. but i hope to find you safe and sound next may, when i return." and then he went home, to tell his wife that master meadow mouse was a very daring young fellow.

master meadow mouse built himself a house under the bank of black creek. and later the rain fell heavily for several days and nights, just as long bill wren had expected. the creek rose fast. yet master meadow mouse didn't worry. when the water lapped at his doorway he only laughed. and when it caught at his house and bore it downstream master meadow mouse held his fat sides and roared.

the flood brought much rubbish with it. but master meadow mouse saw nothing that took his fancy until at last a floating board caught his eye.

master meadow mouse swam out to it and scrambled upon it.

"hurrah!" he squeaked as the board carried him along with the current. "this is fine! i've got a raft. and i'll go a-traveling."

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