THE NEW HOME
When Benny Badger went wandering off to find a safer and pleasanter neighborhood in which to make a new home for himself, he had no idea at all as to where he should go. He only knew that he wanted to get a good, long distance away from the place where he had been living.
Wherever he decided to settle, it must be some spot where the ungrateful rancher wouldn't be likely to find him, and set a trap in his doorway again.
On and on Benny travelled, until at last he met a spry young chap—one of the deer mouse family—who stopped still and stared at Benny as if he would like to speak to him, but didn't quite dare to.
"Hullo!" said Benny Badger. "Do you live around here?"
The deer mouse answered politely with a nod, as if he would like to talk, if he weren't too shy.
"Do you find this an agreeable neighborhood?" Benny Badger inquired.
"Very!" the deer mouse replied in a thin, piping voice.
"Is there plenty of good water nearby?" Benny asked him.
"Yes, indeed!" the deer mouse exclaimed. "There's a water-hole right over there!" And he pointed over his shoulder, without taking his eyes off Benny Badger. He knew it was safer to keep a close watch of strangers.