"Oh!" said Grandfather Mole. "So that's it, eh? Well, I don't mind. I never eat anything of that sort. Take all you want of it!"
XVII
MR. CROW SCOLDS
Old Mr. Crow was angry with Grandfather Mole.
Now, there was nothing strange about that, because Mr. Crow was always losing his temper. And his neighbors had long since learned not to pay much heed to his scolding. They knew that loud talk never really hurt any one. And generally Mr. Crow forgot a grievance quickly, because he was sure to get angry with somebody else.
There was one matter upon which Mr. Crow was especially touchy. That was corn. If anybody talked about corn-rob[p. 77]bers, or even said much about corn as a food, Mr. Crow always lost his temper. And if anybody showed much liking for corn, or meddled in the cornfield, then old Mr. Crow would get so angry that he couldn't speak a pleasant word for days and days.
And now he was enraged because he had reason to believe that Grandfather Mole was eating the corn that Farmer Green had planted.
"He's eating it out of the hills," Mr. Crow told his neighbors.