"Where do you want to race against Jimmy Rabbit?" Mr. Crow asked.
"We'll start from this wall," said Grumpy sulkily, "because it's always better to start from where you are than where you aren't."
Mr. Crow said that that seemed reasonable.
"When do you want to race?" he added.
"The sooner we start the quicker we'll finish," Grumpy Weasel snapped.
"Quite true, quite true!" Mr. Crow agreed. "And now may I inquire how long a race you want to run?"
"No longer than I have to!" Grumpy growled. "Not more than a day or two, I hope!"
Mr. Crow snickered slightly. "I see you don't understand my question," he observed. "Are you going to run a mile, or only a few rods?"