Master Meadow Mouse had a great-uncle who was known as Uncle Billy. He was the oldest of all the members of the Meadow Mouse family that lived under the snow near the brook. Hobbling along through one of the tunnels beneath the seven crusts of snow he happened to meet Master Meadow Mouse as he was returning from his talk with Peter Mink.
"I just saw Peter Mink at the brook!" Master Meadow Mouse called.
"Ha!" Uncle Billy snorted. "The question is, did he see you?"
"He did," Master Meadow Mouse answered with no little pride, for he felt quite important. "He not only saw me. He talked with me."
"Ha!" Uncle Billy snorted again. "Then this is moving day."
"Why, it's not the first of May, is it?" Master Meadow Mouse cried.
"Hardly!" said Uncle Billy, with something like a sniff. "It's not Ground Hog Day yet; and that's only the second of February."
"Then why should anybody move, right in the middle of winter?" Master Meadow Mouse wanted to know.
"Because—" Uncle Billy declared hotly—"because somebody has gone and let Peter Mink know where we're spending the winter. And it's not safe for us to stay here any longer."