The Travels of Fuzz and Buzz

by Geraldine Mockler

But about twelve o'clock they saw a tomtit hopping about on the branches of a willow-tree that grew near the water, and after looking at them in surprise for a moment he asked them where they were going.

They told him that they were going to see their aunt, Miss Patty Grey-Fur.

"Oh, are you?" said the tomtit. "Well, I should be sorry to call Miss Patty Grey-Fur an aunt of mine. Why are you going to see her?"

"Because we want some corn," said Fuzz.

"She won't give you any," said the tomtit. "She is the meanest old mouse that ever lived in a barn. You should just hear some of the tales that are told of her in these parts. You would turn round and go home if I told you one-half of what I know about her."

"Then we would rather not hear it, thank you," said Fuzz quickly, "for we must go on."

"Just as you like, of course," said the tomtit. But he was very sorry all the same to find that they would not listen to him, for tomtits like telling tales about their friends. That is why they are often called "tale-tits". Then he flew away; and as Fuzz and Buzz floated on alone, they asked each other what sort of a mouse their aunt could be.

"We shall soon know," said Buzz; "and it can't be true that she won't give us any corn."

All that afternoon their tiny raft sailed on and on, and at last, just as it was beginning to get dark, they heard the loud roar of the river into which their stream would soon flow. As they had no wish to be carried down by it to the sea, they stood up on their little hind legs, so as to be ready to catch hold of the first branch that came within their reach. And a minute or two later they were both clinging to the branch of a weeping-willow tree, and, running along it, they soon reached the bank, from which they watched the little piece of wood which had carried them so far and so well floating on without them.

Luckily for Fuzz and Buzz the top of the snow was frozen quite hard, so that they could walk over it quite easily, and after crossing a big white field they arrived at the barn where Miss Patty Grey-Fur lived.