[Flop Ear saw a mother mouse and five little mice.]
CHAPTER XI
FLOP EAR AND THE MONKEY
“That wood is very hard to gnaw; isn’t it?” asked the mother mouse as she, with her little children mice inside the trap, looked out at Flop Ear. “It was too hard for my teeth. I don’t see how you can bite through it.”
“Oh, I do not have much trouble,” replied the rabbit, speaking in animal language, of course. “You see I learned to gnaw bark off trees when I was a little baby rabbit, and now it is no trouble for me to bite a hole in the wood of this trap. Of course, I could not gnaw where there is wire netting, but the wood part does not bother me.”
“I am glad of that,” returned the mother mouse, “for I would not like to give you too much trouble.”
“It is no trouble when I am helping some one,” said Flop Ear. “Not long ago Tum Tum, the jolly elephant, helped me by lifting me up in his trunk so I would not be run over by a circus wagon. Now I am helping you. Perhaps some day you may help Tum Tum.”
“Oh, Mother!” exclaimed Switchy. “How could little things, such as we mice are, help a big elephant.”