“Hey there! Why don’t you look where you’re going? You almost put your big foot in my house!”
“Your house? Where’s your house?” bellowed Shaggo. “I don’t see any.”
“No, because you’re up so high in the air,” went on the voice. “My house is right down by your big hoofs, and if you don’t take care you’ll tumble in the roof, and step on me!”
Shaggo looked down and saw a queer, light brown little animal sitting near a hole in the ground.
[“Who in the world are you?” asked Shaggo.]
“I’m Yippi, the prairie dog,” was the answer. “Excuse me for speaking so sharply to you, but if I hadn’t you’d have broken into my house.”
“I wouldn’t have done that on purpose,” said Shaggo. “I was so busy sniffing for water that I didn’t see you. Is there a cool spring to drink from around here? I found some water over in the cave, but it was hot, and bubbled up under my nose.”
“Oh, that must have been one of those boiling geysers as they call them,” explained Yippi. “I’ve heard my grandfather tell of them, but I never saw one.”
“Well, I’ve seen one, and I don’t care for another,” went on Shaggo. “Believe me, they’re no fun! Where can I get a cool drink?”