[“Who in the world are you?” asked Shaggo.]
“You’re going in the right direction,” said Yippi, the prairie dog. “Just follow your nose, and you’ll come to a fine spring. It’s a big one where all we animal folk drink, but you have to take your turn. Mine doesn’t come until after all the others are through, as I’m so little, you see.”
“What do you mean—take your turn?” asked Shaggo. “When I’m thirsty I take a drink—I don’t wait for any one.”
“Well, perhaps you can, as you’re so strong and big,” replied the little prairie dog. “But I’m not sure. There are some other big animals in this part of the country—bears, and antelopes with sharp horns. They never bother me, though, for I run into my burrow and hide whenever I hear any of them coming. Once a bear tried to dig me out with his long claws.”
“What did you do?” asked Shaggo.
“Oh, I fooled him all right. While he was digging at my front door, I just slipped out at the back and ran away. Ha! Ha! We prairie dogs always have more than one hole door to our houses. But you’ll have to excuse me. I must get some grass for dinner.”
“And I must get a drink,” said Shaggo. “Thank you for telling me about the spring, and excuse me for almost stepping on you.”