IX

WHY MINER THE MOLE LIVES UNDER GROUND

Striped Chipmunk sat staring at a little ridge where the grass was raised up.  He had often seen little ridges like that without thinking much about them.  He knew that they were made by Miner the Mole.  He had known that ever since he was big enough to begin to ask questions.  But now as he looked at this one, it suddenly struck him that he had not seen Miner the Mole more than once or twice in all his life.

“What a queer way of living!” thought Striped Chipmunk.  “It’s all very well to have a snug house under the ground, where one can sleep the long cold winter away and be perfectly safe, but what any one wants to live under the ground all the time for, in the beautiful springtime and summertime and autumntime, I can’t understand.  Just think of all that Miner misses—­the sunshine, the flowers, the songs of the birds, and the Merry Little Breezes to play with!  I wonder—­”

“What do you wonder?” The voice was so close to Striped Chipmunk that it made him jump.  He whirled about.  There was Johnny Chuck, who had tiptoed up as softly as he knew how, to give Striped Chipmunk a scare.  Johnny grinned.  “What do you wonder?” he repeated.

Striped Chipmunk made a face at Johnny.  “I wonder something that I bet you don’t know,” he replied.

“That’s easy,” replied Johnny.  “There are more things I don’t know than I do know, but I’m always ready to learn.  What is it this time?”

“Why does Miner the Mole live under ground all the time?” Striped Chipmunk pointed to the ridge made by Miner.

Johnny Chuck scratched his head thoughtfully.

“I don’t know,” he confessed finally.  “I never thought of it before.  Of course there must be a reason.  He never comes out to play with the rest of us—­just spends all his time by himself down in the dark, digging and digging.  I wonder—­”

“Well, what do you wonder?”

“The same thing you wonder,” laughed Johnny Chuck.  “If you haven’t got anything else to do, let’s go down to the Smiling Pool and ask Grandfather Frog; he’ll be sure to know.”

Striped Chipmunk hadn’t anything else to do, so off they started.  On the way they met Jimmy Skunk and Danny Meadow Mouse.  Neither of them knew why Miner the Mole lives under ground, and because they hadn’t anything better to do, they also started for the Smiling Pool.

Grandfather Frog was sitting on his big green lily-pad in the warm sunshine, and for once he didn’t have to be teased for a story.

“Chug-a-rum!” said he in his deep voice.  “It’s very strange to me how little some folks know about their nearest neighbors.”  He looked up and winked at jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun.

Striped Chipmunk, Johnny Chuck, Jimmy Skunk, and Danny Meadow Mouse looked as though they felt very foolish, as indeed they did.  You see, all their lives Miner the Mole had been one of their nearest neighbors, and yet they didn’t know the first thing about him.