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X OLD MR. TROUBLE GETS CHATTERER AT LAST OF course you have
guessed what it
was that Chatterer had been meddling with. It was a mouse-trap, and he
had
sprung it without getting hurt. Chatterer didn't know that it was a
trap. He
ought to have known, but he didn't. You see, it was not at all like the
traps
Farmer Brown's boy had sometimes set for him in the Green Forest. He
knew all
about those traps and never, never went near them. Now that there was
nothing
more exciting about the mousetrap, Chatterer turned his attention to
the other
queer thing. He walked all around it and Jooked at it from every side.
It
certainly was queer. Yes, Sir, it certainly was queer! It looked
something like
a little house only he could see all through it. He put one paw out and
touched
it. Nothing happened. He tried it again. Then he jumped right on top of
it.
Still nothing happened. He tried his sharp teeth on it, but he couldn't
bite
it. You see, it was made of stout wire. Inside was something that
looked
good to eat. It smelled good, too. Chatterer began to wonder what it
would
taste like. The more he wondered, the more he wanted to know. There
must be
some way of getting in, and if he could get in, of course he could get
out
again. He jumped down to the floor and ran all around the queer little
wire
house. At each end was a sort of little wire hallway. Chatterer stuck
his head
in one. It seemed. perfectly safe. He crept a little way, in and then
backed
out in a hurry. Nothing happened. He tried it again. Still nothing
happened. "Better keep away," said
a
small voice down inside of him. "Pooh! Who's afraid!"
said
Chatterer. "This thing can't hurt me." Then he crept a little
farther in.
Right in front of him was a little round doorway with a little wire
door.
Chatterer pushed the little door with his nose, and it opened a teeny,
weeny
bit. He drew back suspiciously. Then he tried it again, and this time
pushed
the little door a little farther open. He did this two or three times
until
finally he had his head quite inside, and there, right down below him,
was that
food he so wanted to taste. "I can hop right down and
get
it and then hop right up again," thought Chatterer. "Don't do it," said the
small voice inside. "Corn is plenty good enough. Besides, it is time
you
were getting back to the Old Orchard." "It won't take but a
minute," said. Chatterer, "and I really must know what that tastes
like." With that he jumped down. Snap! Chatterer looked up. The little wire door had closed. Old Mr. Trouble had got Chatterer at last. Yes, Sir, he certainly had got Chatterer this time. You see, he couldn't open that little wire door from the inside. He was in a trap — the wire rat-trap set by Farmer Brown's boy. |