The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-17
Little Stories For Bedtime
The Craft Of Sly Old Man Coyote "O BE CRAFTY is to be clever
tBy THORNTON BURGESS,

' smart. to use your wits so that
 others may not get the best of you. When Danny Meadow Mouse fooled Old Man Coyote by digging down into the tunnel of Miner the Mole, and so getting away just when Old. Man Coy had been so sure of catching him. Old Man Coyote had admitted it him self that Danny had been too smart for him this time and had walked away in the moonlight intending to hunt somewhere else for his dinner. You remember that Danny had peeped out and seen him go.
 Now, naturally Old Man Coyote had felt a little foolish and upset at being cheated out of dinner he had been so sure of and naturally as he trotted along he kept thinking about it: He had gone some little distance when new thought struck him., He stopped and thoughtfully scratched his ear... "If Danny's in he must come out.
 And that's the time to be about" !" said he. Then, abruptly, he turned and trotted straight back, hurrying his steps little and with a crafty grin on his sharp face.
 "Danny Meadow Mouse saw me leave" thought he and of course he thinks have given up trying to catch him tonight I thought I had myself, but I haven't. He'll stay down in that tunnel for while, but just as soon as he feels sure that it is safe to do so hell come out. Now what would l do If l were in his place? Would l come out where I went in? Not if l could find any other place to come out. Danny won't either. Any one smart enough to get away from me the way he did IS too smart to do anything like that. He'll follow that tunnel until he finds an- other opening. Then he'll come out and think how very smart he has been. The thing for me to do is to follow that tunnel until find one of Miners doorways and then hide near that and give that Meadow Mouse the surprise of his life when he comes out"
 Now, Old Man z Coyote knows all about the tunnels of MiLer the Mole. He knew that he would have no trouble in following that particular tunnel be- cause when Miner makes tunnel near the surface of the ground he pushes up the earth in a little ridge, which Is the roof of the tunnel. When Old Man Coyote got back to the place where Danny had disappeared all he had to do  sniffed all about. the little hole Danny had made. Danny hadn't come out. Of that he was sure. Then he made dis covery which puzzled him. That tun- mel ran in two directions. You see, the point at which Danny had dug down into it was not at the beginning of it. The question was, which direction had Danny gone? Old Man Coyote looked first one way and then the other.
 If only there were two of me
 This puzzle would quite simple be-" he muttered. Then he grinned at his own difficulty and decided that he would follow the tunnel in one direc- ton until he came to the end and then if he had discovered nothing he would turn about and follow it in the other direction.
 It just happened that he chose the right direction first. He trotted along swiftly watching for some sign of q hole in the roof of that tunnel Pres ently he came to a place where another ridge exactly like the one he was follow ing branched off. That meant that there was another tunnel Here was another puzzle. Which one had Danny taken if he had come this way? Old Man Coyote hesitated a minute. Then | he decided to Keep straight on. 80 at last he came to the mound which Miner the Mole had thrown up and in the mid dle of which was his doorway. It was closed with loose earth, so Old Man Coyote was sure that Danny Meadow Mouse had not come out there.
 He walked back few steps and was trying to make up his mind whether to go back and follow that branch tunnel or to hide where he would watch this closed doorway. It was just then that Danny Meadow Mouse, trying to es- cape from Miner the Mole popped out and discovered him. Danny had made no noise, but few seconds later Miner the Mole himself appeared and he did make a noise Old Man Coyote heard him and whirled about. At the sight ! of Miner he forgot all about Danny Meadow Mouse. He made two long