I see him ! ' cried Hooty the Owl . ` It 's Mr. Wharf Rat ! ' '' ` Yes , ' said old Mother Nature , ` it 's Mr. Wharf Rat -- he is the thief . And this shall be his punishment : Always hereafter he will be driven out wherever he is found . He shall no longer live in the Green Meadows or the Green Forest . Everyone will turn their backs upon him . He will live on what others throw away . He will live in filth and there will be no one to say a good word for him . He will become an outcast instead of a fine gentleman . ' '' ` And you , Mr. Meadow Mouse , in order that you may remember always to avoid bad company , and that while it is a splendid thing to be loyal to your friends and not to tell tales , it is also a very , very wrong thing to shield those who have done wrong when by so doing you simply help them to keep on doing wrong -- you shall no longer have the splendid long tail of which you are so proud , but it shall be short and stubby . ' `` Even while old Mother Nature was speaking , Mr. Meadow Mouse felt his tail grow shorter and shorter , and when she had finished he had just a little mean stub of a tail . `` Of course he felt terribly . And while Striped Chipmunk hurried to tell him how sorry he felt , and while all the other little meadow people also hurried to tell him how sorry they felt , he could not be comforted . So he slipped away as quickly as he could , and because he was so ashamed he crept along underneath the long grass that no one should see his short tail . And ever since that long ago time when the world was young , '' concluded Grandfather Frog , `` the Meadow Mice have had short tails and have always scurried along under cover of the long grass where no one will see them . And the Wharf Rats have never again lived in the Green Meadows or in the Green Forest , but have lived on filth and garbage around the homes of men , with every man 's hand against them . '' `` Thank you , Grandfather Frog , '' said Danny Meadow Mouse , very soberly . `` Now I understand why my tail is short and I shall not forget . '' `` But it is n't your fault at all , Danny Meadow Mouse , '' cried the Merry Little Breezes , who had been listening , `` and we love you just as much as if your tail was long ! ''
Then they played tag with him all the way up the Lone Little Path to his house , till Danny Meadow XXXXX quite forgot that he had wished that his tail was long .
Chipmunk Forest Hooty Meadows Mice Mouse Nature Rat backs gentleman