He was blinking his great goggle eyes at jolly , round , red Mr. Sun . `` Oh , Grandfather Frog , '' said Danny Meadow Mouse in a very small voice , for you know he was quite out of breath with running , `` Oh , Grandfather Frog , I 've brought you four fat , foolish , green flies . '' Grandfather Frog put a hand behind an ear and listened . `` Did I hear someone say ` foolish , green flies ? ' '' asked Grandfather Frog . `` Yes , Grandfather Frog , here they are , '' said Danny Meadow Mouse , still in a very small voice . Then he gave Grandfather Frog the four fat , foolish , green flies . `` What is it that you want me to do for you , Danny Meadow Mouse ? '' asked Grandfather Frog as he smacked his lips , for he knew that Danny Meadow Mouse must want something to bring him four fat , foolish , green flies . `` If you please , '' said Danny Meadow Mouse , very politely , `` if you please , Grandfather Frog , old Mr. Toad told me that you could tell me how Grandfather Meadow Mouse a thousand times removed lost half of his tail . Will you , Grandfather Frog -- will you ? '' `` Chug-a-rum , '' said Grandfather Frog . `` My cousin , Mr. Toad , talks too much . '' But he settled himself comfortably on the big lily pad , and this is what he told Danny Meadow Mouse : `` Once upon a time , when the world was young , Mr. Meadow Mouse , your grandfather a thousand times removed , was a very fine gentleman . He took a great deal of pride in his appearance , did Mr. Meadow Mouse , and they used to say on the Green Meadows that he spent an hour , a full hour , every day combing his whiskers and brushing his coat . `` Anyway , he was very fine to look upon , was Mr. Meadow Mouse , and not the least attractive thing about him was his beautiful , long , slim tail , of which he was very proud . `` Now about this time there was a great deal of trouble on the Green Meadows and in the Green Forest , for some one was stealing -- yes , stealing ! Mr. Rabbit complained first . To be sure , Mr. Rabbit was lazy and his cabbage patch had grown little more than weeds while he had been minding other folks ' affairs rather than his own , but , then , that was no reason why he should lose half of the little which he did raise . And that is just what he said had happened .
`` No one really believed what Mr. XXXXX said , for he had such a bad name for telling things which were not so that when he did tell the truth no one could be quite sure of it .
Chug-a-rum Frog Mouse Rabbit Sun Toad day first hour stealing