one of the upright piles of corn, stood the little mousie girl who
had been pinched by the stone on her tail.

"In here!" she cried. "Quick, before he comes, and he won't know
where you have gone!"

"But he'll know we're hiding in the corn," said Flop.

"Quick! Get inside and talk afterward!" said the mousie girl.
"Besides there are so many piles of corn that the alligator man
won't know which one you're hiding in, and it will take him all
night to peek into them all. And after dark I'll show you the way
home."

So into the shock of corn crawled Curly and Flop pulling a lot of
stalks behind them to close the hole, and they were only just in
time, for, an instant later, up rushed the alligator man. Of course
he could not see the piggy boys, and he was much surprised.

"But I know they're hiding somewhere!" he growled. And it all
happened just as the mousie girl said. The alligator man peeked in
nearly all the corn shocks, but he didn't happen to look in the one
where Curly and Flop were hiding. And pretty soon it was dark, and
then the piggies came out and the mousie girl showed them the way
home, and the alligator man did not get them. So, you see, the
mousie helped the piggie boys after all.

And next, in case the salt cellar doesn't hide in the pepper caster
and make believe it's a mustard plaster I'll tell you about Flop
having a tumble.