"I wish you would hurry," Brownie urged him. "To-day is Monday; and
tomorrow the cyclone will be here.... What are you going to do to your
own house, Grandaddy?"

"My house----" said Grandaddy Beaver--"my house is very old. It has
had mud and sticks piled upon it every season for over a hundred
years. You can see for yourself that it's much bigger than yours. And
I reckon it's strong enough to stay where it is, no matter how hard
the wind blows. But your house is different.... Let me think a
minute!" the old gentleman said.

Brownie waited in silence while the old gentleman thought, with his
eyes shut tight. Brownie watched him for a long time. Once or twice he
thought he heard something that sounded like a snore. But he knew it
couldn't be that--it was only the thoughts trying to get inside
Grandaddy's head.

At last Grandaddy sat up with a start.

"Have you thought of something?" Brownie inquired.

"What's that?" Grandaddy asked. "Oh, yes! I've a good idea," he said.
"What you must do is to tie your house so the wind can't blow it
away."

Brownie thanked him. And he went away feeling quite happy again--until
he reached home and started to follow Grandaddy's advice. Then he saw
that he had forgotten something. He hadn't anything with which to tie
his house and make it safe from the cyclone.