Once upon a time a horse’s skull lay on the open plain. It had been picked clean by the ants, and shone white in the sunlight.

Little Burrowing Mouse came along, twirling his whiskers and looking at the world. He saw the white skull, and thought it was as good as a palace. He stood up in front of it and called out,—

“Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house?”

No one answered, for there was no one inside.

“I will live there myself,” says little Burrowing Mouse, and in he went, and set up house in the horse’s skull.