In the first book, The Grumpy Mole, the old mole learnt to laugh instead of growling – thanks to the kindness of the tiny forest creatures. In The Grumpy Mole gets a Digger, the mole has his friends come to afternoon tea. Fairies and butterflies, beetle and bee. His house looks quite crowded – he’d like it much bigger. So he goes into town and comes home with a digger. That’s when the problems begin. He doesn’t accept any driving lessons, and promptly crashes the digger through his front door. Then he buries the ladybird, one of his small friends, in the mud. He digs the beetle out, looking a bit flatter than before but not badly hurt. He decides the advice of his friends was wise – his claws are quite adequate. So he sends the digger back to the shop. “My claws saved the day,” he declares, “and my friends are all happy.”