OLD GRANNY FOX

By Thornton W. Burgess

CHAPTER I: Reddy Fox Brings Granny News

 Pray who is there who would refuse To bearer be of happy news? --Old Granny Fox. 

Snow covered the Green Meadows and the Green Forest, and ice bound theSmiling Pool and the Laughing Brook. Reddy and Granny Fox were hungrymost of the time. It was not easy to find enough to eat these days, andso they spent nearly every minute they were awake in hunting. Sometimesthey hunted together, but usually one went one way, and the other wentanother way so as to have a greater chance of finding something. Ifeither found enough for two, the one finding it took the food back totheir home if it could be carried. If not, the other was told where tofind it. 

For several days they had had very little indeed to eat, and they wereso hungry that they were willing to take almost any chance to get a goodmeal. For two nights they had visited Farmer Brown's henhouse, hopingthat they would be able to find a way inside. But the biddies had beensecurely locked up, and try as they would, they couldn't find a way in. 

"It's of no use, " said Granny, as they started back home after thesecond try, "to hope to get one of those hens at night. If we are goingto get any at all, we will have to do it in broad daylight. It canbe done, for I have done it before, but I don't like the idea. We arelikely to be seen, and that means that Bowser the Hound will be set tohunting us. "

"Pooh!" exclaimed Reddy. "What of it? It's easy enough to fool him. "

"You think so, do you?" snapped Granny. "I never yet saw a young Foxwho didn't think he knew all there is to know, and you're just like therest. When you've lived as long as I have you will have learned not tobe quite so sure of your own opinions. I grant you that when there is nosnow on the ground, any Fox with a reasonable amount of Fox sense in hishead can fool Bowser, but with snow everywhere it is a very differentmatter. If Bowser once takes it into his head to follow your trail thesedays, you will have to be smarter than I think you are to fool him. Theonly way you will be able to get away from him will be by going intoa hole in the ground, and when you do that you will have given away asecret that will mean we will never have any peace at all. We will neverknow when Farmer Brown's boy will take it into his head to smoke us out. I've seen it done. No, Sir, we are not going to try for one of thosehens in the daytime unless we are starving. "

"I'm starving now, " whined Reddy. 

"No such thing!" Granny snapped. "I've been without food longer thanthis many a time. Have you been over to the Big River lately?"

"No, " replied Reddy. "What's the use? It's frozen over. There isn'tanything there. "

"Perhaps not, " replied Granny, "but I learned a long time ago that itis a poor plan to overlook any chance. There is a place in the Big Riverwhich never freezes because the water runs too swiftly to freeze, andI've found more than one meal washed ashore there. You go over there nowwhile I see what I can find in the Green Forest. If neither of us findsanything, it will be time enough to think about Farmer Brown's hensto-morrow. "

Much against his will Reddy obeyed. "It isn't the least bit of use, " hegrumbled, as he trotted towards the Big River. "There won't be anythingthere. It is just a waste of time. "

Late that afternoon he came hurrying back, and Granny knew by the waythat he cocked his ears and carried his tail that he had news of somekind. "Well, what is it?" she demanded. 

"I found a dead fish that had been washed ashore, " replied Reddy. "Itwasn't big enough for two, so I ate it. "

"Anything else?" asked Granny. 

"No-o, " replied Reddy slowly; "that is, nothing that will do us anygood. Quacker the Wild Duck was swimming about out in the open water, but though I watched and watched he never once came ashore. "

"Ha!" exclaimed Granny. "That is good news. I think we'll go Duckhunting. "

CHAPTER II: Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting

 When you're in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight. --Old Granny Fox. 

Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his dailyclimb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figurestrotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other. They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds justwhere they were going. They had. You see they were Granny and Reddy Fox, and they were bound for the Big River at the place where the water rantoo swiftly to freeze. The day before Reddy had discovered Quacker theWild Duck swimming about there, and now they were on their way to try tocatch him. 

Granny led the way and Reddy meekly followed her. To tell the truth, Reddy hadn't the least idea that they would have a chance to catchQuacker, because Quacker kept out in the water where he was as safe fromthem as if they were a thousand miles away. The only reason that Reddyhad willingly started with Granny was the hope that he might find a deadfish washed up on the shore as he had the day before. 

"Granny certainly is growing foolish in her old age, " thought Reddy, ashe trotted along behind her. "I told her that Quacker never once cameashore all the time I watched yesterday. I don't believe he ever comesashore, and if she knows anything at all she ought to know that shecan't catch him out there in the water. Granny used to be smart enoughwhen she was young, I guess, but she certainly is losing her mind now. It's a pity, a great pity. I can just imagine how Quacker will laugh ather. I have to laugh myself. "

He did laugh, but you may be sure he took great pains that Granny shouldnot see him laughing. Whenever she looked around he was as sober ascould be. In fact, he appeared to be quite as eager as if he felt surethey would catch Quacker. Now old Granny Fox is very wise in the ways ofthe Great World, and if Reddy could have known what was going on in hermind as she led the way to the Big River, he might not have felt quiteso sure of his own smartness. Granny was doing some quiet laughingherself. 

"He thinks I'm old and foolish and don't know what I'm about, the youngscamp!" thought she. "He thinks he has learned all there is to learn. Itisn't the least use in the world to try to tell him anything. When youngfolks feel the way he does, it is a waste of time to talk to them. He has got to be shown. There is nothing like experience to take theconceit out of these youngsters. "

Now conceit is the feeling that you know more than any one else. Perhapsyou do. Then again, perhaps you don't. So sometimes it is best not tobe too sure of your own opinion. Reddy was sure. He trotted along behindold Granny Fox and planned smart things to say to her when she foundthat there wasn't a chance to catch Quacker the Duck. I am afraid, very much afraid, that Reddy was planning to be saucy. People who thinkthemselves smart are quite apt to be saucy. 

Presently they came to the bank of the Big River. Old Granny Fox toldReddy to sit still while she crept up behind some bushes where she couldpeek out over the Big River. He grinned as he watched her. He was stillgrinning when she tiptoed back. He expected to see her face long withdisappointment. Instead she looked very much pleased. 

"Quacker is there, " said she, "and I think he will make us a very gooddinner. Creep up behind those bushes and see for yourself, then comeback here and tell me what you think we'd better do to get him. "

So Reddy stole up behind the bushes, and this time it was Granny whogrinned as she watched. As he crept along, Reddy wondered if it could bethat for once Quacker had come ashore. Granny seemed so sure they couldcatch him that this must be the case. But when he peeped through thehushes, there was Quacker way out in the middle of the open water justwhere he had been the day before. 

CHAPTER III: Reddy Is Sure Granny Has Lost Her Senses

 Perhaps 'tis just as well that we Can't see ourselves as others see. --Old Granny Fox. 

"Just as I thought, " muttered Reddy Fox as he peeped through the busheson the bank of the Big River and saw Quacker swimming about in the waterwhere it ran too swiftly to freeze. "We've got just as much chance ofcatching him as I have of jumping over the moon. That's what I'll tellGranny. "

He crept back carefully so as not to be seen by Quacker, and when he hadreached the place where Granny was waiting for him, his face wore a veryimpudent look. 

"Well, " said Granny Fox, "what shall we do to catch him?"

"Learn to swim like a fish and fly like a bird, " replied Reddy in such asaucy tone that Granny had hard work to keep from boxing his ears. 

"You mean that you think he can't be caught?" said she quietly. 

"I don't think anything about it; I know he can't!" snapped Reddy. "Notby us, anyway, " he added. 

"I suppose you wouldn't even try?" retorted Granny. 

"I'm old enough to know when I'm wasting my time, " replied Reddy with atoss of his head. 

"In other words you think I'm a silly old Fox who has lost her senses, "said Granny sharply. 

"No-o. I didn't say that, " protested Reddy, looking very uncomfortable. 

"But you think it, " declared Granny. "Now look here, Mr. Smarty, you dojust as I tell you. You creep back there where you can watch Quacker andall that happens, and mind that you keep out of his sight. Now go. "

Reddy went. There was nothing else to do. He didn't dare disobey. Granny watched until Reddy had readied his hiding-place. Then what doyou think she did? Why, she walked right out on the little beach justbelow Reddy and in plain sight of Quacker! Yes, Sir, that is what shedid!

Then began such a queer performance that it is no wonder that Reddy wassure Granny had lost her senses. She rolled over and over. She chasedher tail round and round until it made Reddy dizzy to watch her. Shejumped up in the air. She raced back and forth. She played with a bitof stick. And all the time she didn't pay the least attention to Quackerthe Duck. 

Reddy stared and stared. Whatever had come over Granny? She was crazy. Yes, Sir, that must be the matter. It must be that she had gone withoutfood so long that she had gone crazy. Poor Granny! She was in her secondchildhood. Reddy could remember how he had done such things when he wasvery young, just by way of showing how fine he felt. But for a grown-upFox to do such things was undignified, to say the least. You know Reddythinks a great deal of dignity. It was worse than undignified; it waspositively disgraceful. He did hope that none of his neighbors wouldhappen along and see Granny cutting up so. He never would hear the endof it if they did. 

Over and over rolled Granny, and around and around she chased her tail. The snow flew up in a cloud. And all the time she made no sound. Reddywas just trying to decide whether to go off and leave her until she hadregained her common sense, or to go out and try to stop her, when hehappened to look out in the open water where Quacker was. Quacker wassitting up as straight as he could. In fact, he had his wings raised tohelp him sit up on his tail, the better to see what old Granny Fox wasdoing. 

"As I live, " muttered Reddy, "I believe that fellow is nearer than hewas!"

Reddy crouched lower than ever, and instead of watching Granny hewatched Quacker the Duck. 

CHAPTER IV: Quacker The Duck Grows Curious

 The most curious thing in the world is curiosity. --Old Granny Fox. 

Old Granny Fox never said a truer thing than that. It is curious, verycurious, how sometimes curiosity will get the best of even the wisestand most sensible of people. Even Old Granny Fox herself has been knownto be led into trouble by it. We expect it of Peter Rabbit, but Peterisn't a bit more curious than some others of whom we do not expect it. 

Now Quacker the Wild Duck is the last one in the world you would expectto be led into trouble by curiosity. Quacker had spent the summer in theFar North with Honker the Goose. In fact, he had been born there. He hadstarted for the far away Southland at the same time Honker had, but whenhe reached the Big River he had found plenty to eat and had decided tostay until he had to move on. The Big River had frozen over everywhereexcept in this one place where the water was too swift to freeze, andthere Quacker had remained. You see, he was a good diver and on thebottom of the river he found plenty to eat. No one could get at himout there, unless it were Roughleg the Hawk, and if Roughleg did happenalong, all he had to do was to dive and come up far away to laugh andmake fun of Roughleg. The water couldn't get through his oily feathers, and so he didn't mind how cold it was. 

Now in his home in the Far North there were so many dangers that Quackerhad early learned to be always on the watch and to take the best of careof himself. On his way down to the Big River he had been hunted by menwith terrible guns, and he had learned all about them. In fact, he feltquite able to keep out of harm's way. He rather prided himself thatthere was no one smart enough to catch him. 

I suspect he thought he knew all there was to know. In this respect hewas a good deal like Reddy Fox himself. That was because he was young. It is the way with young Ducks and Foxes and with some other youngstersI know. 

When Quacker first saw Granny Fox on the little beach, he flirted hisabsurd little tail and smiled as he thought how she must wish she couldcatch him. But so far as he could see, Granny didn't once look at him. 

"She doesn't know I'm out here at all, " thought Quacker. Then suddenlyhe sat up very straight and looked with all his might. What under thesun was the matter with that Fox? She was acting as if she had suddenlylost her senses. 

Over and over she rolled. Around and around she spun. She turnedsomersaults. She lay on her back and kicked her heels in the air. Never in his life had he known any one to act like that. There must besomething the matter with her. 

Quacker began to get excited. He couldn't keep his eyes off Old GrannyFox. He began to swim nearer. He wanted to see better. He quite forgotshe was a Fox. She moved so fast that she was just a queer red spot onthe beach. Whatever she was doing was very curious and very exciting. Heswam nearer and nearer. The excitement was catching. He began to swim incircles himself. All the time he drew nearer and nearer to the shore. Hedidn't have the least bit of fear. He was just curious. He wanted to seebetter. 

All the time Granny was cutting up her antics, she was watching Quacker, though he didn't suspect it. As he swam nearer and nearer to the shore, Granny rolled and tumbled farther and farther back. At last Quacker wasclose to the shore. If he kept on, he would be right on the land in afew minutes. And all the time he stared and stared. No thought of dangerentered his head. You see, there was no room because it was so filledwith curiosity. 

"In a minute more I'll have him, " thought Granny, and whirled fasterthan ever. And just then something happened. 

CHAPTER V: Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home

 Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth. --Old Granny Fox. 

Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through theGreen Forest that night, afraid to go home. You see, he had almost dinedon Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn't, andit was all his own fault. That was why he was afraid to go home. Fromhis hiding-place on the bank he had watched Quacker swim in and in untilhe was almost on the shore where old Granny Fox was whirling and rollingand tumbling about as if she had entirely lost her senses. Indeed, Reddyhad been quite sure that she had when she began. It wasn't until he sawthat curiosity was drawing Quacker right in so that in a minute or twoGranny would be able to catch him, that he understood that Granny wasanything but crazy, and really was teaching him a new trick as well astrying to catch a dinner. 

When he realized this, he should have been ashamed of himself fordoubting the smartness of Granny and for thinking that he knew all therewas to know. But he was too much excited for any such thoughts. Nearerand nearer to the shore came Quacker, his eyes fixed on the red, whirling form of Granny. Reddy's own eyes gleamed with excitement. WouldQuacker keep on right up to the shore? Nearer and nearer and nearer hecame. Reddy squirmed uneasily. He couldn't see as well as he wanted to. The bushes behind which he was lying were in his way. He wanted to seeGranny make that jump which would mean a dinner for both. 

Forgetting what Granny had charged him, Reddy eagerly raised his head tolook over the edge of the bank. Now it just happened that at that veryminute Quacker chanced to look that way. His quick eyes caught themovement of Reddy's head and in an instant all his curiosity vanished. That sharp face peering at him over the edge of the bank could mean butone thing--danger! It was all a trick! He saw through it now. Like aflash he turned. There was the whistle of stiff wings beating the airand the patter of feet striking the water as he got under way. Then heflew out to the safety of the open water. Granny sprang, but she wasjust too late and succeeded in doing no more than wet her feet. 

Of course, Granny didn't know what had frightened Quacker, not at first, anyway. But she had her suspicions. She turned and looked up at theplace where Reddy had been hiding. She couldn't see him. Then shebounded up the bank. There was no Reddy there, but far away across thesnow-covered Green Meadows was a red spot growing smaller and smaller. Reddy was running away. Then she knew. At first Granny was very angry. You know it is a dreadful thing to be hungry and have a good dinnerdisappear just as it is almost within reach. 

"I'll teach that young scamp a lesson he won't soon forget when I gethome, " she muttered, as she watched him. Then she went back to the edgeof the Big River and there she found a dead fish which had been washedashore. It was a very good fish, and when she had eaten it Granny feltbetter. 

"Anyway, " thought she, "I have taught him a new trick and one he is n'tlikely to forget. He knows now that Granny still knows a few tricks thathe doesn't, and next time he won't feel so sure he knows it all. I guessit was worth while even if I didn't catch Quacker. My, but he would havetasted good!" Granny smacked her lips and started for home. 

But Reddy, with a guilty conscience, was afraid to go home. And so, miserable and hungry, he hunted through the Green Forest all the longnight and wished and wished that he had heeded what old Granny Fox hadtold him. 

CHAPTER VI: Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping

 The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them. --Old Granny Fox. 

There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and theGreen Meadows which runs something like this:

 "You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep. "

Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, sokeenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeedwho fools her or gets ahead of her. Reddy Fox is smart, very smart. ButReddy isn't nearly as smart as Old Granny Fox. You see, he hasn't livednearly as long, so of course there is much knowledge of many thingsstored away in Granny's head of which Reddy knows little. 

But once in a while even the smartest people are caught napping. Yes, Sir, that does happen. They will be careless sometimes. It was just sowith Old Granny Fox. With all her smartness and cleverness and wisdomshe grew careless, and all the smartness and cleverness and wisdom inthe world is useless if the possessor becomes careless. 

You see, Old Granny Fox had become so used to thinking that she wassmarter than any one else, unless it was Old Man Coyote, that sheactually believed that no one was smart enough ever to surprise her. Yes, Sir, she actually believed that. Now, you know when a personreaches the point of thinking that no one else in all the Great World isquite so smart, that person is like Peter Rabbit when he made ready onewinter day to jump out on the smooth ice of the Smiling Pool, --gettingready for a fall. It was this way with Old Granny Fox. 

Because she had lived near Farmer Brown's so long and had been huntedso often by Farmer Brown's boy and by Bowser the Hound, she had got theidea in her head that no matter what she did they would not be able tocatch her. So at last she grew careless. Yes, Sir, she grew careless. And that is something no Fox or anybody else can afford to do. 

Now on the edge of the Green Forest was a warm, sunny knoll, which, asyou know, is a sort of little hill. It overlooked the Green Meadows andwas quite the most pleasant and comfortable place for a sun-nap thatever was. At least, that is what Old Granny Fox thought. She tooksun-naps there very often. It was her favorite resting place. WhenBowser the Hound had found her trail and had chased her until shewas tired of running and had had quite all the exercise she needed orwanted, she would play one of her clever tricks by which to make Bowserlose her trail. Then she would hurry straight to that knoll to rest andgrin at her own smartness. 

It happened that she did this one day when there was fresh snow on theground. Of course, every time she put a foot down she left a print inthe snow. And where she curled up in the sun she left the print of herbody. They were very plain to see, were these prints, and Farmer Brown'sboy saw them. 

He had been tramping through the Green Forest late in the afternoonand just by chance happened across Granny's footprints. Just for fun hefollowed them and so came to the sunny knoll. Granny had left some timebefore, but of course she couldn't take the print of her body withher. That remained in the snow, and Farmer Brown's boy saw it and knewinstantly what it meant. He grinned, and could Granny Fox have seen thatgrin, she would have been uncomfortable. You see, he knew that he hadfound the place where Granny was in the habit of taking a sun-nap. 

"So, " said he, "this is the place where you rest, Old Mrs. Fox, afterrunning Bowser almost off his feet. I think we will give you a surpriseone of these days. Yes, indeed, I think we will give you a surprise. Youhave fooled us many times, and now it is our turn. "

The next day Farmer Brown's boy shouldered his terrible gun and sentBowser the Hound to hunt for the trail of Old Granny Fox. It wasn't longbefore Bowser's great voice told all the Great World that he had foundGranny's tracks. Farmer Brown's boy grinned just as he had the daybefore. Then with his terrible gun he went over to the Green Forest andhid under some pine boughs right on the edge of that sunny knoll. 

He waited patiently a long, long time. He heard Bowser's great voicegrowing more and more excited as he followed Old Granny Fox. By and byBowser stopped baying and began to yelp impatiently. Farmer Brown's boyknew exactly what that meant. It meant that Granny had played one of hersmart tricks and Bowser had lost her trail. 

A few minutes later out of the Green Forest came Old Granny Fox, andshe was grinning, for once more she had fooled Bowser the Hound andnow could take a nap in peace. Still grinning, she turned around twoor three times to make herself comfortable and then, with a sigh ofcontentment, curled up for a sun-nap, and in a few minutes was asleep. And just a little way off behind the pine boughs sat Farmer Brown's boyholding his terrible gun and grinning. At last he had caught Old GrannyFox napping. 

CHAPTER VII: Granny Fox Has A Bad Dream

 Nothing ever simply happens; Bear that point in mind. If you look long and hard enough A cause you'll always find. --Old Granny Fox. 

Old Granny Fox was dreaming. Yes, Sir, she was dreaming. There she lay, curled up on the sunny little knoll on the edge of the Green Forest, fast asleep and dreaming. It was a very pleasant and very comfortableplace indeed. You see, jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun poured his warmestrays right down there from the blue, blue sky. When Old Granny Fox wastired, she often slipped over there for a short nap and sun-bath evenin winter. She was quite sure that no one knew anything about it. It wasone of her secrets. 

This morning Old Granny Fox was very tired, unusually so. In the firstplace she had been out hunting all night. Then, before she could reachhome, Bowser the Hound had found her tracks and started to follow them. Of course, it wouldn't have done to go home then. It wouldn't have doneat all. Bowser would have followed her straight there and so found outwhere she lived. So she had led Bowser far away across the Green Meadowsand through the Green Forest and finally played one of her smart trickswhich had so mixed her tracks that Bowser could no longer follow them. While he had sniffed and snuffed and snuffed and sniffed with thatwonderful nose of his, trying to find out where she had gone, Old GrannyFox had trotted straight to the sunny knoll and there curled up to rest. Right away she fell asleep. 

Now Old Granny Fox, like most of the other little people of the GreenForest and the Green Meadows, sleeps with her ears wide open. Her eyesmay be closed, but not her ears. Those are always on guard, even whenshe is asleep, and at the least sound open fly her eyes, and she isready to run. If it were not for the way her sharp ears keep guard, shewouldn't dare take naps in the open right in broad daylight. If youever want to catch a Fox asleep, you mustn't make the teeniest, weeniestnoise. Just remember that. 

Now Old Granny Fox had no sooner closed her eyes than she began todream. At first it was a very pleasant dream, the pleasantest dream aFox can have. It was of a chicken dinner, all the chicken she could eat. Granny certainly enjoyed that dream. It made her smack her lips quite asif it were a real and not a dream dinner she was enjoying. 

But presently the dream changed and became a bad dream. Yes, indeed, it became a bad dream. It was as bad as at first it had been good. Itseemed to Granny that Bowser the Hound had become very smart, smarterthan she had ever known him to be before. Do what she would, shecouldn't fool him. Not one of all the tricks she knew, and she knew agreat many, fooled him at all. They didn't puzzle him long enough forher to get her breath. 

Bowser kept getting nearer and nearer and nearer, all in the dream, youknow, until it seemed as if his great voice sounded right at her veryheels. She was so tired that it seemed to her that she couldn't runanother step. It was a very, very real dream. You know dreams sometimesdo seem very real indeed. This was the way it was with the bad dreamof Old Granny Fox. It seemed to her that she could feel the breath ofBowser the Hound and that his great jaws were just going to close on herand shake her to death. 

"Oh! Oh!" cried Granny and waked herself up. Her eyes flew open. Thenshe gave a great sigh of relief as she realized that her terrible frightwas only a bad dream and that she was curled up right on the dear, familiar, old, sunny knoll and not running for her life at all. 

Old Granny Fox smiled to think what a fright she had had andthen, --well, she didn't know whether she was really awake or stilldreaming! No, Sir, she didn't. For a full minute she couldn't be surewhether what she saw was real or part of that dreadful dream. You see, she was staring into the face of Farmer Brown's boy and the muzzle ofhis dreadful gun!

For just a few seconds she didn't move. She couldn't. She was toofrightened to move. Then she knew what she saw was real and not a dreamat all. There wasn't the least bit of doubt about it. That was FarmerBrown's boy, and that was his dreadful gun! All in a flash she knew thatFarmer Brown's boy must have been hiding behind those pine boughs. 

Poor Old Granny Fox! For once in her life she had been caught napping. She hadn't the least hope in the world. Farmer Brown's boy had only tofire that dreadful gun, and that would be the end of her. She knew it. 

CHAPTER VIII: What Farmer Brown's Boy Did

 In time of danger heed this rule: Think hard and fast, but pray keep cool. --Old Granny Fox. 

Poor Old Granny Fox! She had thought that she had been in tight placesbefore, but never, never had she been in such a tight place as this. There stood Farmer Brown's boy looking along the barrel of his dreadfulgun straight at her, and only such a short distance, such a very shortdistance away! It wasn't the least bit of use to run. Granny knew that. That dreadful gun would go "bang!" and that would be the end of her. 

For a few seconds she stared at Farmer Brown's boy, too frightenedto move or even think. Then she began to wonder why that dreadful gundidn't go off. What was Farmer Brown's boy waiting for? She got toher feet. She was sure that the first step would be her last, yet shecouldn't stay there. 

How could Fanner Brown's boy do such a dreadful thing? Somehow, hisfreckled face didn't look cruel. He was even beginning to grin. Thatmust be because he had caught her napping and knew that this time shecouldn't possibly get away from him as she had so many times before. "Oh!" sobbed Old Granny Fox under her breath. 

And right at that very instant Farmer Brown's boy did something. What doyou think it was? No, he didn't shoot her. He didn't fire his dreadfulgun. What do you think he did do? Why, he threw a snowball at Old GrannyFox and shouted "Boo!" That is what he did and all he did, except tolaugh as Granny gave a great leap and then made those black legs of hersfly as never before. 

Every instant Granny expected to hear that dreadful gun, and it seemedas if her heart would burst with fright as she ran, thinking each jumpwould be the last one. But the dreadful gun didn't bang, and after alittle, when she felt she was safe, she turned to look back over hershoulder. Farmer Brown's boy was standing right where she had last seenhim, and he was laughing harder than ever. Yes, Sir, he was laughing, and though Old Granny Fox didn't think so at the time, his laugh wasgood to hear, for it was good-natured and merry and all that an honestlaugh should be. 

"Go it, Granny! Go it!" shouted Farmer Brown's boy. "And the next timeyou are tempted to steal my chickens, just remember that I caught younapping and let you off when I might have shot you. Just remember thatand leave my chickens alone. "

Now it happened that Tommy Tit the Chickadee had seen all thathad happened, and he fairly bubbled over with joy. "Dee, dee, dee, Chickadee! It is just as I have always said--Farmer Brown's boy isn'tbad. He'd be friends with every one if every one would let him, " hecried. 

"Maybe, maybe, " grumbled Sammy Jay, who also had seen all that hadhappened. "But he's altogether too smart for me to trust. Oh, my! oh, my! What news this will be to tell! Old Granny Fox will never hear theend of it. If ever again she boasts of how smart she is, all we willhave to do will be to remind her of the time Farmer Brown's boy caughther napping. Ho! ho! ho! I must hurry along and find my cousin, Blackythe Crow. This will tickle him half to death. "

As for Old Granny Fox, she feared Farmer Brown's boy more than ever, notbecause of what he had done to her but because of what he had not done. You see, nothing could make her believe that he wanted to be her friend. She thought he had let her get away just to show her that he was smarterthan she. Instead of thankfulness, hate and fear filled Granny's heart. You know--

 People who themselves do ill For others seldom have good will. 

CHAPTER IX: Reddy Fox Hears About Granny Fox

 Though you may think another wrong And be quite positive you're right, Don't let your temper get away; And try at least to be polite. --Old Granny Fox. 

Sammy Jay hurried through the Green Forest, chuckling as he flew. Sammywas brimming over with the news he had to tell, --how Old Granny Fox hadbeen caught napping by Farmer Brown's boy. Sammy wouldn't have believedit if any one had told him. No, Sir, he wouldn't. But he had seen itwith his own eyes, and it tickled him almost to pieces to think that OldGranny Fox, whom everybody thought so sly and clever and smart, had beencaught actually asleep by the very one of whom she was most afraid, butat whom she always had turned up her nose. 

Presently Sammy spied Reddy Fox trotting along the Lone Little Path. Reddy was forever boasting of how smart Granny Fox was. He had boastedof it so much that everybody was sick of hearing him. When he saw Reddytrotting along the Lone Little Path, Sammy chuckled harder than ever. Hehid in a thick hemlock-tree and as Reddy passed he shouted:

 "Had I such a stupid old Granny As some folks who think they are smart, I never would boast of my Granny, But live by myself quite apart!"

Reddy looked up angrily. He couldn't see Sammy Jay, but he knew Sammy'svoice. There is no mistaking that. Everybody knows the voice of SammyJay. Of course it was foolish, very foolish of Reddy to be angry, andstill more foolish to show that he was angry. Had he stopped a minute tothink, he would have known that Sammy was saying such a mean, provokingthing just to make him angry, and that the angrier he became the betterpleased Sammy Jay would be. But like a great many people, Reddy allowedhis temper to get the better of his common sense. 

"Who says Granny Fox is stupid?" he snarled. 

"I do, " replied Sammy Jay promptly. "I say she is stupid. "

"She is smarter than anybody else in all the Green Forest and on all theGreen Meadows. She is smarter than anybody else in all the Great World, "boasted Reddy, and he really believed it. 

"She isn't smart enough to fool Farmer Brown's boy, " taunted Sammy. 

"What's that? Who says so? Has anything happened to Granny Fox?" Reddyforgot his anger in a sudden great fear. Could Granny have been shot byFarmer Brown's boy?

"Nothing much, only Farmer Brown's boy caught her napping in broaddaylight, " replied Sammy, and chuckled so that Reddy heard him. 

"I don't believe it!" snapped Reddy. "I don't believe a word of it!Nobody ever yet caught Old Granny Fox napping, and nobody ever will. "

"I don't care whether you believe it or not; it's so, for I saw him, "retorted Sammy Jay. 

"You--you--you--" began Reddy Fox. 

"Go ask Tommy Tit the Chickadee if it isn't true. He saw him too, "interrupted Sammy Jay. 

"Dee, dee, dee, Chickadee! It's so, and Farmer Brown's boy only threw asnowball at her and let her run away without shooting at her, " declareda new voice. There sat Tommy Tit himself. 

Reddy didn't know what to think or say. He just couldn't believe it, yet he had never known Tommy Tit to tell an untruth. Sammy Jay alonehe wouldn't have believed. Then Tommy Tit and Sammy Jay told Reddyall about what they had seen, how Farmer Brown's boy had surprised OldGranny Fox and then allowed her to go unharmed. Reddy had to believeit. If Tommy Tit said it was so, it must be so. Reddy Fox started off tohunt up Old Granny Fox and ask her about it. But a sudden thought poppedinto his red head, and he changed his mind. 

"I won't say a thing about it until some time when Granny scolds me forbeing careless, " muttered Reddy, with a sly grin. "Then I'll see whatshe has to say. I guess she won't scold me so much after this. "

Reddy grinned more than ever, which wasn't a bit nice of him. Instead ofbeing sorry that Old Granny Fox had had such a fright, he was planninghow he would get even with her when she should scold him for his owncarelessness. 

CHAPTER X: Reddy Fox Is Impudent

 A saucy tongue is dangerous to possess; Be sure some day 't will get you in a mess. --Old Granny Fox. 

Reddy Fox is headstrong and, like most headstrong people, is given tothinking that his way is the best way just because it is his way. He issmart, is Reddy Fox. Yes, indeed, Reddy Fox is very, very smart. He hasto be in order to live. But a great deal of what he knows he learnedfrom Old Granny Fox. The very best tricks he knows she taught him. Shebegan teaching him when he was so little that he tumbled over his ownfeet. It was she who taught him how to hunt, that it is better never tosteal chickens near home but to go a long way off for them, and how tofool Bowser the Hound. 

It was Granny who taught Reddy how to use his little black nose tofollow the tracks of careless young Rabbits, and how to catch MeadowMice under the snow. In fact, there is little Reddy knows which hedidn't learn from wise, shrewd Old Granny Fox. 

But as he grew bigger and bigger, until he was quite as big as Grannyherself, he forgot what he owed to her. He grew to have a very goodopinion of himself and to feel that he knew just about all there wasto know. So sometimes when he had done foolish or careless things andGranny had scolded him, telling him he was big enough and old enough toknow better, he would sulk and go off muttering to himself. But he neverquite dared to be openly disrespectful to Granny, and this, of course, was quite as it should have been. 

"If only I could catch Granny doing something foolish or careless, " hewould say to himself. But he never could, and he had begun to think thathe never would. But now at last Granny, clever Old Granny Fox, had beencareless! She had allowed Farmer Brown's boy to catch her napping! Reddydid wish he had been there to see it himself. But anyway, he had beentold about it, and he made up his mind that the next time Granny saidanything sharp to him about his carelessness he would have something tosay back. Yes, Sir, Reddy Fox was deliberately planning to answer back, which, as you know, is always disrespectful to one's elders. 

At last the chance came. Reddy did a thing no truly wise Fox ever willdo. He went two nights in succession to the same henhouse, and thesecond time he barely escaped being shot. Old Granny Fox found out aboutit. How she found out Reddy doesn't know to this day, but find outshe did, and she gave him such a scolding as even her sharp tongue hadseldom given him. 

"You are the stupidest Fox I ever heard of, " scolded Granny. 

"I'm no more stupid than you are!" retorted Reddy in the most impudentway. 

"What's that?" demanded Granny. "What's that you said?"

"I said I'm no more stupid than you are, and what is more, I hope I'mnot so stupid. I know better than to take a nap in broad daylight rightunder the very nose of Farmer Brown's boy. " Reddy grinned in the mostimpudent way as he said this. 

Granny's eyes snapped. Then things happened. Reddy was cuffed this wayand cuffed that way and cuffed the other way until it seemed to him thatthe air was full of black paws, every one of which landed on his heador face with a sting that made him whimper and put his tail between hislegs, and finally howl. 

"There!" cried Granny, when at last she had to stop because she wasquite out of breath. "Perhaps that will teach you to be respectful toyour elders. I was careless and stupid, and I am perfectly ready toadmit it, because it has taught me a lesson. Wisdom often is gainedthrough mistakes, but never when one is not willing to admit themistakes. No Fox lives long who makes the same mistake twice. And thosewho are impudent to their elders come to no good end. I've got a fatgoose hidden away for dinner, but you will get none of it. "

"I--I wish I'd never heard of Granny's mistake, " whined Reddy to himselfas he crept dinnerless to bed. 

"You ought to wish that you hadn't been impudent, " whispered a smallvoice down inside him. 

CHAPTER XI: After The Storm

 The joys and the sunshine that make us glad; The worries and troubles that makes us sad Must come to an end; so why complain Of too little sun or too much rain? --Old Granny Fox. 

The thing to do is to make the most of the sunshine while it lasts, andwhen it rains to look forward to the corning of the sun again, knowingthat conic it surely will. A dreadful storm was keeping the littlepeople of the Green Forest, the Green Meadows, and the Old Orchardprisoners in their own homes or in such places of shelter as they hadbeen able to find. 

But it couldn't last forever, and they knew it. Knowing this was allthat kept some of them alive. 

You see, they were starving. Yes, Sir, they were starving. You and Iwould be very hungry, very hungry indeed, if we had to go without foodfor two whole days, but if we were snug and warm it wouldn't do us anyreal harm. With the little wild friends, especially the little featheredfolks, it is a very different matter. You see, they are naturally soactive that they have to fill their stomachs very often in order tosupply their little bodies with heat and energy. So when their foodsupply is wholly cut off, they starve or else freeze to death in a veryshort time. A great many little lives are ended this way in every long, hard winter storm. 

It was late in the afternoon of the second day when rough Brother NorthWind decided that he had shown his strength and fierceness long enough, and rumbling and grumbling retired from the Green Meadows and the GreenForest, blowing the snow clouds away with him. For just a little whilebefore it was time for him to go to bed behind the Purple Hills, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun smiled down on the white land, and never was hissmile more welcome. Out from their shelters hurried all the littleprisoners, for they must make the most of the short time before thecoming of the cold night. 

Little Tommy Tit the Chickadee was so weak that he could hardly fly, andhe shook with chills. He made straight for the apple-tree where FarmerBrown's boy always keeps a piece of suet tied to a branch for Tommy andhis friends. Drummer the Woodpecker was there before him. Now it isone of the laws of politeness among the feathered folk that when one iseating from a piece of suet a newcomer shall await his turn. 

"Dee, dee, dee!" said Tommy Tit faintly but cheerfully, for he couldn'tbe other than cheery if he tried. "Dee, dee, dee! That looks good tome. "

"It is good, " mumbled Drummer, pecking away at the suet greedily. "Comeon, Tommy Tit. Don't wait for me, for I won't be through for a longtime. I'm nearly starved, and I guess you must be. "

"I am, " confessed Tommy, as he flew over beside Drummer. "Thank you everso much for not making me wait. "

"Don't mention it, " replied Drummer, with his mouth full. "This is notime for politeness. Here comes Yank Yank the Nuthatch. I guess there isroom for him too. "

Yank Yank was promptly invited to join them and did so after apologizingfor seeming so greedy. 

"If I couldn't get my stomach full before night, I certainly shouldfreeze to death before morning, " said he. "What a blessing it is to haveall this good food waiting for us. If I had to hunt for my usual foodon the trees, I certainly should have to give up and die. It took allmy strength to get over here. My, I feel like a new bird already! Herecomes Sammy Jay. I wonder if he will try to drive us away as he usuallydoes. "

Sammy did nothing of the kind. He was very meek and most polite. "Can you make room for a starving fellow to get a bite?" he asked. "Iwouldn't ask it but that I couldn't last another night without food. "

"Dee, dee, dee! Always room for one more, " replied Tommy Tit, crowdingover to give Sammy room. "Wasn't that a dreadful storm?"

"Worst I ever knew, " mumbled Sammy. "I wonder if I ever will be warmagain. "

Until their stomachs were full, not another word was said. MeanwhileChatterer the Red Squirrel had discovered that the storm was over. As hefloundered through the snow to another apple-tree he saw Tommy Titand his friends, and in his heart he rejoiced that they had found foodwaiting for them. His own troubles were at an end, for in the tree hewas headed for was a store of corn. 

CHAPTER XII: Granny And Reddy Fox Hunt In Vain

 Old Mother Nature's plans for good Quite often are not understood. --Old Granny Fox. 

Tommy Tit and Drummer the Woodpecker and Yank Yank the Nuthatch andSammy Jay and Chatterer the Red Squirrel were not the only ones who wereout and about as soon as the great storm ended. Oh, my, no! No, indeed!Everybody who was not sleeping the winter away, or who had not a storeof food right at hand, was out. But not all were so fortunate as TommyTit and his friends in finding a good meal. 

Peter Rabbit and Mrs. Peter came out of the hole in the heart of thedear Old Briar-patch, where they had managed to keep comfortably warm, and at once began to fill their stomachs with bark from young trees andtender tips of twigs. It was very coarse food, but it would take awaythat empty feeling. Mrs. Grouse burst out of the snow and hurried toget a meal before dark. She had no time to be particular, and so she atespruce buds. They were very bitter and not much to her liking, but shewas too hungry, and night was too near for her to be fussy. She wasthankful to have that much. 

Granny Fox and Reddy were out too. They didn't need to hurry because, asyou know, they could hunt all night, but they were so hungry that theyjust had to be looking for something to eat. They knew, of course, thateverybody else would be out, and they hoped that some of these littlepeople would be so weak that they could easily be caught. That seemslike a dreadful hope, doesn't it? But one of the first laws of OldMother Nature is self-preservation. That means to save your own lifefirst. So perhaps Granny and Reddy are not to be blamed for hoping thatsome of their neighbors might be caught easily because of the greatstorm. They were very hungry indeed, and they could not eat bark likePeter Rabbit, or buds like Mrs. Grouse, or seeds like Whitefoot theWoodmouse. Their teeth and stomachs are not made for such food. 

It was hard going for Granny and Reddy Fox. The snow was soft and deepin many places, and they had to keep pretty close to those places whererough Brother North Wind had blown away enough of the snow to makewalking fairly easy. They soon found that their hope that they wouldfind some of their neighbors too weak to escape was quite in vain. Whenjolly, round, red Mr. Sun dropped clown behind the Purple Hills to go tobed, their stomachs were quite as empty as when they had started out. 

"We'll go down to the Old Briar-patch. I don't believe it will be ofmuch use, but you never can tell until you try. Peter Rabbit may take itinto his silly head to come outside, " said Granny, leading the way. 

When they reached the dear Old Briar-patch they found that Peter was notoutside. In fact, peering between the brambles and bushes, they couldsee his little brown form bobbing about as he hunted for tender bark. Hehad already made little paths along which he could hop easily. Peter sawthem almost as soon as they saw him. 

"Hard times these, " said Peter pleasantly. "I hope your stomachs are notas empty as mine. " He pulled a strip of bark from a young tree and beganto chew it. This was more than Reddy could stand. To see Peter eatingwhile his own stomach was just one great big ache from emptiness was toomuch. 

"I'm going in there and catch him, or drive him out where you can catchhim, if I tear my coat all to pieces!" snarled Reddy. 

Peter stopped chewing and sat up. "Come right along, Reddy. Come rightalong if you want to, but I would advise you to save your skin and yourcoat, " said he. 

Reddy's only reply was a snarl as he pushed his way under the brambles. He yelped as they tore his coat and scratched his face, but he kept on. Now Peter's paths were very cunningly made. He had cut them through thevery thickest of the briars just big enough for himself and Mrs. Peterto hop along comfortably. But Reddy is so much bigger that he had toforce his way through and in places crawl flat on his stomach, which wasvery slow work, to say nothing of the painful scratches from the briars. It was no trouble at all for Peter to keep out of his way, and beforelong Reddy gave up. Without a word Granny Fox led the way to the GreenForest. They would try to find where Mrs. Grouse was sleeping under thesnow. But though they hunted all night, they failed to find her, for shewisely had gone to bed in a spruce-tree. 

CHAPTER XIII: Granny Fox Admits Growing Old

 Who will not admit he is older each day fools no one but himself. --Old Granny Fox. 

Old Granny Fox is a spry old lady for her age. If you don't believe itjust try to catch her. But spry as she is, she isn't as spry as she usedto be. No, Sir, Granny Fox isn't as spry as she used to be. The truthis, Granny is getting old. She never would admit it, and Reddy never hadrealized it until the day after the great storm. All that night they hadhunted in vain for something to eat and at daylight had crept into theirhouse to rest awhile before starting on another hunt. They had neitherthe strength nor the courage to search any longer then. Wading throughsnow is very hard work at best and very tiresome, but when your stomachhas been empty for so long that you almost begin to wonder what foodtastes like, it becomes harder work still. You see, it is food thatmakes strength, and lack of food takes away strength. 

This was why Granny and Reddy Fox just HAD to rest. Hungry as they were, they HAD to give up for awhile. Reddy flung himself down, and if everthere was a discouraged young Fox he was that one. "I wish I were dead, "he moaned. 

"Tut, tut, tut!" said Granny Fox sharply. "That's no way for a young Foxto talk! I'm ashamed of you. I am indeed. " Then she added more kindly:"I know just how you feel. Just try to forget your empty stomach andrest awhile. We have had a tiresome, disappointing, discouraging night, but when you are rested things will not look quite so bad. You know theold saying:

 'Never a road so long is there But it reaches a turn at last; Never a cloud that gathers swift But disappears as fast. '

You think you couldn't possibly feel any worse than you do right now, but you could. Many a time I have had to go hungry longer than this. After we have rested awhile we will go over to the Old Pasture. Perhapswe will have better luck there. "

So Reddy tried to forget the emptiness of his stomach and actually had anap, for he was very, very tired. When he awoke he felt better. 

"Well, Granny, " said he, "let's start for the Old Pasture. The snowhas crusted over, and we won't find it such hard going as it was lastnight. "

Granny arose and followed Reddy out to the doorstep. She walked stiffly. The truth is, she ached in every one of her old bones. At least, that isthe way it seemed to her. She looked towards the Old Pasture. It seemedvery far away. She sighed wearily. "I don't believe I'll go, Reddy, "said she. "You run along and luck go with you. "

Reddy turned and stared at Granny suspiciously. You know his is a verysuspicious nature. Could it be that Granny had some secret plan of herown to get a meal and wanted to get rid of him?

"What's the matter with you?" he demanded roughly. "It was you whoproposed going over to the Old Pasture. "

Granny smiled. It was a sad sort of smile. She is wonderfully sharp andsmart, is Granny Fox, and she knew what was in Reddy's mind as well asif he had told her. 

"Old bones don't rest and recover as quickly as young bones, and I justdon't feel equal to going over there now, " said she. "The truth is, Reddy, I am growing old. I am going to stay right here and rest. Perhapsthen I'll feel able to go hunting to-night. You trot along now, and ifyou get more than a stomachful, just remember old Granny and bring her abite. "

There was something in the way Granny spoke that told Reddy she wasspeaking the truth. It was the very first time she ever had admittedthat she was growing old and was no longer the equal of any Fox. Neverbefore had he noticed how gray she had grown. Reddy felt a feeling ofshame creep over him, --shame that he had suspected Granny of playing asharp trick. And this little feeling of shame was followed instantly bya splendid thought. He would go out and find food of some kind, and hewould bring it straight back to Granny. He had been taken care of byGranny when he was little, and now he would repay Granny for all she haddone for him by taking care of her in her old age. 

"Go back in the house and lie down, Granny, " said he kindly. "I am goingto get something, and whatever it may be you shall have your share. "With this he trotted off towards the Old Pasture and somehow he didn'tmind the ache in his stomach as he had before. 

CHAPTER XIV: Three Vain And Foolish Wishes

 There's nothing so foolishly silly and vain As to wish for a thing you can never attain. --Old Granny Fox. 

We all know that, yet most of us are just foolish enough to make such awish now and then. I guess you have done it. I know I have. Peter Rabbithas done it often and then laughed at himself afterwards. I suspect thateven shrewd, clever old Granny Fox has been guilty of it more thanonce. So it is not surprising that Reddy Fox, terribly hungry as he was, should do a little foolish wishing. 

When he left home to go to the Old Pasture, in the hope that he wouldbe able to find something to eat there, he started off bravely. It wascold, very cold indeed, but his fur coat kept him warm as long as hewas moving. The Green Meadows were glistening white with snow. All theworld, at least all that part of it with which Reddy was acquainted, waswhite. It was beautiful, very beautiful, as millions of sparkles flashedin the sun. But Reddy had no thought for beauty; the only thought he hadroom for was to get something to put in the empty stomachs of himselfand Granny Fox. 

Jack Frost had hardened the snow so that Reddy no longer had to wadethrough it. He could run on the crust now without breaking through. Thismade it much easier, so he trotted along swiftly. He had intended to gostraight to the Old Pasture, but there suddenly popped into his heada memory of the shelter down in a far corner of the Old Orchard whichFarmer Brown's boy had built for Bob White. Probably the Bob Whitefamily were there now, and he might surprise them. He would go therefirst. 

Reddy stopped and looked carefully to make sure that Farmer Brown's boyand Bowser the Hound were nowhere in sight. Then he ran swiftly towardsthe Old Orchard. Just as he entered it he heard a merry voice just overhis head: "Dee, dee, dee, dee!" Reddy stopped and looked up. There wasTommy Tit the Chickadee clinging tightly to a big piece of fresh suettied fast to a branch of a tree, and Tommy was stuffing himself. Reddysat down right underneath that suet and looked up longingly. The sightof it made his mouth water so that it was almost more than he couldstand. He jumped once. He jumped twice. He jumped three times. But allhis jumping was in vain. That suet was beyond his reach. There was nopossible way of reaching it save by flying or climbing. Reddy's tonguehung out of his mouth with longing. 

"I wish I could climb, " said Reddy. 

But he couldn't climb, and all the wishing in the world wouldn't enablehim to, as he very well knew. So after a little he started on. As hedrew near the far corner of the Old Orchard, he saw Bob White and Mrs. Bob and all the young Bobs picking up grain which Farmer Brown's boy hadscattered for them just in front of the shelter he had built forthem. Reddy crouched down and very slowly, an inch at a time, he creptforward, his eyes shining with eagerness. Just as he was almost withinspringing distance, Bob White gave a signal, and away flew the BobWhites to the safety of a hemlock-tree on the edge of the Green Forest. 

Tears of rage and disappointment welled up in Reddy's eyes. "I wish Icould fly, " he muttered, as he watched the brown birds disappear in thebig hemlock-tree. 

This was quite as foolish a wish as the other, so Reddy trotted on anddecided to go down past the Smiling Pool. When he got there he found it, as he expected, frozen over. But just where the Laughing Brook joins itthere was a little place where there was open water. Billy Mink wason the ice at its edge, and just as Reddy got there Billy dived in. Aminute later he climbed out with a fish in his mouth. 

"Give me a bite, " begged Reddy. 

"Catch your own fish, " retorted Billy Mink. "I have to work hard enoughfor what I get as it is. "

Reddy was afraid to go out on the ice where Billy was, and so he sat andwatched him eat that fine fish. Then Billy dived into the water againand disappeared. Reddy waited a long time, but Billy did not return. "Iwish I could dive, " gulped Reddy, thinking of the fine fish somewhereunder the ice. 

And this wish was quite as foolish as the other wishes. 

CHAPTER XV: Reddy Fights A Battle

 'T is not the foes that are without But those that are within That give us battles that we find The hardest are to win. --Old Granny Fox

After the last of his three foolish wishes, Reddy Fox left the SmilingPool and headed straight for the Old Pasture for which he had started inthe first place. He wished now that he had gone straight there. Then hewouldn't have seen the suet tied out of reach to the branch of a tree inthe Old Orchard; he wouldn't have seen the Bob Whites fly away to safetyjust as he felt almost sure of catching one; he wouldn't have seen BillyMink bring a fine fish out of the water and eat it right before him. Itis bad enough to be starving with no food in sight, but to be as hungryas Reddy Fox was and to see food just out of reach, to smell it, andnot be able to get it is, --well, it is more than most folks can standpatiently. 

So Reddy Fox was grumbling to himself as he hurried to the Old Pastureand his heart was very bitter. It seemed to him that everything wasagainst him. His neighbors had food, but he had none, not so much as acrumb. It was unfair. Old Mother Nature was unjust. If he could climb hecould get food. If he could fly he could get food. If he could dive hecould get food. But he could neither climb, fly, nor dive. He didn'tstop to think that Old Mother Nature had given him some of the sharpestwits in all the Green Forest or on all the Green Meadows; that she hadgiven him a wonderful nose; that she had given him the keenest of ears;that she had given him speed excelled by few. He forgot these thingsand was so busy thinking bitterly of the things he didn't have thathe forgot to use his wits and nose and ears when he reached the OldPasture. The result was that he trotted right past Old Jed Thumper, the big gray Rabbit, who was sitting behind a little bush holding hisbreath. The minute Old Jed saw that Reddy was safely past, he startedfor his bull-briar castle as fast as he could. 

It was not until then that Reddy discovered him. Of course, Reddystarted after him, and this time he made good use of his speed. But hewas too late. Old Jed Thumper reached his castle with Reddy two jumpsbehind him. Reddy knew now that there was no chance to catch Old Jedthat day, and for a few minutes he felt more bitter than ever. Then allin a flash Reddy Fox became the shrewd, clever fellow that he really is. He grinned. 

"It's of no use to try to fill an empty stomach on wishes, " said he. 

"If I had come straight here and minded my own business, I'd have caughtold Jed Thumper. Now I'm going to get some food and I'm not going homeuntil I do. "

Very wisely Reddy put all unpleasant thoughts out of his head andsettled down to using his wits and his eyes and his ears and his nosefor all they were worth, as Old Mother Nature had intended he should. 

All through the Old Pasture he hunted, taking care not to miss a singleplace where there was the least chance of finding food. But it was allin vain. Reddy gulped down his disappointment. 

"Now for the Big River, " said he, and started off bravely. 

When he reached the edge of the Big River, he hurried along the bankuntil he reached a place where the water seldom freezes. As he hadhoped, he found that it was not frozen now. It looked so black and coldthat it made him shiver just to see it. Back and forth with his noseto the ground he ran. Suddenly he stopped and sniffed. Then he sniffedagain. Then he followed his nose straight to the very edge of the BigRiver. There, floating in the black water, was a dead fish! By wading inhe could get it. 

Reddy shivered at the touch of the cold water, but what were wet feetcompared with such an empty stomach as his? In a minute he had that fishand was back on the shore. It wasn't a very big fish, but it would stopthe ache in his stomach until he could get something more. With a sighof pure happiness he sank his teeth into it and then--well, then heremembered poor Old Granny Fox. Reddy swallowed a mouthful and tried toforget Granny. But he couldn't. He swallowed another mouthful. Poorold Granny was back there at home as hungry as he was and too stiff andtired to hunt. Reddy choked. Then he began a battle with himself. Hisstomach demanded that fish. If he ate it, no one would be the wiser. But Granny needed it even more than he did. For a long time Reddy foughtwith himself. In the end he picked up the fish and started for home. 

CHAPTER XVI: Reddy Is Made Truly Happy

 It's what you do for others, Not what they do for you, That makes you feel so happy All through and through and through. --Old Granny Fox. 

Reddy Fox ran all the way home from the Big River just as fast as hecould go. In his mouth he carried the fish he had found and from whichhe had taken just two bites. You remember he had had a battle withhimself over that fish, and now he was running away from himself. Thatsounds funny, doesn't it? But it was true. Yes, Sir, Reddy Fox wasrunning away from himself. He was afraid that if he didn't get home toOld Granny Fox with that fish very soon, he would eat every last bit ofit himself. So he was running his very hardest so as to get there beforethis could happen. So really he was running away from himself, from hisselfish self. 

Old Granny Fox was on the doorstep watching for him, and he saw just howher hungry old eyes brightened when she saw him and what he had. 

"I've brought you something to eat, Granny, " he panted, as he laid thefish at her feet. He was quite out of breath with running. "It isn'tmuch, but it is something. It is all I could find for you. "

Granny looked at the fish and then she looked sharply at Reddy, and intothose keen yellow eyes of hers crept a soft, tender look, such a look asyou would never have believed they could have held. 

"What have YOU had to eat?" asked Granny softly. 

Reddy turned his head that Granny might not see his face. "Oh, I've hadsomething, " said he, trying to speak lightly. It was true; he had hadtwo bites from that fish. 

Now you know just how shrewd and smart and wise Granny Fox is. Reddydidn't fool her just the least little bit. She took two small bites fromthe fish. 

"Now, " said she, "we'll divide it, " and she bit in two parts whatremained. In a twinkling she had gulped down the smallest part, for youknow she was very, very hungry. "That is your share, " said she, as shepushed what remained over to Reddy. 

Reddy tried to refuse it. "I brought it all for you, " said he. "I knowyou did, Reddy, " replied Granny, and it seemed to Reddy that he neverhad known her voice to sound so gentle. "You brought it to me when allyou had had was the two little bites you had taken from it. You can'tfool me, Reddy Fox. There wasn't one good meal for either of us in thatfish, but there was enough to give us both a little hope and keep usfrom starving. Now you mind what I say and eat your share. " Granny saidthis last very sternly. 

Reddy looked at Granny, and then he bolted down that little piece offish without another word. 

"That's better, " said Granny. "We will feel better, both of us. Now thatI've something in my stomach, I feel two years younger. Before you came, I didn't feel as if I should ever be able to go on another hunt. Ifyou hadn't brought something, I--I'm afraid I couldn't have lasted muchlonger. By another day you probably wouldn't have had old Granny tothink of. You may not know it, but I know that you saved my life, Reddy. I had reached a point where I just had to have a little food. You knowthere are times when a very little food is of more good than a lot offood could be later. This was one of those times. "

Never in all his life had Reddy Fox felt so truly happy. He was stillhungry, --very, very hungry. But he gave it no thought. He had savedGranny Fox, good old Granny who had taught him all he knew. And he knewthat Granny knew how he had had to fight with himself to do it. Reddywas happy through and through with the great happiness that comes fromhaving done something for some one else. 

"It was nothing, " he muttered. 

"It was a very great deal, " replied Granny. And then she changed thesubject. "How would you like to eat a dinner of Bowser the Hound's?" sheasked. 

CHAPTER XVII: Granny Fox Promises Reddy Bowser's Dinner

 To give her children what each needs To get the most from life he can, To work and play and live his best, Is wise Old Mother Nature's plan. --Old Granny Fox. 

Old Granny Fox asked Reddy how he would like to eat a dinner of Bowserthe Hound's, Reddy looked at her sharply to see if she were jokingor really meant what she said. Granny looked so sober and so much inearnest that Reddy decided she couldn't be joking, even though it didsound that way. 

"I certainly would like it, Granny. Yes, indeed, I certainly would likeit, " said he. "You--you don't suppose he will give us one, do you?"

Granny chuckled. "No, Reddy, " said she. "Bowser isn't so generous as allthat, especially to Foxes. He isn't going to give us that dinner; we aregoing to take it away from him. Yes, Sir, we just naturally are going totake it away from, him. "

Reddy didn't for the life of him see how it could be possible to takea dinner away from Bowser the Hound. That seemed to him almost asimpossible as it was for him to climb or fly or dive. But he had greatfaith in Granny's cleverness. He remembered how she had so nearly caughtQuacker the Duck. He knew that all the time he had been away trying tofind something for them to eat, old Granny Fox had been doing more thanjust rest her tired old bones. He knew that not for one single minutehad her sharp wits been idle. He knew that all that time she had beenstudying and studying to find some way by which they could get somethingto eat. So great was his faith in Granny just then that if she had toldhim she would get him a slice of the moon he would have believed her. 

"If you say we can take a dinner away from Bowser the Hound, I supposewe can, " said Reddy, "though I don't see how. But if we can, let's doit right away. I'm hungry enough to dare almost anything for the sake ofsomething to put in my stomach. It is so empty that little bit of fishwe divided is shaking around as if it were lost. Gracious, I could eata million fish the size of that one! Have you thought of Fanner Brown'shens, Granny?"

"Of course, Reddy! Of course! What a silly question!" replied Granny. "We may have to come to them yet. "

"I wish I was at them right now, " interrupted Reddy with a sigh. 

"But you know what I have told you, " went on Granny. "The surest way ofgetting into trouble is to steal hens. I'm not feeling quite up to beingchased by Bowser the Hound just now, and if we came right home we wouldgive away the secret of where we live and might be smoked out, and thatwould be the end of us. Besides, those hens will be hard to get thisweather, because they will stay in their house, and there is no way forus to get in there unless we walk right in, in broad daylight, and thatwould never do. It will be a great deal better to take Bowser's dinneraway from him. In the first place, if we are careful, no one but Bowserwill know about it, and as long as he is chained up, we will havenothing to worry about from him. Besides, we will enjoy getting evenwith him for the times he has spoiled our chances of catching a fatchicken and for the way he has hunted us. Most decidedly it will bebetter and safer to try for Bowser's dinner than to try for one of thosehens. "

"Just as you say, Granny; just as you say, " returned Reddy. "You knowbest. But how under the sun we can do it beats me. "

"It is very simple, " replied Granny, "very simple indeed. Most thingsare simple enough when you find out how to do them. Neither of us coulddo it alone, but together we can do it without the least bit of risk. Listen. "

Granny went close to Reddy and whispered to him, although there wasn'ta soul within hearing. A slow grin spread over Reddy's face as helistened. When she had finished, he laughed right out. 

"Granny, you are a wonder!" he exclaimed admiringly. "I never shouldhave thought of that. Of course we can do it. My, won't Bowser besurprised! And how mad he'll be! Come on, let's be starting!"

"All right, " said Granny, and the two started towards Farmer Brown's. 

CHAPTER XVIII: Why Bowser The Hound Didn't Eat His Dinner

 The thing you've puzzled most about Is simple once you've found it out. --Old Granny Fox. 

Bowser The Hound dearly loves to hunt just for the pleasure of thechase. It isn't so much the desire to kill as it is the pleasure ofusing that wonderful nose of his and the excitement of trying to catchsome one, especially Granny or Reddy Fox. Farmer Brown's boy had putaway his dreadful gun because he no longer wanted to kill the littlepeople of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows, but rather to makethem his friends. Bowser had missed the exciting hunts he used to enjoyso much with Farmer Brown's boy. So Bowser had formed the habit ofslipping away alone for a hunt every once in a while. When FarmerBrown's boy discovered this, he got a chain and chained Bowser to hislittle house to keep him from running away and hunting on the sly. 

Of course Bowser wasn't kept chained all the time. Oh, my, no! When hismaster was about, where he could keep an eye on Bowser, he would let himgo free. But whenever he was going away and didn't want to take Bowserwith him, he would chain Bowser up. Now Bowser always had one good bigmeal a day. To be sure, he had scraps or a bone now and then besides, but once a day he had one good big meal served to him in a large tinpan. If he happened to be chained, it was brought out to him. If not, itwas given to him just outside the kitchen door. 

Granny Fox knew all about this. Sly old Granny makes it her business toknow the affairs of other people around her because there is no tellingwhen such knowledge may be of use to her. So Granny had watched Bowserthe Hound when he and his master had no idea at all that she wasanywhere about, and she had found out his ways, the usual hour for hisdinner and just how far that chain would allow him to go. It was suchthings which she had stored away in that shrewd old head of hers thatmade her so sure she and Reddy could take Bowser's dinner away from him. It was just about Bowser's dinner-time when Granny and Reddy trottedacross the snow-covered fields and crept behind the barn until theycould peep around the corner. No one was in sight, not even Bowser, whowas inside his warm little house at the end of the long shed back ofFarmer Brown's house. Granny saw that he was chained and a sly grincrept over her face. 

"You stay right here and watch until his dinner is brought out to him, "said she to Reddy. "As soon as whoever brings it has gone back to thehouse you walk right out where Bowser will see you. At the sight of you, he'll forget all about his dinner. Sit right down where he can see youand stay there until you see that I have got that dinner, or until youhear somebody coming, for you know Bowser will make a great racket. Thenslip around back of the barn and join me back of that shed. "

So Reddy sat down to watch, and Granny left him. By and by Mrs. Browncame out of the house with a pan full of good things. She put it downin front of Bowser's little house and called to him. Then she turned andhurried back, for it was very cold. Bowser came out of his little house, yawned and stretched lazily. 

It was time for Reddy to do his part. Out he walked and sat down rightin front of Bowser and grinned at him. Bowser stared for a minute asif he doubted his own eyes. Such impudence! Bowser growled. Then with ayelp he sprang towards Reddy. 

Now the chain that held him was long, but Reddy had taken care not toget too near, and of course Bowser couldn't reach him. He tugged withall his might and yelped and barked frantically, but Reddy just satthere and grinned in the most provoking manner. It was great fun totease Bowser this way. 

Meanwhile old Granny Fox had stolen out from around the corner of theshed behind Bowser. Getting hold of the edge of the pan with her teethshe pulled it back with her around the corner and out of sight. If shemade any noise, Bowser didn't hear it. He was making too much noisehimself and was too excited. Presently Reddy heard the sound of anopening door. Mrs. Brown was coming to see what all the fuss was about. Like a flash Reddy darted behind the barn, and all Mrs. Brown saw wasBowser tugging at his chain as he whined and yelped excitedly. 

"I guess he must have seen a stray cat or something, " said Mrs. Brownand went back in the house. Bowser continued to whine and tug at hischain for a few minutes. Then he gave it up and, growling deep in histhroat, turned to eat his dinner. But there wasn't any dinner! It haddisappeared, pan and all! Bowser couldn't understand it at all. 

Back of the shed Granny and Reddy Fox licked that pan clean; lickedit until it was polished. Then, with little sighs of satisfaction, andevery once in a while a chuckle, they trotted happily home. 

CHAPTER XIX: Old Man Coyote Does A Little Thinking

 Investigate and for yourself find out Those things which most you want to know about. --Old Granny Fox. 

Never in all his life had Reddy Fox enjoyed a dinner more than that onehe and Granny had stolen from Bowser the Hound. Of course it would havetasted delicious anyway, because they were so dreadfully hungry, but toReddy it tasted better still because it had been intended for Bowser. Bowser has hunted Reddy so often that Reddy has no love for him at all, and it tickled him almost to death to think that they had taken hisdinner from almost under his nose. 

With that good dinner in their stomachs, Reddy and Granny Fox felt somuch better that the Great World no longer seemed such a cold and cruelplace. Funny how differently things look when your stomach is full fromthe way those same things look when it is empty. Best of all they knewthey could play the same sharp trick again and steal another dinnerfrom Bowser if need be. It is a comforting feeling, a very comfortingfeeling, to know for a certainty where you can get another meal. It isa feeling that Granny and Reddy Fox and many other little people of theGreen Meadows and the Green Forest seldom have in winter. As a rule, when they have eaten one meal, they haven't the least idea where thenext one is coming from. How would you like to live that way?

The very next day Granny and Reddy went up to Farmer Brown's at Bowser'sdinner hour. But this time Farmer Brown's boy was at work near the barn, and Bowser was not chained. Granny and Reddy stole away as silently asthey had come. On the day following they found Bowser chained and stoleanother dinner from him; then they went away laughing until their sidesached as they heard Bowser's whines of surprise and disappointment whenhe discovered that his dinner had vanished. They knew by the sound ofhis voice that he hadn't the least idea what had become of that dinner. 

Now there was some one else roaming over the snow-covered meadows andthrough the Green Forest and the Old Pasture these days with a stomachso lean and empty that he couldn't think of anything else. It wasOld Man Coyote. You know he is very clever, is Old Man Coyote, and hemanaged to find enough food of one kind and another to keep him alive, but never enough to give him that comfortable feeling of a full stomach. While he wasn't actually starving, he was always hungry. So he spent allthe time when he wasn't sleeping in hunting for something to eat. 

Of course he often ran across the tracks of Granny and Reddy Fox, andonce in a while he would meet them. It struck Old Man Coyote that theydidn't seem as thin as he was. That set him to thinking. Neither ofthem was a smarter hunter than he. In fact, he prided himself on beingsmarter than either of them. Yet when he met them, they seemed to be inthe best of spirits and not at all worried because food was so scarce. Why? There must be a reason. They must be getting food of which he knewnothing. 

"I'll just keep an eye on them, " muttered Old Man Coyote. 

So very slyly and cleverly Old Man Coyote followed Granny and Reddy Fox, taking the greatest care that they should not suspect that he was doingit. All one night he followed them through the Green Forest and over theGreen Meadows, and when at last he saw them go home, appearing not atall worried because they had caught nothing, he trotted off to his ownhome to do some more thinking. 

"They are getting food somewhere, that is sure, " he muttered, as hescratched first one ear and then the other. Somehow he could thinkbetter when he was scratching his ears. "If they don't get it in thenight, and they certainly didn't get anything this night, they must getit in the daytime. I've done considerable hunting myself in the daytime, and I haven't once met them in the Green Forest or seen them on theGreen Meadows or up in the Old Pasture. I wonder if they are stealingFarmer Brown's hens and haven't been found out yet. I've kept away fromthere myself, but if they can steal hens and not be caught, I certainlycan. There never was a Fox yet smart enough to do a thing that a Coyotecannot do if he tries. I think I'll slip up where I can watch FarmerBrown's and see what is going on up there. Yes, Sir, that's what I'lldo. "

With this, Old Man Coyote grinned and then curled himself up for a shortnap, for he was tired. 

CHAPTER XX: A Twice Stolen Dinner

 No one ever is so smart that some one else may not prove to be smarter still. --Old Granny Fox. 

Listen and you shall hear all about three rogues. Two were in red andwere Granny and Reddy Fox. And one was in gray and was Old Man Coyote. They were the slyest, smartest rogues on all the Green Meadows or in allthe Green Forest. All three had started out to steal the same dinner, but the funny part is they didn't intend to steal it from the sameperson. And still funnier is it that one of them didn't even know wherethat dinner was or what kind of a dinner it would be. 

True to his resolve to know what Granny and Reddy Fox were getting toeat, and where they were getting it, Old Man Coyote hid where he couldsee what was going on about Farmer Brown's, for it was there he feltsure that Granny and Reddy were getting food. He had waited only alittle while when along came Granny and Reddy Fox past the place whereOld Man Coyote was hiding. They didn't see him. Of course not. He tookcare that they should have no chance. But anyway, they were not thinkingof him. Their thoughts were all of that dinner they intended to have, and the smart trick by which they would get it. 

So with their thoughts all on that dinner they slipped up behind thebarn and prepared to work the trick which had been so successful before. Old Man Coyote crept after them. He saw Reddy Fox lie down where hecould peep around the corner of the barn to watch Bowser the Hound andto see that no one else was about. He saw Granny leave Reddy there andhurry away. Old Man Coyote's wits worked fast. 

"I can't be in two places at once, " thought he, "so I can't watch bothGranny and Reddy. As I can watch but one, which one shall it be? Granny, of course. Granny is the smartest of the two, and whatever they are upto, she is at the bottom of it. Granny is the one to follow. "

So, like a gray shadow, crafty Old Man Coyote stole after Granny Fox andsaw her hide behind the corner of the shed at the end of which was thelittle house of Bowser the Hound. He crept as near as he dared and thenlay flat down behind a little bunch of dead grass close to the shed. Forsome time nothing happened, and Old Man Coyote was puzzled. Every oncein a while Granny Fox would look behind and all about to be sure that nodanger was near, but she didn't see Old Man Coyote. After what seemed tohim a long time, he heard a door open on the other side of the shed. Itwas Mrs. Brown carrying Bowser's dinner out to him. Of course, Old ManCoyote didn't know this. He knew by the sounds that some one had comeout of the house, and it made him nervous. He didn't like being soclose to Farmer Brown's house in broad daylight. But he kept his eyeson Granny Fox, and he saw her ears prick up in a way that he knew meantthat those sounds were just what she had been waiting for. 

"If she isn't afraid, I don't need to be, " thought he craftily. After afew minutes he heard a door close and knew that whoever had come out hadgone back into the house. Almost at once Bowser the Hound began to yelpand whine. Swiftly Granny Fox disappeared around the corner of the shed. Just as swiftly Old Man Coyote ran forward and peeped around the corner. There was Bowser the Hound tugging at his chain, and just beyond hisreach was Reddy Fox, grinning in the most provoking manner. And therewas Granny Fox, backing and dragging after her Bowser's dinner. In aflash Old Man Coyote understood the plan, and he almost chuckled aloudat the cleverness of it. Then he hastily backed behind the shed andwaited. In a minute Granny Fox appeared, dragging Bowser's dinner. Shewas so intent on getting that dinner that she almost backed into Old ManCoyote without suspecting that he was anywhere about. 

"Thank you, Granny. You needn't bother about it any longer; I'll take itnow, " growled Old Man Coyote in Granny's ear. 

Granny let go of that dinner as if it burned her tongue, and with afrightened little yelp leaped to one side. A minute later Reddy cameracing around from behind the barn eager for his share. What he saw wasOld Man Coyote bolting down that twice-stolen dinner while Granny Foxfairly danced with rage. 

CHAPTER XXI: Granny And Reddy Talk Things Over. 

 You'll find as on through life you go The thing you want may prove to be The very thing you shouldn't have. Then seeming loss is gain, you see. --Old Granny Fox. 

If ever two folks were mad away through, those two were Granny and ReddyFox as they watched Old Man Coyote gobble up the dinner they had socleverly stolen from Bowser the Hound. It was bad enough to lose thedinner, but it was worse to see some one else eat it after they hadworked so hard to get it. "Robber!" snarled Granny. Old Man Coyotestopped eating long enough to grin. 

"Thief! Sneak! Coward!" snarled Reddy. Once more Old Man Coyote grinned. When that dinner had disappeared down his throat to the last andsmallest crumb, he licked his chops and turned to Granny and Reddy. 

"I'm very much obliged for that dinner, " said he pleasantly, his eyestwinkling with mischief. "It was the best dinner I have had for a longtime. Allow me to say that that trick of yours was as smart a trick asever I have seen. It was quite worthy of a Coyote. You are a very cleverold lady, Granny Fox. Now I hear some one coming, and I would suggestthat it will be better for all concerned if we are not seen about here. "

He darted off behind the barn like a gray streak, and Granny and Reddyfollowed, for it was true that some one was coming. You see Bowser theHound had discovered that something was going on around the corner ofthe shed, and he made such a racket that Mrs. Brown had come out of thehouse to see what it was all about. By the time she got around there, all she saw was the empty pan which had held Bowser's dinner. She waspuzzled. How that pan could be where it was she couldn't understand, andBowser couldn't tell her, although he tried his very best. She had beenpuzzled about that pan two or three times before. 

Old Man Coyote lost no time in getting back home, for he never felt easynear the home of man in broad daylight. Granny and Reddy Fox went hometoo, and there was hate in their hearts, --hate for Old Man Coyote. Butonce they reached home, Old Granny Fox stopped growling, and presentlyshe began to chuckle. 

"What are you laughing at?" demanded Reddy. 

"At the way Old Man Coyote stole that dinner from us, " replied Granny. 

"I hate him! He's a sneaking robber!" snapped Reddy. 

"Tut, tut, Reddy! Tut, tut!" retorted Granny. "Be fair-minded. We stolethat dinner from Bowser the Hound, and Old Man Coyote stole it from us. I guess he is no worse than we are, when you come to think it over. Nowis he?"

"I--I--well, I don't suppose he is, when you put it that way, " Reddyadmitted grudgingly. 

"And he was smart, very smart, to outwit two such clever people as weare, " continued Granny. "You will have to agree to that. "

"Y-e-s, " said Reddy slowly. "He was smart enough, but--"

"There isn't any but, Reddy, " interrupted Granny. "You know the law ofthe Green Meadows and the Green Forest. It is everybody for himself, andanything belongs to one who has the wit or the strength to take it. We had the wit to take that dinner from Bowser the Hound, and Old ManCoyote had the wit to take it from us and the strength to keep it. Itwas all fair enough, and you know there isn't the least use in cryingover spilled milk, as the saying is. We simply have got to be smartenough not to let him fool us again. I guess we won't get any more ofBowser's dinners for a while. We've got to think of some other way offilling our stomachs when the hunting is poor. I think if I could havejust one of those fat hens of Farmer Brown's, it would put new strengthinto my old bones. All summer I warned you to keep away from thathenyard, but the time has come now when I think we might try for acouple of those hens. "

Reddy pricked up his ears at the mention of fat hens. "I think so too, "said he. "When shall we try for one?"

"To-morrow morning, " replied Granny. "Now don't bother me while I thinkout a plan. "

CHAPTER XXII: Granny Fox Plans To Get A Fat Hen

 Full half success for Fox or Man Is won by working out a plan. --Old Granny Fox. 

Granny Fox knows this. No one knows it better. Whatever she does isfirst carefully planned in her wise old head. So now after she haddecided that she and Reddy would try for one of Farmer Brown's fat hens, she lay down to think out a plan to get that fat hen. No one knew betterthan she how foolish it would be to go over to that henyard and justtrust to luck for a chance to catch one of those biddies. Of course, they might be lucky and get a hen that way, but then again they might beunlucky and get in a peck of trouble. 

"You see, " said she to Reddy, "we must not only plan how to get that fathen, but we must also plan how to get away with it safely. If only therewas some way of getting in that henhouse at night, there would be notrouble at all. I don't suppose there is the least chance of that. "

"Not the least chance in the world, " replied Reddy. "There isn't ahole anywhere big enough for even Shadow the Weasel to get through, andFarmer Brown's boy is very careful to lock the door every night. "

"There's a little hole that the hens go in and out of during the day, which is big enough for one of us to slip through, I believe, " saidGranny thoughtfully. 

"Sure! But it's always closed at night, " snapped Reddy. "Besides, to getto that or the door either, you have got to get inside the henyard, andthere's a gate to that which we can't open. "

"People are sometimes careless, --even you, Reddy, " said Granny. 

Reddy squirmed uneasily, for he had been in trouble many times throughcarelessness. "Well, what of it?" he demanded a wee bit crossly. 

"Nothing much, only if that hen-yard gate should happen to be left open, and if Farmer Brown's boy should happen to forget to close that littlehole that the hens go through, and if we happened to be around at justthat time--"

"Too many ifs to get a dinner with, " interrupted Reddy. 

"Perhaps, " replied Granny mildly, "but I've noticed that it is the onewho has an eye open for all the little ifs in life that fares the best. Now I've kept an eye on that henyard, and I've noticed that very oftenFarmer Brown's boy doesn't close the henyard gate at night. I suppose hethinks that if the henhouse door is locked, the gate doesn't matter. Any one who is careless about one thing, is likely to be careless aboutanother. Sometime he may forget to close that hole. I told you that wewould try for one of those hens to-morrow morning, but the more I thinkabout it, the more I think it will be wiser to visit that henhouse afew nights before we run the risk of trying to catch a hen in broaddaylight. In fact, I am pretty sure I can make Farmer Brown's boy forgetto close that gate. "

"How?" demanded Reddy eagerly. 

Granny grinned. "I'll try it first and tell you afterwards, " said she. "I believe Farmer Brown's boy closes the henhouse up just before jolly, round, red Mr. Sun goes to bed behind the Purple Hills, doesn't he?"

Reddy nodded. Many times from a safe hiding-place he had hungrilywatched Farmer Brown's boy shut the biddies up. It was always justbefore the Black Shadows began to creep out from their hiding-places. 

"I thought so, " said Granny. The truth is, she KNEW so. There wasnothing about that henhouse and what went on there that Granny didn'tknow quite as well as Reddy. "You stay right here this afternoon until Ireturn. I'll see what I can do. "

"Let me go along, " begged Reddy. 

"No, " replied Granny in such a decided tone that Reddy knew it would beof no use to tease. "Sometimes two can do what one cannot do alone, andsometimes one can do what two might spoil. Now we may as well take a napuntil it is time for Mr. Sun to go to bed. Just you leave it to your oldGranny to take care of the first of those ifs. For the other one we'llhave to trust to luck, but you know we are lucky sometimes. "

With this Granny curled up for a nap, and having nothing better to do, Reddy followed her example. 

CHAPTER XXIII: Farmer Brown's Boy Forgets To Close The Gate

 How easy 't is to just forget Until, alas, it is too late. The most methodical of folks Sometimes forget to shut the gate. --Old Granny Fox. 

Farmer Brown's Boy is not usually the forgetful kind. He is pretty goodabout not forgetting. But Farmer Brown's boy isn't perfect by any means. He does forget sometimes, and he is careless sometimes. He would bea funny kind of boy otherwise. But take it day in and day out, he ispretty thoughtful and careful. 

The care of the hens is one of Farmer Brown's boy's duties. It is one ofthose duties which most of the time is a pleasure. He likes the biddies, and he likes to take care of them. Every morning one of the first thingshe does is to feed them and open the henhouse so that they can run inthe henyard if they want to. Every night he goes out just before dark, collects the eggs and locks the henhouse so that no harm can come to thebiddies while they are asleep on their roosts. After the big snowstormhe had shovelled a place in the henyard where the hens could come outand exercise and get a sun-bath when they wanted to, and in the verywarmest part of the clay they would do this. Always in the daytime hetook the greatest care to see that the henyard gate was fastened, for noone knew better than he how bold Granny and Reddy Fox can be when theyare very hungry, and in winter they are very apt to be very hungry mostof the time. So he didn't intend to give them a chance to slip into thathenyard while the biddies were out, or to give the biddies a chance tostray outside where they might be still more easily caught. 

But at night he sometimes left that gate open, as Granny Fox had foundout. You see, he thought it didn't matter because the hens were lockedin their warm house and so were safe, anyway. 

It was just at dusk of the afternoon of the day when Granny and ReddyFox had talked over a plan to get one of those fat hens that FarmerBrown's boy collected the eggs and saw to it that the biddies had goneto roost for the night. He had just started to close the little slidingdoor across the hole through which the hens went in and out in thedaytime when Bowser the Hound began to make a great racket, as ifterribly excited about something. 

Farmer Brown's boy gave the little sliding door a hasty push, picked uphis basket of eggs, locked the henhouse door and hurried out through thegate without stopping to close it. You see, he was in a hurry to findout what Bowser was making such a fuss about. Bowser was yelping andwhining and tugging at his chain, and it was plain to see that he wasterribly eager to be set free. 

"What is it, Bowser, old boy? Did you see something?" asked FarmerBrown's boy as he patted Bowser on the head. "I can't let you go, youknow, because you probably would go off hunting all night and come homein the morning all tired out and with sore feet. Whatever it was, Iguess you've scared it out of a year's growth, old fellow, so we'll letit go at that. "

Bowser still tugged at his chain and whined, but after a little hequieted down. His master looked around behind the barn to see if hecould see what had so stirred up Bowser, but nothing was to be seen, and he returned, patted Bowser once more, and went into the house, neveronce giving that open henyard gate another thought. 

Half an hour later old Granny Fox joined Reddy Fox, who was waiting onthe doorstep of their home. "It is all right, Reddy; that gate is open, "said she. 

"How did you do it, Granny?" asked Reddy eagerly. 

"Easily enough, " replied Granny. "I let Bowser get a glimpse of me justas his master was locking up the henhouse. Bowser made a great fuss, andof course, Farmer Brown's boy hurried out to see what it was all about. He was in too much of a hurry to close that gate, and afterwards heforgot all about it or else he thought it didn't matter. Of course, Ididn't let him get so much as a glimpse of me. "

"Of course, " said Reddy. 

CHAPTER XXIV: A Midnight Visit

 By those who win 't is well agreed He'll try and try who would succeed. --Old Granny Fox. 

It seemed to Reddy Fox as if time never had dragged so slowly as itdid this particular night while he and Granny Fox waited until Grannythought it safe to visit Farmer Brown's henhouse and see if by anychance there was a way of getting into it. Reddy tried not to hope toomuch. Granny had found a way to get the gate to the henyard left open, but this would do them no good unless there was some way of gettinginto the house, and this he very much doubted. But if there was a way hewanted to know it, and he was impatient to start. 

But Granny was in no hurry. Not that she wasn't just as hungry for a fathen as was Reddy, but she was too wise and clever and altogether too slyto run any risks. 

"There is nothing gained by being in too much of a hurry, Reddy, " saidshe, "and often a great deal is lost in that way. A fat hen will tastejust as good a little later as it would now, and it will be foolish togo up to Farmer Brown's until we are sure that everybody up there isasleep. But to ease your mind, I'll tell you what we will do; we'll gowhere we can see Farmer Brown's house and watch until the last lightwinks out. "

So they trotted to a point where they could see Farmer Brown's house, and there they sat down to watch. It seemed to Reddy that those lightsnever would wink out. But at last they did. 

"Come on, Granny!" he cried, jumping to his feet. 

"Not yet, Reddy. Not yet, " replied Granny. "We've got to give folks timeto get sound asleep. If we should get into that henhouse, those hensmight make a racket, and if anything like that is going to happen, wewant to be sure that Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown's boy are asleep. "

This was sound advice, and Reddy knew it. So with a groan he once morethrew himself down on the snow to wait. At last Granny arose, stretched, and looked up at the twinkling stars. "Come on, " said she and led theway. 

Up back of the barn and around it they stole like two shadows and quiteas noiselessly as shadows. They heard Bowser the Hound sighing in hissleep in his snug little house, and grinned at each other. Silently theystole over to the henyard. The gate was open, just as Granny had toldReddy it would be. Across the henyard they trotted swiftly, straight towhere more than once in the daytime they had seen the hens come out ofthe house through a little hole. It was closed. Reddy had expected itwould be. Still, he was dreadfully disappointed. He gave it merely aglance. 

"I knew it wouldn't be any use, " said he with a half whine. 

But Granny paid no attention to him. She went close to the hole andpushed gently against the little door that closed it. It didn't move. Then she noticed that at one edge there was a tiny crack. She tried topush her nose through, but the crack was too narrow. Then she tried apaw. A claw caught on the edge of the door, and it moved ever so little. Then Granny knew that the little door wasn't fastened. Granny stretchedherself flat on the ground and went to work, first with one paw, thenwith the other. By and by she caught her claws in it just right again, and it moved a wee bit more. No, most certainly that door wasn'tfastened, and that crack was a little wider. 

"What are you wasting your time there for?" demanded Reddy crossly. "We'd better be off hunting if we would have anything to eat thisnight. "

Granny said nothing but kept on working. She had discovered that thiswas a sliding door. Presently the crack was wide enough for her to gether nose in. Then she pushed and twisted her head this way and that. The little door slowly slid back, and when Reddy turned to speak to heragain, for he had had his back to her, she was nowhere to be seen. Reddyjust gaped and gaped foolishly. There was no Granny Fox, but there wasa black hole where she had been working, and from it came the mostdelicious smell, --the smell of fat hens! It seemed to Reddy that hisstomach fairly flopped over with longing. He rubbed his eyes to be surethat he was awake. Then in a twinkling he was inside that hole himself. 

"Sh-h-h, be still!" whispered Old Granny Fox. 

CHAPTER XXV: A Dinner For Two

 Dark deeds are done in the stilly night, And who shall say if they're wrong or right? --Old Granny Fox. 

It all depends on how you look at things. Of course, Granny and ReddyFox had no business to be in Farmer Brown's henhouse in the middle ofthe night, or at any other time, for that matter. That is, they had nobusiness to be there, as Farmer Brown would look at the matter. He wouldhave called them two red thieves. Perhaps that is just what they were. But looking at the matter as they did, I am not so sure about it. ToGranny and Reddy Fox those hens were simply big, rather stupid birds, splendid eating if they could be caught, and bound to be eaten bysomebody. The fact that they were in Farmer Brown's henhouse didn't makethem his any more than the fact that Mrs. Grouse was in a part of theGreen Forest owned by Farmer Brown made her his. 

You see, among the little meadow and forest people there is no suchthing as property rights, excepting in the matter of storehouses, andbecause these hens were alive, it didn't occur to Granny and Reddy thatthe henhouse was a sort of storehouse. It would have made no differenceif it had. Among the little people it is considered quite right to helpyourself from another's storehouse if you are smart enough to find itand really need the food. 

Besides, Reddy and Granny knew that Fanner Brown and his boy would eatsome of those hens themselves, and they didn't begin to need them asReddy and Granny did. So as they looked at the matter, there was nothingwrong in being in that henhouse in the middle of the night. They werethere simply because they needed food very, very much, and food wasthere. 

They stared up at the roosts where the biddies were huddled together, fast asleep. They were too high up to be reached from the floor evenwhen Reddy and Granny stood on their hind legs and stretched as far asthey could. 

"We've got to wake them up and scare them so that some of the sillythings will fly down where we can catch them, " said Reddy, licking hislips hungrily. 

"That won't do at all!" snapped Granny. "They would make a great racketand waken Bowser the Hound, and he would waken his master, and that isjust what we mustn't do if we hope to ever get in here again. I thoughtyou had more sense, Reddy. "

Reddy looked a little shamefaced. "Well, if we don't do that, how are wegoing to get them? We can't fly, " he grumbled. 

"You stay right here where you are, " snapped Granny, "and take care thatyou don't make a sound. "

Then Granny jumped lightly to a little shelf that ran along in front ofthe nesting boxes. From this she could reach the lower roost on whichfour fat hens were asleep. Very gently she pushed her head in betweentwo of these and crowded them apart. Sleepily they protested and movedalong a little. Granny continued to crowd them. At last one of themstretched out her head to see who was crowding so. Like a flash Grannyseized that head, and biddy never knew what had wakened her, nor did shehave a chance to waken the others. 

Dropping this hen at Reddy's feet, Granny crowded another until she didthe same thing, and just the same thing happened once more. Then Grannyjumped lightly down, picked up one of the hens by the neck, slung thebody over her shoulder, and told Reddy to do the same with the other andstart for home. 

"Aren't you going to get any more while we have the chance?" grumbledReddy. 

"Enough is enough, " retorted Granny. "We've got a dinner for two, andso far no one is any the wiser. Perhaps these two won't be missed, andwe'll have a chance to get some more another night. Now come on. "

This was plain common sense, and Reddy knew it, so without another wordhe followed old Granny Fox out by the way they had entered, and thenhome to the best dinner he had had for a long long time. 

CHAPTER XXVI: Farmer Brown's Boy Sets A Trap

 The trouble is that troubles are, More frequently than not, Brought on by naught but carelessness; By some one who forgot. --Old Granny Fox. 

Granny Fox had hoped that those two hens she and Reddy had stolen fromFarmer Brown's henhouse would not be missed, but they were. They weremissed the very first thing the next morning when Farmer Brown's boywent to feed the biddies. He discovered right away that the littlesliding door which should have closed the opening through which the henswent in and out of the house was open, and then he remembered thathe had left the henyard gate open the night before. Carefully FarmerBrown's boy examined the hole with the sliding door. 

"Ha!" said he presently, and held up two red hairs which he had found onthe edge of the door. "Ha! I thought as much. I was careless last nightand didn't fasten this door, and I left the gate open. Reddy Fox hasbeen here, and now I know what has become of those two hens. I supposeit serves me right for my carelessness, and I suppose if the truth wereknown, those hens were of more real good to him than they ever couldhave been to me, because the poor fellow must be having pretty hard workto get a living these hard winter days. Still, I can't have him stealingany more. That would never do at all. If I shut them up every night andam not careless, he can't get them. But accidents will happen, and Imight do just as I did last night--think I had locked up when I hadn't. I don't like to set a trap for Reddy, but I must teach the rascal alesson. If I don't, he will get so bold that those chickens won't besafe even in broad daylight. "

Now at just that very time over in their home, Granny and Reddy Fox weretalking over plans for the future, and shrewd old Granny was pointingout to Reddy how necessary it was that they should keep away from thathenyard for some time. "We've had a good dinner, a splendid dinner, andif we are smart enough we may be able to get more good dinners wherethis one came from, " said she. "But we certainly won't if we are toogreedy. "

"But I don't believe Farmer Brown's boy has missed those two chickens, and I don't see any reason at all why we shouldn't go back thereto-night and get two more if he is stupid enough to leave that gate andlittle door open, " whined Reddy. 

"Maybe he hasn't missed those two, but if we should take two more hecertainly would miss them, and he would guess what had become of them, and that might get us into no end of trouble, " snapped Granny. "We arenot starving now, and the best thing for us to do is to keep away fromthat henhouse until we can't get anything to eat anywhere else, Now youmind what I tell you, Reddy, and don't you dare go near there. "

Reddy promised, and so it came about that Farmer Brown's boy hunted upa trap all for nothing so far as Reddy and Granny were concerned. Verycarefully he bound strips of cloth around the jaws of the trap, forhe couldn't bear to think of those cruel jaws cutting into the legof Reddy, should he happen to get caught. You see, Farmer Brown's boydidn't intend to kill Reddy if he should catch him, but to make him aprisoner for a while and so keep him out of mischief. That night he hidthe trap very cunningly just inside the henhouse where any one creepingthrough that little hole made for the hens to go in and out would besure to step in it. Then he purposely left the little sliding door openpart way as if it had been forgotten, and he also left the henyard gateopen just as he had done the night before. 

"There now, Master Reddy, " said he, talking to himself, "I rather thinkthat you are going to get into trouble before morning. "

And doubtless Reddy would have done just that thing but for the wisdomof sly old Granny. 

CHAPTER XXVII: Prickly Porky Takes A Sun Bath

 Danger comes when least expected; 'T is often near when not expected. --Old Granny Fox. 

The long hard winter had passed, and Spring had come. Prickly Porkythe Porcupine came down from a tall poplar-tree and slowly stretchedhimself. He was tired of eating. He was tired of swinging in thetree-top. 

"I believe I'll have a sun-bath, " said Prickly Porky, and lazily walkedtoward the edge of the Green Forest in search of a place where the sunlay warm and bright. 

Now Prickly Porky's stomach was very, very full. He was fat andnaturally lazy, so when he came to the doorstep of an old house just onthe edge of the Green Forest he sat down to rest. It was sunny and warmthere, and the longer he sat the less like moving he felt. He lookedabout him with his dull eyes and grunted to himself. 

"It's a deserted house. Nobody lives here, and I guess nobody'll care ifI take a nap right here on the doorstep, " said Prickly Porky to himself. "And I don't care if they do, " he added, for Prickly Porky the Porcupinewas afraid of nobody and nothing. 

So Prickly Porky made himself as comfortable as possible, yawned once ortwice, tried to wink at jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, who was winking andsmiling down at him and then fell fast asleep right on the doorstep ofthe old house. 

Now the old house had been deserted. No one had lived in it for a long, long time, a very long time indeed. But it happened that, the nightbefore, old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox had had to move out of their nicehome on the edge of the Green Meadows because Farmer Brown's boy hadfound it. Reddy was very stiff and sore, for he had been shot by ahunter. He was so sore he could hardly walk, and could not go very far. So old Granny Fox had led him to the old deserted house and put him tobed in that. 

"No one will think of looking for us here, for every one knows that noone lives here, " said old Granny Fox, as she made Reddy as comfortableas possible. 

As soon as it was daylight, Granny Fox slipped out to watch for FarmerBrown's boy, for she felt sure that he would come back to the house theyhad left, and sure enough he did. He brought a spade and dug the houseopen, and all the time old Granny Fox was watching him from behind afence corner and laughing to think that she had been smart enough tomove in the night. 

But Reddy Fox didn't know anything about this. He was so tired that heslept and slept and slept. It was the middle of the morning when finallyhe awoke. He yawned and stretched, and when he stretched he groanedbecause he was so stiff and sore. Then he hobbled up toward the doorwayto see if old Granny Fox had left any breakfast outside for him. 

It was dark, very dark. Reddy was puzzled. Could it be that he hadgotten up before daylight--that he hadn't slept as long as he thought?Perhaps he had slept the whole day through, and it was night again. My, how hungry he was!

"I hope Granny has caught a fine, fat chicken for me, " thought Reddy, and his mouth watered. 

Just then he ran bump into something. "Wow!" screamed Reddy Fox, andclapped both hands to his nose. Something was sticking into it. It wasone of the sharp little spears that Prickly Porky hides in his coat. Reddy Fox knew then why the old house was so dark. Prickly Porky wasblocking up the doorway. 

CHAPTER XXVIII: Prickly Porky Enjoys Himself

 A boasting tongue, as sure as fate, Will trip its owner soon or late. --Old Granny Fox. 

Prickly Porky the Porcupine was enjoying himself. There was no doubtabout that. He was stretched across the doorway of that old house, thevery house in which old Granny Fox had been born. When he had lain downon the doorstep for a nap and sun-bath, he had thought that the oldhouse was still deserted. Then he had fallen asleep, only to be wakenedby Reddy Fox, who bad been asleep in the old house and who couldn't getout because Prickly Porky was in the way. 

Now Prickly Porky does not love Reddy Fox, and the more Reddy begged andscolded and called him names, the more Prickly Porky chuckled. It wassuch a good joke to think that he had trapped Reddy Fox, and he made uphis mind that he would keep Reddy in there a long time just to tease himand make him uncomfortable. You see Prickly Porky remembered how oftenReddy Fox played mean tricks on little meadow and forest folks who aresmaller and weaker than himself. 

"It will do him good. It certainly will do him good, " said PricklyPorky, and rattled the thousand little spears hidden in his long coat, for he knew that the very sound of them would make Reddy Fox shiver withfright. 

Suddenly Prickly Porky pricked up his funny little short ears. He heardthe deep voice of Bowser the Hound, and it was coming nearer and nearer. Prickly Porky chuckled again. 

"I guess Mr. Bowser is going to have a surprise; I certainly think heis, " said Prickly Porky as he made all the thousand little spears standout from his long coat till he looked like a funny great chestnut burr. 

Bowser the Hound did have a surprise. He was hunting Reddy Fox, and healmost ran into Prickly Porky before he saw him. The very sight of thosethousand little spears sent little cold chills chasing each other downBowser's backbone clear to the tip of his tail, for he remembered how hehad gotten some of them in his lips and mouth once upon a time, andhow it had hurt to have them pulled out. Ever since then he had had thegreatest respect for Prickly Porky. 

"Wow!" yelped Bowser the Hound, stopping short. "I beg your pardon, Prickly Porky, I beg your pardon, I didn't know you were taking a naphere. "

All the time Bowser the Hound was backing away as fast as he could. Thenhe turned around, put his tail between his legs and actually ran away. 

Slowly Prickly Porky unrolled, and his little eyes twinkled as hewatched Bowser the Hound run away. 

 "Bowser's very big and strong; His voice is deep; his legs are long; His bark scares some almost to death. But as for me he wastes his breath; I just roll up and shake my spears And Bowser is the one who fears. "

So said Prickly Porky, and laughed aloud. Just then he heard a lightfootstep and turned to see who was coming. It was old Granny Fox. Shehad seen Bowser run away, and now she was anxious to find out if ReddyFox were safe. 

"Good morning, " said Granny Fox, taking care not to come too near. 

"Good morning, " replied Prickly Porky, hiding a smile. 

"I'm very tired and would like to go inside my house; had you just assoon move?" asked Granny Fox. 

"Oh!" exclaimed Prickly Porky, "is this your house? I thought you livedover on the Green Meadows. "

"I did, but I've moved. Please let me in, " replied Granny Fox. 

"Certainly, certainly. Don't mind me, Granny Fox. Step right over me, "said Prickly Porky, and smiled once more, and at the same time rattledhis little spears. 

Instead of stepping over him, Granny Fox backed away. 

CHAPTER XXIX: The New Home In The Old Pasture

 Who keeps a watch upon his toes Need never fear he'll bump his nose. --Old Granny Fox. 

Now there is nothing like being shut in alone in the dark to make onethink. A voice inside of Reddy began to whisper to him. "If you hadn'ttried to be smart and show off you wouldn't have brought all thistrouble on yourself and Old Granny Fox, " said the voice. 

"I know it, " replied Reddy right out loud, forgetting that it was only asmall voice inside of him. 

"What do you know?" asked Prickly Porky. He was still keeping Reddy inand Granny out and he had overheard what Reddy said. 

"It is none of your business!" snapped Reddy. 

Reddy could hear Prickly Porky chuckle. Then Prickly Porky repeated asif to himself in a queer cracked voice the following:

 "Rudeness never, never pays, Nor is there gain in saucy ways. It's always best to be polite And ne'er give way to ugly spite. If that's the way you feel inside You'd better all such feelings hide; For he must smile who hopes to win, And he who loses best will grin. "

Reddy pretended that he hadn't heard. Prickly Porky continued to chucklefor a while and finally Reddy fell asleep. When he awoke it was to findthat Prickly Porky had left and old Granny Fox had brought him somethingto eat. 

Just as soon as Reddy Fox was able to travel he and Granny had movedto the Old Pasture. The Old Pasture is very different from the GreenMeadows or the Green Forest. Yes, indeed, it is very, very different. Reddy Fox thought so. And Reddy didn't like the change, --not a bit. Allabout were great rocks, and around and over them grew bushes andyoung trees and bull-briars with long ugly thorns, and blackberry andraspberry canes that seemed to have a million little hooked hands, reaching to catch in and tear his red coat and to scratch his face andhands. There were little open places where wild-eyed young cattle fedon the short grass. They had made many little paths all crisscross amongthe bushes, and when you tried to follow one of these paths you nevercould tell where you were coming out. 

No, Reddy Fox did not like the Old Pasture at all. There was no long, soft green grass to lie down in. And it was lonesome up there. He missedthe little people of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest. There wasno one to bully and tease. And it was such a long, long way from FarmerBrown's henyard that old Granny Fox wouldn't even try to bring him a fathen. At least, that's what she told Reddy. 

The truth is, wise old Granny Fox knew that the very best thing shecould do was to stay away from Farmer Brown's for a long time. She knewthat Reddy couldn't go down there, because he was still too lame andsore to travel such a long way, and she hoped that by the time Reddywas well enough to go, he would have learned better than to do sucha foolish thing as to try to show off by stealing a chicken in broaddaylight, as he had when he brought all this trouble on them. 

Down on the Green Meadows, the home of Granny and Reddy Fox had been ona little knoll, which you know is a little low hill, right where theycould sit on their doorstep and look all over the Green Meadows. It hadbeen very, very beautiful down there. They had made lovely little pathsthrough the tall green meadow grass, and the buttercups and daisies hadgrown close up to their very doorstep. But up here in the Old PastureGranny Fox had chosen the thickest clump of bushes and young trees shecould find, and in the middle was a great pile of rocks. Way in amongthese rocks Granny Fox had dug their new house. It was right down underthe rocks. Even in the middle of the day jolly, round, red Mr. Sun couldhardly find it with a few of his long, bright beams. All the rest of thetime it was dark and gloomy there. 

No, Reddy Fox didn't like his new home at all, but when he said so oldGranny Fox boxed his ears. 

"It's your own fault that we've got to live here now, " said she. "It'sthe only place where we are safe. Farmer Brown's boy never will findthis home, and even if he did he couldn't dig into it as he did into ourold home on the Green Meadows. Here we are, and here we've got to stay, all because a foolish little Fox thought himself smarter than anybodyelse and tried to show off. "

Reddy hung his head. "I don't care!" he said, which was very, veryfoolish, because, you know, he did care a very great deal. 

And here we will leave wise Old Granny Fox and Reddy, safe, even ifthey do not like their new home. You see, Lightfoot the Deer is gettingjealous. He thinks there should be some books about the people of theGreen Forest, and that the first one should be about him. And because weall love Lightfoot the Deer, the very next book is to bear his name.