GRANNY Fox
NRLF
GREEN
MEADOW
SERIES
-**
BURGESS
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'ft! //.'//
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ALL THE TIME GRANNY WAS CUTTING UP HER ANTICS.
Page 26.
OLD GRANNY FOX
BY
THORNTON W. BURGESS
With Illustrations by
HARRISON CADY
GROSSET & DUNLAP
Publishers New York
Printed by arrangement with Little, Brown, and Company
Copyright, 1920,
BT LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
?
Seftlcstiort
9--P
TO THE INCREASE OF THE SPIRIT OP MERCY AND
TO THAT GENTLE CHARITY WHICH BEFORE
PASSING JUDGMENT ON ANOTHER WILL
SEEK TO GET THE OTHER'S VIEW-
POINT, EVEN THOUGH THAT
OTHER BE BUT A FOX
CONTENTS
PAGE
I REDDY Fox BRINGS GRANNY NEWS . 1
II GRANNY AND REDDY Go HUNTING . 8
III REDDY Is SURE GRANNY HAS LOST HER
SENSES IS
IV QUACKER THE DUCK GROWS CURIOUS . 21
, V REDDY Fox Is AFRAID To Go HOME . 27
VI OLD GRANNY Fox Is CAUGHT NAPPING 33
VII GRANNY HAS A BAD DREAM . . 41
VIII WHAT FARMER BROWN'S BOY DID . 49
IX REDDY Fox HEARS ABOUT GRANNY Fox 55
X REDDY Fox Is IMPUDENT ... 62
XI AFTER THE STORM .... 69
XII GRANNY AND REDDY Fox HUNT IN
VAIN 76
XIII GRANNY Fox ADMITS GROWING OLD . 83
XIV THREE VAIN AND FOOLISH WISHES . 90
XV REDDY FIGHTS A BATTLE ... 97
XVI REDDY Is MADE TRULY HAPPY . . 104
XVII GRANNY Fox PROMISES REDDY BOW-
SER'S DINNER . . . Ill
viii CONTENTS
CHAPTER
XVIII WHY BOWSER THE HOUND DIDN'T EAT
His DINNER 118
XIX OLD MAN COYOTE DOES A LITTLE
THINKING 126
XX A TWICE STOLEN DINNER. . . 133
XXI GRANNY AND REDDY TALK THINGS
OVER 140
XXII GRANNY Fox PLANS TO GET A FAT
HEN 147
XXIII FARMER BROWN'S BOY FORGETS TO
CLOSE THE GATE . . . .154
XXIV A MIDNIGHT VISIT .... 161
XXV A DINNER FOR Two . . . .168
XXVI FARMER BROWN'S BOY SETS A TRAP 175
XXVII PRICKLY PORKY TAKES A SUN BATH 182
XXVIII PRICKLY PORKY ENJOYS HIMSELF . 188
XXIX THE NEW HOME IN THE OLD PASTURE 195
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
All the time Granny was cutting up
her antics . . Frontispiece
"Oh, my! oh, my! What news this
will be to tell! " . . . . PAGE 56
"Hard times these, " said Peter
pleasantly ...." 76
They stared up at the roosts where
the biddies were huddled to-
gether, fast asleep ., . . " 172
OLD GRANNY FOX
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 Mea-
dows and tlie Green Forest, and
ice bound the Smiling Pool and
the Laughing Brook. Reddy
and Granny Fox were hungry most
of the time. It was not easy to
find enough to eat these days, and
so they spent nearly every minute
they were awake in hunting.
2 OLD GRANNY FOX
Sometimes they hunted together,
but usually one went one way, and
the other went another way so as
to have a greater chance of finding
something. If either found enough
for two, the one finding it took the
food back to their home if it could
be carried. If not, the other was
told where to find it.
For several days they had had
very little indeed to eat, and they
were so hungry that they were
willing to take almost any chance
to get a good meal. For two
nights they had visited Farmer
Brown's henhouse, hoping that they
would be able to find a way inside.
But the biddies had been securely
locked up, and try as they would,
they couldn't find a way in.
REDDY BRINGS GRANNY NEWS 3
"It's of no use/' said Granny,
as they started back home after the
second try, " to hope to get one of
those hens at night. If we are
going to get any at all, we will
have to do it in broad daylight.
It can be done, for I have done it
before, but I don't like the idea,
We are likely to be seen, and that
means that Bowser the Hound will
be set to hunting 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 Fox who didn't think he
knew all there is to know, and
you're just like the rest. When
you've lived as long as I have,
4 OLD GRANNY FOX
you will have learned not to be
quite so sure of your own opinions.
I grant you that when there is no
snow on the ground, any Fox with
a reasonable amount of Fox sense
in his head can fool Bowser, but
with snow everywhere it is a very
different matter. If Bowser once
takes it into his head to follow
your trail these days, you will
have to be smarter than I think
you are to fool him. The only
way you will be able to get away
from him will be by going into a
hole in the ground, and when you
do that you will have given away
a secret that will mean we will
never have any peace at all. We
will never know when Farmer
Brown's boy will take it into his
REDDY BRINGS GRANNY NEWS 5
head to smoke us out. I Ve seen
it done. No, Sir, we are not going
to try for one of those hens in the
daytime unless we are starving."
"I'm starving now/' whined
Reddy.
" No such thing ! ' Granny
snapped. " I Ve been without food
longer than this many a time.
Have you been over to the Big
River lately ? "
" No/' replied Reddy. " What 's
the use ? It 's frozen over. There
is n't anything there."
"Perhaps not/' replied Granny,
"but I learned a long time ago
that it is a poor plan to overlook
any chance. There is a place in
the Big River which never freezes
because the water runs too swiftly
6 OLD GRANNY FOX
to freeze, and I've found more
than one meal washed ashore there.
You go over there now while I see
what I can find in the Green
Forest. If neither of us finds any-
thing, it will be time enough to
think about Farmer Brown's hens
to-morrow/'
Much against his will Reddy
obeyed. " It is n't the least bit of
use/' he grumbled, as he trotted
towards the Big River. " There
won't be anything there. It is
just a waste of time."
Late that afternoon he came
hurrying back, and Granny knew
by the way that he cocked his ears
and carried his tail that he had
news of some kind. " Well, what
is it ? " she demanded.
REDDY BRINGS GRANNY NEWS 7
"I found a dead fish that had
been washed ashore," replied
Reddy. " It was n'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
any good. 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 '11 go Duck hunting."
CHAPTER H
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
daily climb up in the blue, blue sky
that morning when he spied two
figures trotting across the snow-
covered Green Meadows, one behind
the other. They were trotting along
quite as if they had made up their
minds just where 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 ran too
GRANNY AND REDDY HUNTING 9
swiftly to freeze. The day before
Reddy had discovered Quacker the
Wild Duck swimming about there,
and now they were on their way to
try to catch him.
Granny led the way and Reddy
meekly followed her. To tell the
truth, Reddy had n't the least idea
that they would have a chance to
catch Quacker, because Quacker
kept out in the water where he
was as safe from them as if they
were a thousand miles away. The
only reason that Reddy had will-
ingly started with Granny was the
hope that he might find a dead fish
washed up on the shore as he had
the day before.
" Granny certainly is growing
foolish in her old age/' thought
10 OLD GRANNY FOX
Reddy, as he trotted along behind
her. "I told her that Quacker
never once came ashore all the time
I watched yesterday. I don't be-
lieve he ever comes ashore, and if
she knows anything at all she
ought to know that she can't catch
him out there in the water. Granny
used to be smart enough when 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 at
her. I have to laugh myself."
He did laugh, but you may be
sure he took great pains that Granny
should not see him laughing.
Whenever she looked around he
was as sober as could be. In fact,
he appeared to be quite as eager
GRANNY AND REDDY HUNTING 11
as if he felt sure they would catch
Quacker. Now old Granny Fox
is very wise in the ways of the
Great World, and if Reddy could
have known what was going on in
her mind as she led the way to the
Big River, he might not have felt
quite so sure of his own smartness.
Granny was doing some quiet
laughing herself.
" He thinks I ? m old and foolish
and don't know what I'm about,
the young scamp ! ' thought she.
" He thinks he has learned all there
is to learn. It isn't the least use
in the world to try to tell him any-
thing. When young folks 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
12 OLD GRANNY FOX
experience to take the conceit out
of these youngsters."
Now conceit is the feeling that
you know more than any one else.
Perhaps you do. Then again, per-
haps you don't. So sometimes it
is best not to be too sure of your
own opinion. Reddy was sure.
He trotted along behind old Granny
Fox and planned smart things to
say to her when she found that
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
think themselves smart are quite
apt to be saucy.
Presently they came to the bank
of the Big River. Old Granny
Fox told Reddy to sit still while
GRANNY AND REDDY HUNTING 13
she crept up behind some bushes
where she could peek out over the
Big River. He grinned as he
watched her. He was still grin-
ning when she tiptoed back. He
expected to see her face long
with disappointment. Instead she
looked very much pleased.
" Quacker is there/' said she,
"and I think he will make us a
very good dinner. Creep up be-
hind those bushes and see for your-
self, then come back 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
who grinned as she watched. As
he crept along, Reddy wondered if
it could be that for once Quacker
14 OLD GRANNY FOX
had come ashore. Granny seemed
so sure they could catch him that
this must be the case. But when
he peeped through the bushes, there
was Quacker 'way out in the middle
of the open water just where he
had been the day before.
CHAPTER in
REDDY IS SURE GRANNY HAS LOST
HER SENSES
Perhaps 't is 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 bushes on the bank of the Big
River and saw Quacker swimming
about in the water where it ran
too swiftly to freeze. " We 've
got just as much chance of catch-
ing him as I have of jumping over
the moon. That's what 111 tell
Granny/'
He crept back carefully so as
not to be seen by Quacker, and
16 OLD GRANNY FOX
when he had reached the place
where Granny was waiting for
him, his face wore a very impudent
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 a saucy 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. " Not by us, anyway,"
he added.
" I suppose you would n't even
try?" retorted Granny.
" I 'm old enough to know when
HAS GRANNY LOST HER SENSES ? 17
I'm wasting my time," replied
Reddy with a toss 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 did n't say that/' pro-
tested Reddy, looking very un-
comfortable.
"But you think it," declared
Granny. "Now look here, Mr.
Smarty, you do just as I tell you,
You creep back there where you
can watch Quacker and all that
happens, and mind that you keep
out of his sight. Now go."
Reddy went. There was noth-
ing else to do. He didn't dare
disobey. Granny watched until
Reddy had reached his hiding-
place. Then what do you thick
18 OLD GRANNY FOX
she did ? Why, she walked right
out on the little beach just below
Reddy and in plain sight of
Quacker ! Yes, Sir, that is what
she did !
Then began such a queer per-
formance that it is no wonder that
Reddy was sure Granny had lost
her senses. She rolled over and
over. She chased her tail round
and round until it made Reddy
dizzy to watch her. She jumped
up in the air. She raced back
and forth. She played with a bit
of stick. And all the time she
didn't pay the least attention to
Quacker the Duck.
Reddy stared and stared. What-
ever had come over Granny ? She
was crazy. Yes, Sir, that must be
HAS GRANNY LOST HER SENSES ? 19
the matter. It must be that she
had gone without food so long
that she had gone crazy. Poor
Granny ! She was in her second
childhood. Reddy could remember
how he had done such things when
he was very young, just by way of
showing how fine he felt. But
for a grown-up Fox to do such
things was undignified, to say the
least. You know Reddy thinks a
great deal of dignity. It was
worse than undignified ; it was
positively disgraceful. He did
hope that none of his neighbors
would happen along and see
Granny cutting up so. He never
would hear the end of it if they did.
Over and over rolled Granny,
and around and around she chased
20 OLD GRANNY FOX
her tail. The snow flew up in a
cloud. And all the time she made
no sound. Reddy was just trying
to decide whether to go off and
leave her until she had regained
her common sene, or to go out
and try to stop her, when he
happened to look out in the
open water where Quacker was.
Quacker was sitting up as straight
as he could. In fact, he had his
wings raised to help him sit up on
his tail, the better to see what old
Granny Fox was doing.
"As I live," muttered Reddy,
"I believe that fellow is nearer
than he was ! ''
Reddy crouched lower than ever,
and instead of watching Granny he
watched Quacker the Duck.
CHAPTER IV
QUACKER THE DUCK GROWS CURIOUS
The most curious thing in the world is curiosity.
Old Granny Fox.
OLD GRAKNT Fox never said a
truer thing than that. It is curi-
ous, very curious, how sometimes
curiosity will get the best of even
the wisest and most sensible of
people. Even Old Granny Fox
herself has been known to be led
into trouble by it. We expect it
of Peter Rabbit, but Peter is n'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
22 OLD GRANNY FOX
expect to be led into trouble by
curiosity. Quacker had spent the
summer in the Far North with
Honker the Goose. In fact, he had
been born there. He had started
for the far away Southland at the
same time Honker had, but when
he reached the Big River he had
found plenty to eat and had decided
to stay until he had to move on.
The Big River had frozen over
everywhere except in this one place
where the water was too swift to
freeze, and there Quacker had re-
mained. You see, he was a good
diver and on the bottom of the river
he found plenty to eat. No one
could get at him out there, unless
it were Roughleg the Hawk, and if
Roughleg did happen along, all he
QUACKER GROWS CURIOUS 23
had to do was to dive and come up
far away to laugh and make fun of
Roughleg. The water could n'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 Quacker had early learned to
be always on the watch and to take
the best of care of himself. On his
way down to the Big River he had
been hunted by men with terrible
guns, and he had learned all about
them. In fact, he felt quite able
to keep out of harm's way. He
rather prided himself that there was
no one smart enough to catch him.
I suspect he thought he knew all
there was to know. In this respect
he was a good deal like Reddy Fox
24 OLD GRANNY FOX
himself. That was because he was
young. It is the way with young
Ducks and Foxes and with some
other youngsters I know.
When Quacker first saw Granny
Fox on the little beach, he flirted
his absurd little tail and smiled as
he thought how she must wish she
could catch him. But so far as he
could see, Granny did n't once look
at him.
" She does n't know I 'm out here
at all," thought Quacker. Then
suddenly he sat up very straight
and looked with all his might.
What under the sun was the matter
with that Fox ? She was acting as
if she had suddenly lost her senses.
Over and over she rolled.
Around and around she spun. She
QUACKER GROWS CURIOUS 25
turned somersaults. 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 be something the matter
with her.
Quacker began to get excited.
He couldn't keep his eyes off Old
Granny Fox. He began to swim
nearer. He wanted to see better.
He quite forgot she was a Fox.
She moved so fast that she was just
a queer red spot on the beach.
Whatever she was doing was very
curious and very exciting. He
swam nearer and nearer. The ex-
citement was catching;. He began
o o
to swim in circles himself. All the
time he drew nearer and nearer to
the shore. He didn't have the
26 OLD GRANNY FOX
least bit of fear. He was just curi-
ous. He wanted to see better.
All the time Granny was cutting
up her antics, she was watching
Quacker, though he did n't suspect
it. As he swam nearer and nearer
to the shore, Granny rolled and
tumbled farther and farther back.
At last Quacker was close to the
shore. If he kept on, he would be
right on the land in a few minutes.
And all the time he stared and
stared. No thought of danger en-
tered his head. You see, there was
no room because it was so filled
with curiosity.
"In a minute more I'll have
him/' thought Granny, and whirled
faster than 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 thai
saying many times as he hunted
through the Green Forest that
night, afraid to go home. You
see, he had almost dined on
Quacker the Duck over at the Big
River that day and then hadn't,
and it was all his own fault.
That was why he was afraid to go
home. From his hiding-place on
the bank he had watched Quacker
swim in and in until he was almost
on the shore where old Granny
28 OLD GRANNY FOX
Fox was whirling and rolling and
tumbling about as if she had en-
tirely lost her senses. Indeed,
Reddy had been quite sure that
she had when she began. It
wasn't until he saw that curiosity
was drawing Quacker right in so
that in a minute or two Granny
would be able to catch him, that
he understood that Granny was
anything but crazy, and really was
teaching him a new trick as well
as trying to catch a dinner.
When he realized this, he should
have been ashamed of himself for
doubting the smartness of Granny
and for thinking that he knew all
there was to know. But he was
too much excited for any such
thoughts. Nearer and nearer to
REDDY IS AFRAID TO GO HOME 29
the shore came Quacker, his eyes
fixed on the red, whirling form
of Granny. Reddy 's own eyes
gleamed with excitement. Would
Quacker keep on right up to the
shore ? Nearer and nearer and
nearer he came. 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 see
Granny make that jump which
would mean a dinner for both.
Forgetting what Granny had
charged him, Reddy eagerly raised
his head to look over the edge of
the bank. Now it just happened
that at that very minute Quacker
chanced to look that way. His
quick eyes caught the movement
30 OLD GRANNY FOX
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 but
one thing danger ! It was all
a trick ! He saw through it now.
Like a flash he turned. There
was the whistle of stiff wings beat-
ing the air and the patter of feet
striking the water as he got under
way. Then he flew out to the
safety of the open water. Granny
sprang, but she was just 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 the place where Reddy had
REDDY IS AFRAID TO GO HOME 31
been hiding. She could n't see
him. Then she bounded up the
bank. There was no Reddy there,
but far away across the snow-
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 dinner disappear just
as it is almost within reach.
" 1 11 teach that young scamp a
lesson he won't soon forget when I
get home/' she muttered, as she
watched him. Then she went
back to the edge of the Big River
and there she found a dead fish
which had been washed ashore.
It was a very good fish, and
32 OLD GRANNY FOX
when she had eaten it Granny felt
better.
" Anyway," thought she, " I
have taught him a new trick and
one he is n't likely to forget. He
knows now that Granny still knows
a few tricks that he doesn't, and
next time he won't feel so sure he
knows it all. I guess it was
worth while even if I did n't catch
Quacker. My, but he would have
tasted good ! " Granny smacked
her lips and started for home.
But Reddy, with a guilty con-
science, was afraid to go home.
And so, miserable and hungry, he
hunted through the Green Forest
all the long night and wished and
wished that he had heeded what
old Granny Fox had told 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.
THEEE is a saying among the
little people of the Green Forest
and the Green 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,
so keenly on the watch at all times,
that he must be very smart indeed
who fools her or gets ahead of her.
Reddy Fox is smart, very smart.
34 OLD GRANNY FOX
But Reddy is n't nearly as smart as
Old Granny Fox. You see, lie
hasn't lived nearly as long, so of
course there is much knowledge of
many things stored 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 so with Old Granny Fox.
With all her smartness and clever-
ness and wisdom she grew careless,
and all the smartness and cleverness
and wisdom in the world is useless
if the possessor becomes careless.
You see, Old Granny Fox had
become so used to thinking that she
was smarter than any one else, un-
less it was Old Man Coyote, that
GRANNY FOX CAUGHT NAPPING 35
she actually believed that no one
was smart enough ever to sur-
prise her. Yes, Sir, she actually
believed that. Now, you know
when a person reaches the point of
thinking that no one else in all the
Great World is quite so smart, that
person is like Peter Rabbit when
he made ready one winter day to
jump out on the smooth ice of the
Smiling Pool, getting ready for
a fall. It was this way with Old
Granny Fox.
Because she had lived near
Farmer Brown's so long and had
been hunted so often by Farmer
Brown's boy and by Bowser the
Hound, she had got the idea in her
head that no matter what she did
they would not be able to catch
36 OLD GRANNY FOX
her. So at last she grew careless.
Yes, Sir, she grew careless. And
that is something no Fox or any-
body else can afford to do.
Now on the edge of the Green
Forest was a warm, sunny knoll,
which, as you know, is a sort of
little hill. It overlooked the Green
Meadows and was quite the most
pleasant and comfortable place for
a sun-nap that ever was. At least,
that is what Old Granny Fox
thought. She took sun-naps there
very often. It was her favorite
resting place. When Bowser the
Hound had found her trail and
had chased her until she was tired
of running and had had quite all
the exercise she needed or wanted,
she would play one of her clevei
GRANNY FOX CAUGHT NAPPING 37
tricks by which to make Bowser
lose her trail. Then she would
hurry straight to that knoll to rest
and grin at her own smartness.
It happened that she did this one
day when there was fresh snow on
the ground. Of course, every time
she put a foot down she left a print
in the snow. And where she curled
up in the sun she left the print of
her body. They were very plain
to see, were these prints, and
Farmer Brown's boy saw them.
He had been tramping through
the Green Forest late in the after-
noon and just by chance happened
across Granny's footprints. Just
for fun he followed them and so
came to the sunny knoll. Granny
had left some time before, but of
38 OLD GRANNY FOX
course she couldn't take the print
of her body with her. That re-
mained in the snow, and Farmer
Brown's boy saw it and knew in-
stantly what it meant. He grinned,
and could Granny Fox have seen
that grin, she would have been
uncomfortable. You see, he knew
that he had found 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, after
running Bowser almost off his feet.
I think we will give you a surprise
one of these days. Yes, indeed,
I think we will give you a sur-
prise. You have fooled us many
times, and now it is our turn."
The next day Farmer Brown's
GRANNY FOX CAUGHT NAPPING 39
boy shouldered his terrible gun and
sent Bowser the Hound to hunt for
the trail of Old Granny Fox. It
wasn't long before Bowser's great
voice told all the Great World that
he had found Granny's tracks.
Farmer Brown's boy grinned just
as he had the day before. Then
with his terrible gun he went over
to the Green Forest and hid under
some pine boughs right on the edge
of that sunny knoll.
He waited patiently a long, long
time. He heard Bowser's great
voice growing more and more ex-
cited as he followed Old Granny
Fox. By and by Bowser stopped
baying and began to yelp im-
patiently. Farmer Brown's boy
knew exactly what that meant. It
40 OLD GRANNY FOX
meant that Granny had played one
of her smart tricks and Bowser had
lost her trail.
A few minutes later out of the
Green Forest came Old Granny Fox,
and she was grinning, for once
more she had fooled Bowser the
Hound and now could take a nap
in peace. Still grinning, she turned
around two or three times to make
herself comfortable and then, with
a sigh of contentment, 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 boy holding his
terrible gun and grinning. At last
he had caught Old Granny Fox
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, Sii% 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 comfortable place indeed.
You see, jolly, round, bright Mr.
Sun poured his warmest rays right
down there from the blue, blue sky.
When Old Granny Fox was tired,.
*2 OLD GRANNY FOX
she often slipped over there for a
short nap and sun-bath even in
winter. She was quite sure that
no one knew anything about it,
It was one of her secrets.
This morning Old Granny Fox
was very tired, unusually so. In
the first place she had been out
hunting all night. Then, before
she could reach home, Bowser the
Hound had found her tracks and
started to follow them. Of course,
it would n't have done to go home
then. It wouldn't have done at
all. Bowser would have followed
her straight there and so found
out where she lived. So she had
led Bowser far away across the
Green Meadows and through the
Green Forest and finally played
GRANNY HAS A BAD DREAM 43
one of her smart tricks which had
so mixed her tracks that Bowser
could no longer follow them.
While he had sniffed and snuffed
and snuffed and sniffed with that
wonderful nose of his, trying to
find out where she had gone, Old
Granny Fox 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
Green Forest and the Green
Meadows, sleeps with her ears
wide open. Her eyes may be
closed, but not her ears. Those
are always on guard, even when
she is asleep, and at the least
sound open fly her eyes, and she is
44 OLD GRANNY FOX
ready to run. If it were not for
the way her sharp ears keep guard,
she wouldn't dare take naps in
the open right in broad daylight.
If you ever want to catch a Fox
asleep, you mustn't make the
teeniest, weeniest noise. Just re-
member that.
Now Old Granny Fox had no
sooner closed her eyes than she
began to dream. At first it was a
very pleasant dream, the pleasant-
est dream a Fox 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 as
if it were a real and not a dream
dinner she was enjoying.
But presently the dream changed
GRANNY HAS A BAD DREAM 45
and became a bad dream. Yes,
indeed, it became a bad dream.
It was as bad as at first it had
been good. It seemed to Granny
that Bowser the Hound had be-
come very smart, smarter than she
had ever known him to be before.
Do what she would, she couldn't
fool him. Not one of all the
tricks she knew, and she knew a
great many, fooled him at all.
They didn't puzzle him long
enough for her to get her breath.
Bowser kept getting nearer and
nearer and nearer, all in the dream,
you know, until it seemed as if his
great voice sounded right at her
very heels. She was so tired that
it seemed to her that she could n't
run another step. It was a very,
46 OLD GRANNY FOX
rery real dream. You know
dreams sometimes do seem very
real indeed. This was the way it
was with the bad dream of Old
Granny Fox. It seemed to her
that she could feel the breath of
Bowser the Hound and that his
great jaws were just going to close
on her and shake her to death.
" Oh ! Oh ! " cried Granny and
waked herself up. Her eyes flew
open. Then she gave a great
sigh of relief as she realized that
her terrible fright was 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 and then,
GRANNY HAS A BAD DREAM 4V
well, she didn't know whethei
she was really awake or still
dreaming ! No, Sir, she did n't.
For a full minute she could n't be
sure whether 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 of his dreadful
gun!
For just a few seconds she
didn't move. She couldn't. She
was too frightened to move. Then
she knew what she saw was real
and not a dream at all. There
was n't the least bit of doubt about
it. That was Farmer Brown's
boy, and that was his dreadful
gun ! All in a flash she knew
that Farmer Brown's boy must
48 OLD GRANNY FOX
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 to fire that
dreadful gun, and that would be
the end of her. She kn^w it.
CHAPTER VIH
WHAT FARMER BROWN'S BOY DID
In time of danger heed this rule :
Think hard and fast, but pray keep cool.
Old Granny Fox.
POOE Old Granny Fox ! She
had thought that she had been in
tight places before, 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 dreadful gun
straight at her, and only such a
short distance, such a very short
distance away ! It was n't the least
bit of use to run. Granny knew
that. That dreadful gun would
50 OLD GRANNY FOX
go " bang ! '' and that would be
the end of her.
For a few seconds she stared at
Farmer Brown's boy, too frightened
to move or even think. Then she
began to wonder why that dreadful
gun didn't go off. What was
Farmer Brown's boy waiting for?
She got to her feet. She was sure
that the first step would be her
last, yet she could n't stay there.
How could Farmer Brown's boy
do such a dreadful thing ? Some-
how, his freckled face didn't look
cruel. He was even beginning to
grin. That must be because he
had caught her napping and knew
that this time she could n't possibly
get away from him as she had
so many times before. "Oh!"
WHAT FARMER BROWN'S BOY DID 51
sobbed Old Granny Fox under her
breath.
And right at that very instant
Farmer Brown's boy did some-
thing. What do you think it was?
No, he didn't shoot her. He
did n't fire his dreadful gun. What
do you think he did do ? Why, he
threw a snowball at Old Granny
Fox and shouted " Boo ! " That is
what he did and all he did, except
to laugh as Granny gave a great
leap and then made those black legs
of hers fly as never before.
Every instant Granny expected
to hear that dreadful gun, and it
seemed as if her heart would burst
with fright as she ran, thinking
each jump would be the last one.
But the dreadful gun did n't bang,
52 OLD GRANNY FOX
and after a little, when she felt
she was safe, she turned to look
back over her shoulder. Farmer
Brown's boy was standing right
where she had last seen him, 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 was
good to hear, for it was good-
natured and merry and all that an
honest laugh should be.
"Go it, Granny! Go it!"
shouted Farmer Brown's boy.
"And the next time you are
tempted to steal my chickens, just
remember that I caught you nap-
ping and let you off when I might
have shot you. Just remember
that and leave my chickens alone."
WHAT FARMER BROWN'S BOY DID 53
Now it happened that Tommy
Tit the Chickadee had seen all
that had 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't bad. He'd be
friends with every one if every one
would let him/' he cried.
" Maybe, maybe/' grumbled
Sammy Jay, who also had seen all
that had happened. "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 the
end of it. If ever again she boasts
of how smart she is, all we will
have to do will be to remind her
of the time Farmer Brown's boy
54 OLD GRANNY FOX
caught her napping. Ho ! ho !
ho ! I must hurry along and find
my cousin, Blacky the Crow.
This will tickle him half to death."
As for Old Granny Fox, she
feared Farmer Brown's boy more
than ever, not because 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
smarter than 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.
Sammy was brimming over with
the news he had to tell, how
Old Granny Fox had been caught
napping by Farmer Brown's boy.
Sammy wouldn't have believed it
if any one had told him. No, Sir,
he wouldn't. But he had seen it
with his own eyes, and it tickled
him almost to pieces to think that
56 OLD GRANNY FOX
Old Granny Fox, whom everybody
thought so sly and clever and
smart, had been caught actually
asleep by the very one of whom
she was most afraid, but at whom
she always had turned up her nose.
Presently Sammy spied Reddy
Fox trotting along the Lone Little
Path. Reddy was forever boast-
ing of how smart Granny Fox was.
He had boasted of it so much that
everybody was sick of hearing him.
When he saw Reddy trotting along
the Lone Little Path, Sammy
chuckled harder than ever. He
hid 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 ! "
, MY! OH, MY! WHAT NEWS THIS WILL BE TO
TELL!" Page S3.
BEDDY HEARS ABOUT GRANNY 57
Reddy looked up angrily. He
couldn't see Sammy Jay, but he
knew Sammy's voice. There is no
mistaking that. Everybody knows
the voice of Sammy Jay. Of
course it was foolish, very foolish
of Reddy to be angry, and still
more foolish to show that he was
angry. Had he stopped a minute
to think, he would have known
that Sammy was saying such a
mean, provoking thing just to
make him angry, and that the
angrier he became the better
pleased Sammy Jay would be.
But like a great many people,
Reddy allowed his temper to get
the better of his common sense.
"Who says Granny Fox is
stupid?" he snarled-
58 OLD GRANNY FOX
"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 the Green Meadows. She
is smarter than anybody else in
all the Great World/' boasted
Reddy, and he really believed
it. ; I,^v'-k. -J>-:IL; Vn^i;
"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?" Reddy forgot his anger
in a sudden great fear. Could
Granny have been shot by Farmer
Brown's boy ?
" Nothing much, only Farmer
Brown's boy caught her napping
REDDY HEARS ABOUT GRANNY 59
in broad daylight," 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 no*
body ever will."
"I don't care whether you be-
lieve it or not ; it 's so, for I saw
him/' retorted Sammy Jay.
" You you you " began
Reddy Fox.
" Go ask Tommy Tit the Chick-
adee if it is n't true. He saw him
too," interrupted Sammy Jay.
" Dee, dee, dee, Chickadee !
It's so, and Farmer Brown's boy
only threw a snowball at her and
let her run away without shooting
60 OLD GRANNY FOX
at her/' declared a 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 alone he wouldn't
have believed. Then Tommy Tit
and Sammy Jay told Reddy all
about what they had seen, how
Farmer Brown's boy had surprised
Old Granny Fox and then allowed
her to go unharmed. Reddy had
to believe it. If Tommy Tit said
it was so, it must be so. Reddy
Fox started off to hunt up Old
Granny Fox and ask her about it.
But a sudden thought popped into
his red head, and he changed his
mind.
BEDDY HEARS ABOUT GRANNY 61
"I won't say a thing about it
until some time when Granny
scolds me for being careless," mut-
tered Reddy, with a sly grin.
" Then I '11 see what she 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 of being sorry that Old
Granny Fox had had such a fright,
he was planning how he would get
even with her when she should
scold him for his own carelessness.
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 to thinking that his way is
the best way just because it is his
way He is smart, is Reddy Fox.
Yes, indeed, Reddy Fox is very,
very smart. He has to be in order
to live. But a great deal of what
he knows he learned from Old
Granny Fox. The very best tricks
he knows she taught him. She
o
began teaching him when he was
REDDY FOX IS IMPUDENT 63
so little that he tumbled over his
own feet. It was she who taught
him how to hunt, that it is better
never to steal chickens near home
but to go a long way off for
them, and how to fool Bowser the
Hound.
It was Granny who taught Redd^y
how to use his little black nose to
follow the tracks of careless young
Rabbits, and how to catch Meadow
Mice under the snow. In fact,
there is little Reddy knows which
he didn't learn from wise, shrewd
Old Granny Fox.
But as he grew bigger and bigger,
until he was quite as big as Granny
herself, he forgot what he owed to
her. He grew to have a very good
opinion of himself and to feel that
64 OLD GRANNY FOX
he knew just about all there was to
know. So sometimes when he had
done foolish or careless things and
Granny had scolded him, telling
him he was big enough and old
enough to know better, he would
sulk and go off muttering to him-
self. But he never quite 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,"
he would say to himself. But he
never could, and he had begun to
think that he never would. But now
at last Granny, clever Old Granny
Fox, had been careless ! She had
allowed Farmer Brown's boy to catch
her napping ! Reddy did wish he
REDDY FOX IS IMPUDENT 65
had been there to see it himself.
But anyway, he had been told about
it, and he made up his mind that
the next time Granny said anything
sharp to him about his carelessness
he would have something to say
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
will do. He went two nights in
succession to the same henhouse,
and the second time he barely es-
caped being shot. Old Granny Fox
found out about it. How she found
out Reddy doesn't know to this
day, but find out she did, and she
gave him such a scolding as even
66 OLD GRANNY FOX
her sharp tongue had seldom given
him.
"You are the stupidest lox I
ever heard of/' scolded Granny.
"I'm no more stupid than you
are ! " retorted Reddy in the most
impudent way.
W " 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 'm not so stupid. I know better
than to take a nap in broad day-
light right under the very nose
of Farmer Brown's boy/' Reddy
grinned in the most impudent way
as he said this.
Granny's eyes snapped. Then
things happened. Reddy was cuffed
this way and cuffed that way and
REDDY FOX IS IMPUDENT 67
cuffed the other way until it seemed
to him that the air was full of black
paws, every one of which landed on
his head or face with a sting that
made him whimper and put his tail
between his legs, and finally howl.
" There ! ?; cried Granny, when
at last she had to stop because she
was quite out of breath. " Per-
haps that will teach you to be
respectful to your elders. I was
careless and stupid, and I am per-
fectly ready to admit it, because it
has taught me a lesson. Wisdom
often is gained through mistakes,
but never when one is not willing
to admit the mistakes. No Fox
lives long who makes the same mis-
take twice. And those who are
impudent to their elders come to
68 OLD GRANNY FOX
no good end. I 've got a fat goose
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 himself as he crept dinnerless to
bed.
"You ought to wish that you
hadn't been impudent," whispered
a small voice 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,
and when it rains to look forward
to the coming of the sun again,
knowing that come it surely will.
A dreadful storm was keeping the
little people of the Green Forest,
the Green Meadows, and the Old
Orchard prisoners in their own
homes or in such places of shelter
as they had been able to find.
70 OLD GRANNY FOX
But it couldn't last forever, and
they knew it. Knowing this was
all that kept some of them alive.
You see, they were starving.
Yes, Sir, they were starving.
You and I would be very hungry,
very hungry indeed, if we had to
go without food for two whole
days, but if we were snug and
warm it would n't do us any real
harm. With the little wild friends,
especially the little feathered folks,
it is a very different matter. You
see, they are naturally so active
that they have to fill their stomachs
very often in order to supply their
little bodies with heat and energy.
So when their food supply is
wholly cut off, they starve or else
freeze to death in a very short
AFTER THE STORM 71
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
North Wind decided that he had
shown his strength and fierce-
ness long enough, and rumbling
and grumbling retired from the
Green Meadows and the Green
Forest, blowing the snow clouds
away with him. For just a little
while before 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 his smile more welcome. Out
from their shelters hurried all the
little prisoners, for they must
make the most of the short time
72 OLD GRANNY FOX
before the coming of the cold
night.
Little Tommy Tit the Chickadee
was so weak that he could hardly
fly, and he shook with chills. He
made straight for the apple-tree
where Farmer Brown's boy always
keeps a piece of suet tied to a
branch for Tommy and his friends.
Drummer the Woodpecker wan
there before him. Now it is
of the laws of politeness among
feathered folk that when one ik
eating from a piece of suet a new-
comer shall await his turn.
" Dee, dee, dee ! ' said Tommy
Tit faintly but cheerfully, for he
couldn't be other than cheery if
he tried. " Dee, dee, dee ! That
looks good to me."
AFTER THE STORM 73
"It is good/' mumbled Drum-
mer, pecking away at the suet
greedily. " Come on, Tommy Tit.
Don't wait for me, for I won't be
through for a long time. I'm
nearly starved, and I guess you
must be."
"I am," confessed Tommy, as
he flew over beside Drummer.
" Thank you ever so much for not
making me wait."
"Don't mention it," replied
Drummer, with his mouth full.
"This is no time for politeness.
Here comes Yank Yank the Nut-
hatch. I guess there is room for
him too."
Yank Yank was promptly in-
vited to join them and did so after
apologizing for seeming so greedy.
74 OLD GRANNY FOX
" If I could n't get my stomach full
before night, I certainly should
freeze to death before morning/'
said he. "What a blessing it is
to have all this good food waiting
for us. If I had to hunt for my
usual food on the trees, I certainly
should have to give up and die.
It took all my strength to get over
here. My, I feel like a new bird
already ! Here comes Sammy
Jay. I wonder if he will try to
drive us away as he usually does."
Sammy did nothing of the kind.
He was very meek and most polite.
" Can you make room for a starv-
ing fellow to get a bite?" he
asked. "I wouldn't ask it but
that I could n't last another night
without food."
AFTER THE STORM 75
" Dee, dee, dee ! Always room
for one more," replied Tommy Tit,
crowding over to give Sammy room.
*' Was n't that a dreadful storm ? '
" Worst I ever knew," mumbled
Sammy. " I wonder if I ever will
be warm again."
Until their stomachs were full,
not another word was said. Mean-
while Chatterer the Red Squirrel
had discovered that the storm was
over. As he floundered through
the snow to another apple-tree he
saw Tommy Tit and his friends,
and in his heart he rejoiced that
they had found food waiting for
them. His own troubles were at
an end, for in the tree he was
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 and Sammy Jay and
Chatterer the Red Squirrel were
not the only ones who were out
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 store of food right at
hand, was out. But not all were
'HARD TIMES THESE/' SAID PETER PLEASANTLY.
Page 80.
GRANNY AND REDDY HUNT 77
so fortunate as Tommy Tit and his
friends in finding a good meal.
Peter Rabbit and Mrs. Peter
came out of the hole in the heart
of the dear Old Briar-patch, where
they had managed to keep comfort-
ably warm, and at once began to
fill their stomachs with bark from
young trees and tender tips of
twigs. It was very coarse food,
but it would take away that empty
feeling. Mrs. Grouse burst out of
the snow and hurried to get a meal
before dark. She had no time to
be particular, and so she ate spruce
buds. They were very bitter and
not much to her liking, but she was
too hungry, and night was too near
for her to be fussy. She was thank-
ful to have that much.
78 OLD GRANNY FOX
Granny Fox and Reddy were out
too. They didn't need to hurry
because, as you know, they could
hunt all night, but they were so
hungry that they just had to be
looking for something to eat. They
knew, of course, that everybody
else would be out, and they hoped
that some of these little people
would be so weak that they could
easily be caught. That seems like
a dreadful hope, does n't it ? But
one of the first laws of Old Mother
Nature is self-preservation. That
means to save your own life first
So perhaps Granny and Reddy are
not to be blamed for hoping that
some of their neighbors might be
caught easily because of the great
storm. They were very hungry in-
GRANNY AND REDDY HUNT 79
deed, and they could not eat bark
like Peter Rabbit, or buds like Mrs.
Grouse, or seeds like Whitefoot the
Woodmouse. Their teeth and stom-
achs are not made for such food.
It was hard going for Granny and
Reddy Fox. The snow was soft
and deep in many places, and they
had to keep pretty close to those
places where rough Brother North
Wind had blown away enough of the
snow to make walking fairly easy.
They soon found that their hope
that they would find some of their
neighbors too weak to escape was
quite in vain. When jolly, round,
red Mr. Sun dropped down behind
the Purple Hills to go to bed, their
stomachs were quite as empty as
when they had started out.
80 OLD GRANNY FOX
"We'll go down to the Old
Briar-patch. I don't believe it will
be of much use, but you never can
tell until you try. Peter Rabbit
may take it into his silly head to
come outside," said Granny, lead-
ing the way.
When they reached the dear Old
Briar-patch they found that Peter
was not outside. In fact, peering
between the brambles and bushes,
they could see his little brown form
bobbing about as he hunted for ten-
der bark. He had already made
little paths along which he could
hop easily. Peter saw them almost
as soon as they saw him.
" Hard times these," said Peter
pleasantly. " I hope your stomachs
are not as empty as mine." He
GRANNY AND REDDY HUNT 81
pulled a strip of bark from a young
tree and began to chew it. This
was more than Reddy could stand.
To see Peter eating while his own
stomach was just one great big ache
from emptiness was too much.
"I'm going in there and catch
him, or drive him out where you
can catch him, if I tear my coat
all to pieces ! " snarled Reddy.
Peter stopped chewing and sat
up. " Come right along, Reddy.
Come right along if you want to,
but I would advise you to save your
skin and your coat," said he.
Reddy' s only reply was a snarl
as he pushed his way under the
brambles. He yelped as they tore
his coat arid scratched his face, but
he kept on. Now Peter's paths
82 OLD GRANNY FOX
were very cunningly made. He
had cut them through the very
thickest of the briars just big enough
for himself and Mrs. Peter to hop
along comfortably. But Reddy is
so much bigger that he had to force
his way through and in places crawl
flat on his stomach, which was very
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 before
long Reddy gave up. Without a
word Granny Fox led the way to
the Green Forest. They would try
to find where Mrs. Grouse was
sleeping under the snow. But
though they hunted all night, they
failed to find her, for she wisely
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 be-
lieve it just try to catch her. But
spry as she is, she isn't as spry
as she used to be. No, Sir,
Granny Fox isn't as spry as
she used to be. The truth is,
Granny is getting old. She never
would admit it, and Reddy never
had realized it until the day after
the great storm. All that night
they had hunted in vain for some-
thing to eat and at daylight had
84 OLD GRANNY FOX
crept into their house to rest awhile
before starting on another hunt.
They had neither the strength nor
the courage to search any longer
then. Wading through snow is
very hard work at best and very
tiresome, but when your stomach
has been empty for so long that you
almost begin to wonder what food
tastes like, it becomes harder work
still. You see, it is food that
makes 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 ever there was a discouraged
young Fox he was that one. "I
wish I were dead," he moaned.
GRANNY ADMITS GROWING OLD 85
"Tut, tut, tut!" said Granny
Fox sharply. " That 's no way for
a young Fox to 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 and rest awhile.
We have had a tiresome, disap-
pointing, discouraging night, but
when you are rested things will
not look quite so bad. You know
the old 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
86 OLD GRANNY FOX
than this. After we have rested
awhile we will go over to the Old
Pasture. Perhaps we will have
better luck there/'
So Reddy tried to forget the
emptiness of his stomach and actu-
ally had a nap, for he was very,
very tired. When he awoke he
felt better.
" Well, Granny," said he, " let 's
start for the Old Pasture. The
snow has crusted over, and we
won't find it such hard going as it
was last night."
Granny arose and folio wed Reddy
out to the doorstep. She walked
stiffly. The truth is, she ached in
every one of her old bones. At
least, that is the way it seemed to
her. She looked towards the Old
GRANNY ADMITS GROWING OLD 87
Pasture. It seemed very far away.
She sighed wearily. " I don't be-
lieve 1 '11 go, Reddy," said she.
"You run along and luck go with
you."
Reddy turned and stared at
Granny suspiciously. You know
his is a very suspicious nature.
Could it be that Granny had some
secret plan of her own to get a
meal and wanted to get rid of him ?
" What 's the matter with you? '
he demanded roughly. " It was
you who proposed going over to the
Old Pasture."
Granny smiled. It was a sad
sort of smile. She is wonderfully
sharp and smart, is Granny Fox,
and she knew what was in Reddy' s
mind as well as if he had told her.
88 OLD GRANNY FOX
" Old bones don't rest and recover
as quickly as young bones, and I
just don'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.
Perhaps then I'll feel able to go
hunting to-night. You trot along
now, and if you get more than a
stomachful, just remember old
Granny and bring her a bite."
There was something in the way
Granny spoke that told Reddy she
was speaking the truth. It was
the very first time she ever had ad-
mitted that she was growing old
and was no longer the equal of any
Fox. Never before had he noticed
how gray she had grown. Reddy
felt a feeling of shame creep over
GRANNY ADMITS GROWING OLD 89
him, shame that he had suspected
Granny of playing a sharp trick.
And this little feeling of shame was
followed instantly by a splendid
thought. He would go out and
find food of some kind, and he
would bring it straight back to
Granny. He had been taken care
of by Granny when he was little,
and now he would repay Granny
for all she had done 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 going to get something, and
whatever it may be you shall have
your share." With this he trotted
off towards the Old Pasture and
somehow he did n't mind 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 a wish now and then. I
guess you have done it. I know
I have. Peter Rabbit has done it
often and then laughed at himself
afterwards. I suspect that even
shrewd, clever old Granny Fox has
been guilty of it more than once.
So it is not surprising that Reddy
Fox, terribly hungry as he was,
should do a little foolish wishing.
THREE FOOLISH WISHES 91
When he left home to go to the
Old Pasture, in the hope that he
would be able to find something to
eat there, he started off bravely.
It was cold, very cold indeed, but
his fur coat kept him warm as
long as he was moving. The
Green Meadows were glistening
white with snow. All the world,
at least all that part of it with
which Reddy was acquainted, was
white. It was beautiful, very
beautiful, as millions of sparkles
flashed in the sun. But Reddy
had no thought for beauty ; the
only thought he had room for was
to get something to put in the
empty stomachs of himself and
Granny Fox.
Jack Frost had hardened the
92 OLD GRANNY FOX
snow so that Reddy no longer had
to wade through it. He could
run on the crust now without
breaking through. This made it
much easier, so he trotted along
swiftly. He had intended to go
straight to the Old Pasture, but
there suddenly popped into his
head a memory of the shelter down
in a far corner of the Old Orchard
which Farmer Brown's boy had
built for Bob White. Probably
the Bob White family were there
now, and he might surprise them.
He would go there first.
Reddy stopped and looked care-
fully to make sure that Farmer
Brown's boy and Bowser the
Hound were nowhere in sight.
Then he ran swiftly towards the
THREE FOOLISH WISHES 93
Old Orchard. Just as he entered
it he heard a merry voice just over
his head : " Dee, dee, dee, dee ! "
Reddy stopped and looked up.
There was Tommy Tit the Chick-
adee clinging tightly to a big piece
of fresh suet tied fast to a branch
of a tree, and Tommy was stuffing
himself. Reddy sat down right
underneath that suet and looked
up longingly. The sight of it
made his mouth water so that it
was almost more than he could
stand. He jumped once. He
jumped twice. He jumped three
times. But all his jumping was
in vain. That suet was beyond
his reach. There was no possible
way of reaching it save by flying
or climbing. Reddy^s tongue
94 OLD GRANNY FOX
hung 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
enable him to, as he very well
knew. So after a little he started
on. As he drew 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 had
scattered for them just in front of
the shelter he had built for them.
Reddy crouched down and very
slowly, an inch at a time, he crept
forward, his eyes shining with
eagerness. Just as he was almost
within springing distance, Bob
THREE FOOLISH WISHES 95
White gave a signal, and away
flew the Bob Whites to the safety
of a hemlock-tree on the edge of
the Green Forest.
Tears of rage and disappoint-
ment welled up in Roddy's eyes.
" I wish I could fly/' he muttered,
as he watched the brown birds dis-
appear in the big hemlock-tree.
This was quite as foolish a wish
as the other, so Reddy trotted on
and decided to go down past the
Smiling Pool. When he got there
he found it, as he expected, frozen
over. But just where the Laugh-
ing Brook joins it there was a
little place w r here there was open
water. Billy Mink was on the
ice at its edge, and just as Reddy
got there Billy dived in. A
96 OLD GRANNY FOX
minute 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
enough for what I get as it is."
Reddy was afraid to go out
on the ice where Billy was, and so
he sat and watched him eat that
fine fish. Then Billy dived into
the water again and disappeared.
Reddy waited a long time, but
Billy did not return. "I wish I
could dive/' gulped Reddy, think-
ing of the fine fish somewhere
under the ice.
And this wish was quite as
foolish as the other wishes.
CHAPTER XV
EEDDY 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.
AFTEE the last of his three fool-
ish wishes, Reddy Fox left the
Smiling Pool and headed straight
for the Old Pasture for which he
had started in the first place. He
wished now that he had gone straight
there. Then he wouldn't have
seen the suet tied out of reach to
the branch of a tree in the Old
Orchard; he wouldn't have seen
the Bob Whites fly away to safety
98 OLD GRANNY FOX
just as he felt almost sure of catch-
ing one ; he would n't have seen
Billy Mink bring a fine fish out of
the water and eat it right before
him. It is bad enough to be starv-
ing with no food in sight, but to be
as hungry as Reddy Fox was and
to see food just out of reach, to
smell it, and not be able to get it
is, well, it is more than most
folks can stand patiently.
So Reddy Fox was grumbling to
himself as he hurried to the Old
Pasture and his heart was very
bitter. It seemed to him that
everything was against him. His
neighbors had food, but he had
none, not so much as a crumb. It
was unfair. Old Mother Nature
was unjust. If he could climb he
REDDY FIGHTS A BATTLE 99
could get food. If he could fly he
could get food. If he could dive
he could get food. But he could
neither climb, fly, nor dive. He
did n't stop to think that Old
Mother Nature had given him some
of the sharpest wits in all the Green
Forest or on all the Green Meadows ;
that she had given 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 things and was so busy
thinking bitterly of the things he
didn't have that he forgot to use
his wits and nose and ears when he
reached the Old Pasture. The re-
sult was that he trotted right past
Old Jed Thumper, the big gray
Rabbit, who was sitting behind a
100 OLD GRANNY FOX
little bush holding his breath. The
minute Old Jed saw that Reddy
was safely past, he started for his
bull-briar castle as fast as he could.
It was not until then that Reddy
discovered him. Of course, Reddy
started after him, and this time he
made good use of his speed. But
he was too late. Old Jed Thumper
reached his castle with Reddy two
jumps behind him. Reddy knew
now that there was no chance to
catch Old Jed that day, and for a
few minutes he felt more bitter than
ever. Then all in a flash Reddy
Fox became the shrewd, clever fel-
low 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
REDDY FIGHTS A BATTLE 101
minded my own business, I 'd have
caught old Jed Thumper. Now
I'm going to get some food and
I 'm not going home until I do/'
Yery wisely Reddy put all un-
pleasant thoughts out of his head
and settled down to using his wits
and his eyes and his ears and his
nose for 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 single place where there
was the least chance of finding food.
But it was all in 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
102 OLD GRANNY FOX
bank until lie reached a place where
the water seldom freezes. As he
had hoped, he found that it was not
frozen now. It looked so black and
cold that it made him shiver just to
see it. Back and forth with his
nose to the ground he ran. Sud-
denly he stopped and sniffed. Then
he sniffed again. Then he followed
his nose straight to the very edge
of the Big River. There, floating
in the black water, was a dead fish !
By wading in he could get it.
Reddy shivered at the touch of
the cold water, but what were wet
feet compared with such an empty
stomach as his ? In a minute he
had that fish and was back on the
shore. It wasn't a very big fish,
but it would stop the ache in his
REDDY FIGHTS A BATTLE 103
stomach until he could get some-
thing more. With a sigh of pure
happiness he sank his teeth into it
and then well, then he remem-
bered poor Old Granny Fox.
Reddy swallowed a mouthful and
tried to forget Granny. But he
could n't. He swallowed another
mouthful. Poor old Granny was
back there at home as hungry as
he was and too stiff and tired to
hunt. Reddy choked. Then he
began a battle with himself. His
stomach 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 fought with 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 he could go. In his mouth
he carried the fish he had found
and from which he had taken just
two bites. You remember he had
had a battle with himself over that
fish, and now he was running away
from himself. That sounds funny,
does n't it ? But it was true.
Yes, Sir, Reddy Fox was running
EEDDY IS MADE TRULY HAPPY 105
away from himself. He was afraid
that if he did n't get home to Old
Granny Fox with that fish very
soon, he would eat every last bit
of it himself. So he was running
his very hardest so as to get there
before this could happen. So
really he was running away from
himself, from his selfish self.
Old Granny Fox was on the
doorstep watching for him, and he
saw just how her 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
the fish at her feet. He was quite
out of breath with running. " It
isn't much, but it is something.
It is all I could find for you/'
106 OLD GRANNY FOX
Granny looked at the fish and
then she looked sharply at Reddy,
and into those keen yellow eyes of
hers crept a soft, tender look, such
a look as you 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 had something," said
he, trying to speak lightly. It
was true; he had had two bites
from that fish.
Now you know just how shrewd
and smart and wise Granny Fox is.
Reddy didn't fool her just the
least little bit. She took two small
bites from the fish.
" Now," said she, " we '11 divide
REDDY IS MADE TRULY HAPPY 107
it," and she bit in two parts what
remained. In a twinkling she
had gulped down the smallest
part, for you know she was very,
very hungry. " That is your
share," said she, as she pushed
what remained over to Reddy.
Reddy tried to refuse it. "I
brought it all for you," said he.
"I know you did, Reddy,"
replied Granny, and it seemed to
Reddy that he never had known
her voice to sound so gentle.
46 You brought it to me when all
you had had was the two little
bites you had taken from it. You
can't fool me, Reddy Fox. There
was n't one good meal for either
of us in that fish, but there was
enough to give us both a little
108 OLD GRANNY FOX
hope and keep us from starving.
Now you mind what I say and eat
your share." Granny said this last
very sternly.
Reddy looked at Granny, and
then he bolted down that little
piece of fish without another word.
" That 's better," said Granny.
"We will feel better, both of us.
Now that I'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. If you hadn't
brought something, I I'm afraid
I could n't have lasted much
longer. By another day you
probably wouldn't have had old
Granny to think of. You may
not know it, but I know that you
REDDY IS MADE TRULY HAPPY 109
saved my life, Reddy. I had
reached a point where I just had
to have a little food. You know
there are times when a very little
food is of more good than a lot of
food could be later. This was
one of those times."
Never in all his life had Reddy
Fox felt so truly happy. He was
still hungry, very, very hungry.
But he gave it no thought. He
had saved Granny Fox, good old
Granny who had taught him all he
knew. And he knew that Granny
knew how he had had to fight with
himself to do it. Reddy was
happy through and through with
the great happiness that comes
from having done something for
some one else.
110 OLD GRANNY FOX
" It was nothing," he muttered.
"It was a very great deal/'
replied Granny. And then she
changed the subject. " How would
you like to eat a dinner of Bowser
the Hound's ? " she asked.
CHAPTER XVH
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 Bowser the Hound's,
Reddy looked at her sharply to see
if she were joking or really meant
what she said. Granny looked so
sober and so much in earnest that
Reddy decided she could n't be jok-
ing, even though it did sound that
way.
OLD GRANNY FOX
"I certainly would like it,
Granny. Yes, indeed, I certainly
would like it," said he. " You
you don't suppose he will give us
one, do you ? "
Granny chuckled. " No, Reddy,"
said she. " Bowser is n't so gener-
ous as all that, especially to Foxes.
He is n't going to give us that din-
ner ; we are going to take it away
from him. Yes, Sir, we just natu-
rally are going to take it away from
him."
Reddy did n't for the life of him
see how it could be possible to take
a dinner away from Bowser the
Hound. That seemed to him al-
most as impossible as it was for
him to climb or fly or dive. But
he had great faith in Granny's
GRANNY FOX PROMISES 113
cleverness. He remembered how
she had so nearly caught Quacker
the Duck. He knew that all the
time he had been away trying to
find something for them to eat, old
Granny Fox had been doing more
than just rest her tired old bones.
He knew that not for one single
minute had her sharp wits been idle.
He knew that all that time she had
been studying and studying to find
some way by which they could get
something to eat. So great was
his faith in Granny just then that
if she had told him she would get
him a slice of the moon he would
have believed her.
" If you say we can take a din-
ner away from Bowser the Hound,
I suppose we can/' said Reddy,
114 OLD GRANNY FOX
" though I don't see how. But if
we can, let's do it right away.
I 'm hungry enough to dare almost
anything for the sake of something
to put in my stomach. It is so
empty that little bit of fish we
divided is shaking around as if it
were lost. Gracious, I could eat a
million fish the size of that one !
Have you thought of Farmer
Brown's hens, 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
GRANNY FOX PROMISES 115
surest way of getting into trouble
is to steal hens. I'm not feeling
quite up to being chased by Bowser
the Hound just now, and if we came
right home we would give away the
secret of where we live and might
be smoked out, and that would be
the end of us. Besides, those hens
will be hard to get this weather,
because they will stay in their
house, and there is no way for us to
get in there unless we walk right
in, in broad daylight, and that
would never do. It will be a great
deal better to take Bowser's dinner
away from him. In the first place,
if we are careful, no one but Bowser
will know about it, and as long as
he is chained up, we will have noth-
ing to worry about from him. Be-
116 OLD GRANNY FOX
sides, we will enjoy getting evei*
with him for the times he has spoiled*
our chances of catching a fat chickep
and for the way he has hunted us.
Most decidedly it will be better and
safer to try for Bowser's dinner than
to try for one of those hens."
" Just as you say, Granny ; just
as you say," returned Reddy.
" You know best. But how under
the sun we can do it beats me."
"It is very simple," replied
Granny, " very simple indeed. Most
things are simple enough when you
find out how to do them. Neither
of us could do 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
GRANNY FOX PROMISES 117
wasn't a soul within hearing. A
slow grin spread over Reddy's face
as he listened. When she had fin-
ished, he laughed right out.
" Granny, you are a wonder ! '
he exclaimed admiringly. "I never
should have thought of that. Of
course we can do it. My, won't
Bowser be surprised ! And how
mad he 11 be ! Come on, let 's be
starting ! "
"All right/' said Granny, and
the two started towards Farmer
Brown's.
CHAPTER XVIH
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.
BOWSEE THE HOUND dearly loves
to hunt just for the pleasure of
the chase. It isn't so much the
desire to kill as it is the pleasure
of using that wonderful nose of his
and the excitement of trying to
catch some one, especially Granny
or Reddy Fox. Farmer Brown's
boy had put away his dreadful
gun because he no longer wanted
to kill the little people of the
WHY BOWSER DIDN'T EAT 119
Green Forest and the Green
Meadows, but rather to make
them his friends. Bowser had
missed the exciting hunts he used
to enjoy so much with Farmer
Brown's boy. So Bowser had
formed the habit of slipping away
alone for a hunt every once in a
while. When Farmer Brown's
boy discovered this, he got a chain
and chained Bowser to his little
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 his master was about, where
he could keep an eye on Bowser,
he would let him go free. But
whenever he was going away and
didn't want to take Bowser with
120 OLD GRANNY FOX
him, he would chain Bowser up.
Now Bowser always had one good
big meal 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 tin pan. If he happened to
be chained, it was brought out to
him. If not, it was given to him
just outside the kitchen door.
Granny Fox knew all about
this. Sly old Granny makes it
her business to know the affairs
of other people around her because
there is no telling when such
knowledge may be of use to her.
So Granny had watched Bowser
the Hound when he and his master
had no idea at all that she was
anywhere about, and she had
WHY BOWSER DIDN'T EAT 121
found out his ways, the usual hour
for his dinner and just how far
that chain would allow him to go.
It was such things which she had
stored away in that shrewd old
head of hers that made 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 trotted across the snow-
covered fields and crept behind the
barn until they could peep around
the corner. No one was in sight,
not even Bowser, who was inside
his warm little house at the end of
the long shed back of Farmer
Brown's house. Granny saw that
he was chained and a sly grin
crept over her face.
OLD GRANNY FOX
" 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 the house 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 you and stay
there until you see that I have got
that dinner, or until you hear
somebody coming, for you know
Bowser will make a great racket.
Then slip 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. Brown came out of the house
with a pan full of good things.
She put it down in front of
WHY BOWSER DIDN'T EAT 123
Bowser's little house and called to
him. Then she turned and hurried
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 right in front of Bowser and
grinned at him. Bowser stared
for a minute as if he doubted his
own eyes. Such impudence!
Bowser growled. Then with a
yelp he sprang towards Reddy.
Now the chain that held him
was long, but Reddy had taken
care not to get too near, and of
course Bowser could n't reach him.
He tugged with all his might and
yelped and barked frantically, but
Reddy just sat there and grinned
124 OLD GRANNY FOX
in the most provoking manner.
It was great fun to tease Bowser
this way.
Meanwhile old Granny Fox had
stolen out from around the corner
of the shed behind Bowser. Get-
ting hold of the edge of the pan
with her teeth she pulled it back
with her around the corner and out
of sight. If she made any noise,
Bowser didn't hear it. He was
making too much noise himself and
o
was too excited. Presently Reddy
heard the sound of an opening 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 was
Bowser tugging at his chain as he
whined and yelped excitedly.
WHY BOWSER DIDN'T EAT 125
" I guess he must have seen a
stray cat or something/' said Mrs.
Brown and went back in the house.
Bowser continued to whine and
tug at his chain for a few minutes.
Then he gave it up and, growling
deep in his throat, turned to eat
his dinner. But there was n't an y
dinner ! It had disappeared, pan
and all ! Bowser could n't under-
stand it at all.
Back of the shed Granny and
Reddy Fox licked that pan clean ;
licked it until it was polished.
Then, with little sighs of satisfac-
tion, and every 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 one he and Granny had stolen
from Bowser the Hound. Of course
it would have tasted delicious any-
way, because they were so dreadfully
hungry, but to Reddy 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
OLD MAN COYOTE 127
him almost to death to think that
they had taken his dinner from
almost under his nose.
With that good dinner in their
stomachs, Reddy and Granny Fox
felt so much better that the Great
World no longer seemed such a cold
and cruel place. Funny how differ-
ently things look when your stomach
is full from the way those same
things look when it is empty. Best
of all they knew they could play
the same sharp trick again and steal
another dinner from Bowser if need
be. It is a comforting feeling, a
very comforting feeling, to know
for a certainty where you can get
another meal. It is a feeling that
Granny and Reddy Fox and many
other little people of the Green
128 OLD GRANNY FOX
Meadows and the Green Forest sel-
dom have in winter. As a rule,
when they have eaten one meal,
they haven't the least idea where
the next 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's dinner 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 as
they had come. On the day follow-
ing they found Bowser chained and
stole another dinner from him ; then
they went away laughing until their
sides ached as they heard Bowser's
whines of surprise and disappoint-
ment when he discovered that his
OLD MAN COYOTE 129
dinner had vanished. They knew
by the sound of his voice that he
had n't the least idea what had be-
come of that dinner.
Now there was some one else
roaming over the snow-covered
meadows and through the Green
Forest and the Old Pasture these
days with a stomach so lean and
empty that he couldn't think of
anything else. It was Old Man
Coyote. You know he is very
clever, is Old Man Coyote, and he
managed 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 was n't actually
starving, he was always hungry.
So he spent all the time when he
OLD GRANNY FOX
if as n't sleeping in hunting for
something to eat.
Of course he often ran across the
tracks of Granny and Reddy Fox,
and once in a while he would meet
them. It struck Old Man Coyote
that they did n't seem as thin as he
was. That set him to thinking.
Neither of them was a smarter hunter
than he. In fact, he prided himself
on being smarter than either of them.
Yet when he met them, they seemed
to be in the 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 knew nothing.
" 1 11 just keep an eye on them/'
muttered Old Man Coyote.
So very slyly and cleverly Old
OLD MAN COYOTE 131
Man Coyote followed Granny and
Reddy Fox, taking the greatest care
that they should not suspect that he
was doing it. All one night he
followed them through the Green
Forest and over the Green Meadows,
and when at last he saw them go
home, appearing not at all worried
because they had caught nothing,
he trotted off to his own home to
do some more thinking.
" They are getting food some-
where, that is sure/' he muttered, as
he scratched first one ear and then
the other. Somehow he could think
better when he was scratching his
ears. " If they don't get it in the
night, and they certainly did n't get
anything this night, they must get
it in the daytime. I've done con-
132 OLD GRANNY FOX
siderable hunting myself in the day-
time, and I have n't once met them
in the Green Forest or seen them
on the Green Meadows or up in the
Old Pasture. I wonder if they are
stealing ^armer Brown's hens and
have n't beer found out yet. I 've
kept away from there myself, but
if they can steal hens and not be
caught, I certainly can. There
never was a Fox yet smart enough
to do a thing that a Coyote cannot
do if he tries. I think I '11 slip up
where I can watch Farmer Brown's
and see what is going on up there.
Yes, Sir, that 's what I '11 do."
With this, Old Man Coyote
grinned and then curled himself up
for a short nap, 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 and were Granny and Reddy
Fox. And one was in gray and was
Old Man Coyote. They were the
t slyest, smartest rogues on all the
Green Meadows or in all the Green
Forest. All three had started out
to steal the same dinner, but the
funny part is they did n't intend to
steal it from the same person.
And still funnier is it that one of
134 OLD GRANNY FOX
them did n't even know where that
dinner was or what kind of a
dinner it would be.
True to his resolve to know
what Granny and Reddy Fox were
getting to eat, and where they
were getting it, Old Man Coyote
hid where he could see what was
going on about Farmer Brown's,
for it was there he felt sure that
Granny and Reddy were getting
food. He had waited only a little
while when along came Granny
and Reddy Fox past the place
where Old Man Coyote was hiding.
They didn't see him. Of course
not. He took care that they
should have no chance. But any-
way, they were not thinking of
him. Their thoughts were all of
A TWICE STOLEN DINNER
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
the barn 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 he could peep
around the corner of the barn to
watch Bowser the Hound and to
see that no one else was about,
He saw Granny leave Reddy there
and hurry away. Old Man Coy-
ote's wits worked fast.
"I can't be in two places at
once/' thought he, " so I can't
watch both Granny and Reddy.
As I can watch but one, which
136 OLD GRANNY FOX
one shall it be ? Granny, of course,
Granny is the smartest of the two,
and whatever they are up to, 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 and saw her hide behind the
corner of the shed at the end of
which was the little house of Bowser
the Hound. He crept as near as
he dared and then lay flat down
behind a little bunch of dead grass
close to the shed. For some time
nothing happened, and Old Man
Coyote was puzzled. Every once
in a while Granny Fox would look
behind and all about to be sure
that no danger was near, but she
did n't see Old Man Coyote. After
A TWICE STOLEN DINNER 137
what seemed to him a long time,
he heard a door open on the other
side of the shed. It was Mrs.
Brown carrying Bowser's dinner
out to him. Of course, Old Man
Coyote did n't know this. He
knew by the sounds that some one
had come out of the house, and it
made him nervous. He did n't like
being so close to Farmer Brown's
house in broad daylight. But he
kept his eyes on Granny Fox, and
he saw her ears prick up in a way
that he knew meant that 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 a few minutes he heard a
door close and knew that whoever
138 OLD GRANNY FOX
had come out bad gone back into
the house. Almost at once Bowser
the Hound began to yelp and
whine. Swiftly Granny Fox dis-
appeared 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 his reach
was Reddy Fox, grinning in the
most provoking manner. And
there was Granny Fox, backing
and dragging after her Bowser's
dinner. In a flash Old Man
Coyote understood the plan, and
he almost chuckled aloud at the
cleverness of it. Then he hastily
backed behind the shed and waited.
In a minute Granny Fox ap-
A TWICE STOLEN DINNER IS?
peared, dragging Bowser's dinner
She was so intent on getting that
dinner that she almost backed into
Old Man Coyote without suspect-
ing that he was anywhere about.
" Thank you, Granny. You
need n't bother about it any longer;
111 take it now/' growled Old
Man Coyote in Granny's ear.
Granny let go of that dinner as
if it burned her tongue, and with
a frightened little yelp leaped to*
one side. A minute later Reddj
came racing around from behind
the barn eager for his share.,
What he saw was Old Man Coyote
bolting down that twice-stolen
dinner while Granny Fox fairly
danced with rage.
CHAPTER XXI
GRANNY AND REDDY TALK THING*.
OVER
You '11 find as on through life you go
The thing you want may prove to be
The very thing you should n't have.
Then seeming loss is gain, you see.
Old Granny Fox.
IP ever two folks were mad away
through, those two were Granny
and Reddy Fox as they watched
Old Man Coyote gobble up the din-
ner they had so cleverly stolen from
Bowser the Hound. It was bad
enough to lose the dinner, but it
was worse to see some one else eat
it after they had worked so hard
to get it. " Robber ! " snarled
GRANNY AND REDDY TALK 141
Granny. Old Man Coyote stopped
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 and smallest
crumb, he licked his chops and
turned to Granny and Reddy.
" I 'm very much obliged for that
dinner/' said he pleasantly, his eyes
twinkling with mischief. "It was
the best dinner I have had for a
long time. Allow me to say that
that trick of yours was as smart a
trick as ever I have seen. It was
quite worthy of a Coyote. You are
a very clever old lady, Granny
Fox. Now I hear some one com-
ing, and I would suggest that it
142 OLD GRANNY FOX
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
Reddy followed, for it was true
that some one was coming. You
see Bowser the Hound had discov-
ered that something was going on
around the corner of the shed, and
he made such a racket that Mrs.
Brown had come out of the house
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
was puzzled. How that pan could
be where it was she could n't
understand, and Bowser could n't
tell her, although he tried his
very best. She had been puzzled
GRANNY AND REDDY TALK 143
Jbout that pan two or three times
before.
Old Man Coyote lost no time in
getting back home, for he never
felt easy near the home of man in
broad daylight. Granny and Reddy
Fox went home too, and there was
hate in their hearts, hate for
Old Man Coyote. But once they
reached home, Old Granny Fox
stopped growling, and presently
she 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 sneak-
ing robber ! ' snapped Reddy.
" Tut, tut, Reddy ! Tut, tut ! "
144 OLD GRANNY FOX
retorted Granny. "Be fair-minded.
We stole that 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. Now is he ? ''
"I I well, I don't suppose
he is, when you put it that way/'
Reddy admitted grudgingly.
" And he was smart, very smart,
to outwit two such clever people as
we are," continued Granny. " You
will have to agree to that."
"Y-e-s," said Reddy slowly.
"He was smart enough, but "
" There is n't any but, Reddy,"
interrupted Granny. " You know
the law of the Green Meadows and
the Green Forest. It is everybody
for himself, and anything belongs to
GRANNY AND REDDY TALK 145
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 Man Coyote had the wit
to take it from us and the strength
to keep it. It was all fair enough,
and you know there is n't the least
use in crying over spilled milk, as
the saying is. We simply have got
to be smart enough not to let him
fool us again. I guess we won't
get any more of Bowser's dinners
for a while. We've got to think
of some other way of filling our
stomachs when the hunting is poor.
I think if I could have just one of
those fat hens of Farmer Brown's,
it would put new strength into my
old bones. All summer I warned
you to keep away from that hen-
146 OLD GRANNY FOX
yard, but the time has come now
when I think we might try for a
couple 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 think out a plan."
CHAPTER XXH
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.
Fox knows this. No
one knows it better. Whatever she
does is first carefully planned in her
wise old head. So now after she
had decided 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 better than
she how foolish it would be to go
over to that henyard and just trust
148 OLD GRANNY FOX
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
be unlucky and get in a peck of
trouble.
"You see," said she to Reddy,
" we must not only plan how to get
that fat hen, but we must also plan
how to get away with it safely.
If only there was some way of get-
ting in that henhouse at night,
there would be no trouble at all.
I don't suppose there is the least
chance of that."
" Not the least chance in the
world," replied Reddy. "There
is n't a hole anywhere big enough
for even Shadow the Weasel to get
through, and Farmer Brown's boy
GRANNY PLANS TO GET A HEN 149
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," said
Granny thoughtfully.
" Sure ! But it 's always closed
at night/' snapped Reddy. "Be-
sides, to get to that or the door
either, you have got to get inside
the henyard, and there '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
through carelessness. " Well, what
of it ? ' he demanded a wee bit
crossly.
150 OLD GRANNY FOX
" 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 little hole that the hens go
through, and if we happened to be
around at just that time "
" Too many ifs to get a dinner
with," interrupted Reddy.
" Perhaps/' replied Granny
mildly, " but I 've noticed that it
is the one who 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 often Farmer Brown's boy
does ri*t close the henyard gate at
night. I suppose he thinks that
if the henhouse door is locked, the
gate does n't matter. Any one who
GRANNY PLANS TO GET A HEN 151
is careless about one tiling, is likely
to be careless about another. Some-
time he may forget to close that
hole. I told you that we would try
for one of those hens to-morrow
morning, but the more I think
about it, the more I think it will
be wiser to visit that henhouse a
few nights before we run the risk
of trying to catch a hen in broad
daylight. In fact, I am pretty sure
I can make Farmer Brown's boy
forget to 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 be-
fore jolly, round, red Mr. Sun goes
152 OLD GRANNY FOX
to bed behind the Purple Hills,
doesn't he ? "
Reddy nodded. Many times from
a safe hiding-place he had hungrily
watched Farmer Brown's boy shut
the biddies up. It was always just
before the Black Shadows began
to creep out from their hiding-
places.
"I thought so/' said Granny.
The truth is, she knew so. There
was nothing about that henhouse
and what went on there that Granny
did n't know quite as well as Reddy.
" You stay right here this afternoon
until I return. I '11 see what I can
do."
"Let me go along/' begged
Reddy.
" No/' replied Granny in such a
GRANNY PLANS TO GET A HEN 153
decided tone that Reddy knew it
would be of no use to tease.
" Sometimes two can do what one
cannot do alone, and sometimes one
can do what two might spoil. Now
we may as well take a nap until it
is time for Mr. Sun to go to bed.
Just you leave it to your old Granny
to take care of the first of those ifs.
For the other one we'll have 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 XXIH
FARMER BROWN'S BOY FORGETS TO
CLOSE THE GATE
How easy 'tis to just forget
Until, alas, it is too late.
The most methodical of folks
Sometimes forget to shut the gate.
Old Granny Fox.
FARMER BROWNS BOY is not
usually the forgetful kind. He is
pretty good about not forgetting.
But Farmer Brown's boy is n't per-
fect by any means. He does for-
get sometimes, and lie is careless
sometimes. He would be a funny
kind of boy otherwise. But take
it day in and day out, he is pretty
thoughtful and careful.
FARMER BROWN'S BOY FORGETS 155
The care of the hens is one of
Farmer Brown's boy's duties. It
is one of those duties which most
of the time is a pleasure. He
likes the biddies, and he likes to
take care of them. Every morn-
ing one of the first things he does
is to feed them and open the hen-
house so that they can run in the
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 the biddies while they are
asleep on their roosts. After the
big snowstorm he had shovelled a
place in the henyard where the
hens could come out and exercise
and get a sun-bath when they
wanted to, and in the very warm-
156 OLD GRANNY FOX
est part of the day they would do
this. Always in the daytime he
took the greatest care to see that
the henyard gate was fastened, for
no one knew better than he how
bold Granny and Reddy Fox can
be when they are very hungry,
and in winter they are very apt to
be very hungry most of the time.
So he did n't intend to give them a
chance to slip into that henyard
while the biddies were out, or to
give the biddies a chance to stray
outside where they might be still
more easily caught.
But at night he sometimes left
that gate open, as Granny Fox
had found out. You see, he
thought it didn't matter because
the hens were locked in their
FARMER BROWN'S BOY FORGETS 157
warm house and so were safe,
anyway.
It was just at dusk of the after-
noon of the day when Granny and
Reddy Fox had talked over a plan
to get one of those fat hens that
Farmer Brown's boy collected the
eggs and saw to it that the biddies
had gone to roost for the night.
He had just started to close the
little sliding door across the hole
through which the hens went in
and out in the daytime when
Bowser the Hound began to make
a great racket, as if terribly ex-
cited about something.
Farmer Brown's boy gave the
little sliding door a hasty push,
picked up his basket of eggs,
locked the henhouse door and hur-
158 OLD GRANNY FOX
ried out through the gate without
stopping to close it. You see, he
was in a hurry to find out what
Bowser was making such a fuss
about. Bowser was yelping and
whining and tugging at his chain,
and it was plain to see that he was
terribly eager to be set free.
"What is it, Bowser, old boy?
Did you see something?" asked
Farmer Brown's boy as he patted
Bowser on the head. " I can 't let
you go, you know, because you
probably would go off hunting all
night and come home in the morn-
ing all tired out and with sore
feet. Whatever it was, I guess
you've scared it out of a year's
growth, old fellow, so we'll let it
go at that."
FARMER BROWN'S BOY FORGETS 159
Bowser still tugged at his chain
and whined, but after a little he
quieted down. His master looked
around behind the barn to see if
he could 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, never once giving that
open henyard gate another thought.
Half an hour later old Granny
Fox joined Reddy Fox, who was
waiting on the 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
just as his master was locking up
160 OLD GRANNY FOX
the henhouse. Bowser made a
great fuss, and of 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 he for-
got all about it or else he thought
it didn't matter. Of course, I
didn'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 it did this particular night
while he and Granny Fox waited
until Granny thought it safe to
visit Farmer Brown's henhouse and
see if by any chance there was a
way of getting into it. Reddy
tried not to hope too much.
Granny had found a way to get
the gate to the henyard left open,
but this would do them no good
162 OLD GRANNY FOX
unless there was some way of get-
ting into the house, and this he
very much doubted. But if there
was a way he wanted to know it,
and he was impatient to start.
But Granny was in no hurry.
Not that she was n't just as hungry
for a fat hen as was Reddy, but
she was too wise and clever and
altogether too sly to run any risks.
" There is nothing gained by
being in too much of a hurry,
Reddy," said she, " and often a great
deal is lost in that way. A fat
hen will taste just as good a little
later as it would now, and it will
be foolish to go up to Farmer
Brown's until we are sure that
everybody up there is asleep. But
to ease your mind, I '11 tell you what
A MIDNIGHT VISIT 163
we will do ; we '11 go where we can
see Farmer Brown's house and
watch until the last light winks 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 lights never 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 time to get sound asleep.
If we should get into that hen-
house, those hens might make a
racket, and if anything like that is
going to happen, we want to be
sure that Farmer Brown and
Farmer Brown's boy are asleep."
164 OLD GRANNY FOX
This was sound advice, and
Reddy knew it. So with a groan
he once more threw 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 the way.
Up back of the barn and around
it they stole like two shadows and
quite as noiselessly as shadows.
They heard Bowser the Hound
sighing in his sleep in his snug
little house, and grinned at each
other. Silently they stole over to
the henyard. The gate was open,
just as Granny had told Reddy it
would be. Across the henyard
they trotted swiftly, straight to
where more than once in the day-
time they had seen the hens come
A MIDNIGHT VISIT 165
out of the house through a little
hole. It was closed. Reddy had
expected it would be. Still, he
was dreadfully disappointed. He
gave it merely a glance.
"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 and pushed gently against the
little door that closed it. It did n't
move. Then she noticed that at
one edge there was a tiny crack.
She tried to push her nose through,
but the crack was too narrow.
Then she tried a paw. A claw
caught on the edge of the door,
and it moved ever so little. Then
Granny knew that the little door
/
was n't fastened. Granny stretched
166 OLD GRANNY FOX
herself flat on the ground and
went to work, first with one paw,
then with 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't fastened, and that
crack was a little wider.
"What are you wasting your
time there for ? " demanded Reddy
crossly. " We 'd better be off hunt-
ing if we would have anything to
eat this night."
Granny said nothing but kept
on working;. She had discovered
o
that this was a sliding door. Pres-
ently the crack was wide enough
for her to get her nose in. Then
she pushed and twisted her head
this way and that. The little door
A MIDNIGHT VISIT 167
slowly slid back, and when Reddy
turned to speak to her again, for
he had had his back to her, she
was nowhere to be seen. Reddy
just gaped and gaped foolishly.
There was no Granny Fox, but
there was a black hole where she
had been working, and from it
came the most delicious smell,
the smell of fat hens ! It seemed
to Reddy that his stomach fairly
flopped over with longing. He
rubbed his eyes to be sure that 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
Reddy Fox had no business to be
in Farmer Brown's henhouse in the
middle of the night, or at any other
time, for that matter. That is,
they had no business to be there,
as Farmer Brown would look at
the matter. He would have called
them two red thieves. Perhaps
that is just what they were. But
looking at the matter as they did,
A DINNER FOR TWO 169
I am not so sure about it. To
Granny and Reddy Fox those hens
were simply big, rather stupid birds,
splendid eating if they could be
caught, and bound to be eaten by
somebody. The fact that they
were in Farmer Brown's henhouse
didn't make them his any more
than the fact that Mrs. Grouse was
in a part of the Green Forest owned
by Farmer Brown made her his.
You see, among the little meadow
and forest people there is no such
thing as property rights, excepting
in the matter of storehouses, and
because these hens were alive, it
did n't occur to Granny and Reddy
that the henhouse was a sort of
storehouse. It would have made
no difference if it had. Among the
170 OLD GRANNY FOX
little people it is considered quite
right to help yourself from another's
storehouse if you are smart enough
to find it and really need the food.
Besides, Reddy and Granny knew
that Farmer Brown and his boy
would eat some of those hens them-
selves, and they did n't begin to
need them as Reddy and Granny
did. So as they looked at the
matter, there was nothing wrong
in being in that henhouse in the
middle of the night. They were
there simply because they needed
food very, very much, and food was
there.
They stared up at the roosts
where the biddies were huddled
together, fast asleep. They were
too high up to be reached from the
A DINNER FOR TWO 171
floor even when Reddy and Granny
stood on their hind legs and
stretched as far as they could.
" We 've got to wake them up
and scare them so that some of the
silly things will fly down where we
can catch them/' said Reddy, lick-
ing his lips hungrily.
" That won't do at all ! " snapped
Granny. " They would make a
great racket and waken Bowser the
Hound, and he would waken his
master, and that is just what we
must n't do if we hope to ever get
in here again. I thought you had
more sense, Reddy."
Reddy looked a little shame-
faced. " Well, if we don't do that,
how are we going to get them?
We can't fly/' he grumbled.
172 OLD GRANNY FOX
" You stay right here where you
are," snapped Granny, "and take
care that you don't make a sound."
Then Granny jumped lightly to
a little shelf that ran along in front
of the nesting boxes. From this
she could reach the lower roost on
which four fat hens were asleep.
Very gently she pushed her head
in between two of these and crowded
them apart. Sleepily they pro-
tested and moved along a little.
Granny continued to crowd them.
At last one of them stretched out
her head to see who w T as crowding
so. Like a flash Granny seized
that head, and biddy never knew
what had wakened her, nor did
she have a chance to waken the
others.
THEY STARED UP AT THE ROOSTS WHERE THE BID-
DIES WERE HUDDLED TOGETHER, FAST ASLEEP.
Page 170.
A DINNER FOR TWO 173
Dropping this hen at Reddy 's
feet, Granny crowded another until
she did the same thing, and just
the same thing happened once more.
Then Granny jumped lightly down,
picked up one of the hens by the
neck, slung the body over her
shoulder, and told Reddy to do the
same with the other and start for
home.
" Are n't you going to get any
more while we have the chance ? "
grumbled Reddy.
"Enough is enough/' retorted
Granny. " We Ve got a dinner for
two, and so far no one is any the
wiser. Perhaps these two won't be
missed, and we 11 have a chance to
get some more another night. Now
come on."
174 OLD GRANNY FOX
This was plain common sense,
and Reddy knew it, so without an-
other word he followed old Granny
Fox out by the way they had entered,
and then home 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.
Fox had hoped that
those two hens she and Reddy had
stolen from Farmer Brown's hen-
house would not be missed, but
they were. They were missed the
very first thing the next morning
when Farmer Brown's boy went to
feed the biddies. He discovered
right away that the little sliding
door which should have closed the
176 OLD GRANNY FOX
opening through which the hens
went in and out of the house was
open, and then he remembered
that he had left the henyard gate
open the night before. Carefully
Farmer Brown's boy examined the
hole with the sliding door.
" Ha ! ' said he presently, and
held up two red hairs which he
had found on the edge of the door.
" Ha ! I thought as much. I was
careless last night and didn't
fasten this door, and I left the
gate open. Reddy Fox has been
here, and now I know what has
become of those two hens. I sup-
pose it serves me right for my
carelessness, and I suppose if the
truth were known, those hens were
of more real good to him than
BROWN'S BOY SETS A TRAP 177
they ever could have been to me,
because the poor fellow must be
having pretty hard work to get a
living these hard winter days.
Still, I can't have him stealing any
more. That would never do at
all. If I shut them up every
night and am not careless, he
can't get them. But accidents
will happen, and I might 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 a les-
son. If I don't, he will get so
bold that those chickens won't be
safe even in broad daylight."
Now at just that very time over
in their home, Granny and Reddy
Fox were talking over plans for
178 OLD GRANNY FOX
the future, and shrewd old Granny
was pointing out to Reddy how
necessary it was that they should
keep away from that henyard for
some time. We've had a good
dinner, a splendid dinner, and if
we are smart enough we may be
able to get more good dinners
where this one came from/' said
she. "But we certainly won't if
we are too greedy."
"But I don't believe Farmer
Brown's boy has missed those two
chickens, and I don't see any rea-
son at all why we shouldn't go
back there to-night and get two
more if he is stupid enough to
leave that gate and little door
open," whined Reddy.
" Maybe he has n't missed those
BROWN'S BOY SETS A TRAP 179
two, but if we should take two
more lie certainly 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
are not starving now, and the best
thing for us to do is to keep away
from that henhouse until we can't
get anything to eat anywhere else.
Now you mind 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 up a trap all for nothing
so far as Reddy and Granny were
concerned. Very carefully he
bound strips of cloth around the
Jaws of the trap, for he could n't
180 OLD GRANNY FOX
bear to think of those cruel jaws
cutting into the leg of Reddy,
should he happen to get caught.
You see, Farmer Brown's boy
didn't intend to kill Reddy if he
should catch him, but to make him
a prisoner for a while and so keep
him out of mischief. That night
he hid the trap very cunningly
just inside the henhouse where
any one creeping through that
little hole made for the hens to go
in and out would be sure to step
in it. Then he purposely left the
little sliding door open part way
as if it had been forgotten, and he
also left the henyard gate open
just as he had done the night
before.
" There now, Master Reddy/'
BROWN'S BOY SETS A TRAP 181
said he, talking to himself, "I
rather think that you are going to
get into trouble before morning."
And doubtless Reddy would
have done just that thing but for
the wisdom of 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 Porky the Porcupine came
down from a tall poplar-tree and
slowly stretched himself. He was
tired of eating. He was tired of
swinging in the tree-top.
" I believe I '11 have a sun-bath/'
said Prickly Porky, and lazily
walked toward the edge of the
Green Forest in search of a place
A SUN BATH 183
where the sun lay warm and
bright.
Now Prickly Porky's stomach
was very, very full. He was fat
and naturally lazy, so when he
came to the doorstep of an old
house just on the edge of the Green
Forest he sat down to rest. It
was sunny and warm there, and the
longer he sat the less like moving he
felt. He looked about him with his
dull eyes and grunted to himself.
"It's a deserted house. No-
body lives here, and I guess no-
body ? 11 care if I 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 Porcupine was
afraid of nobody and nothing.
184 OLD GRANNY FOX
So Prickly Porky made himself
as comfortable as possible, yawned
once or twice, tried to wink at jolly,
round, red Mr. Sun, who was wink-
ing and smiling down at him, and
then fell fast asleep right on the
doorstep of the old house.
Now the old house had been de-
serted. No one had lived in it for
a long, long time, a very long time
indeed. But it happened that, the
night before, old Granny Fox and
Reddy Fox had had to move out of
their nice home on the edge of the
Green Meadows because Farmer
Brown's boy had found it. Reddy
was very stiff and sore, for he had
been shot by a hunter. He was so
sore he could hardly walk, and
could not go very far. So old
A SUN BATH 185
Granny Fox had led him to the old
deserted house and put him to bed
in that.
"No one will think of looking
for us here, for every one knows
that no one lives here/' said old
Granny Fox, as she made Reddy as
comfortable as possible.
As soon as it was daylight,
Granny Fox slipped out to watch
for Farmer Brown's boy, for she
felt sure that he would come back
to the house they had left, and sure
enough he did. He brought a
spade and dug the house open, and
all the time old Granny Fox was
watching him from behind a fence
corner and laughing to think thai
she had been smart enough to move
in the night.
186 OLD GRANNY FOX
But Reddy Fox didn't know
anything about this. He was so
tired that he slept and slept and
slept. It was the middle of the
morning when finally he awoke.
He yawned and stretched, and when
he stretched he groaned because he
was so stiff and sore. Then he
hobbled up toward the doorway to
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
had gotten up before daylight
that he had n'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
A SUN BATH 187
fine, fat chicken for me," thought
Reddy, and his mouth watered.
Just then he ran bump into some-
thing. " Wow ! " screamed Reddy
Fox, and clapped both hands to his
nose. Something was sticking into
it. It was one 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 was blocking 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 doubt about that. He was
stretched across the doorway of
that old house, the very house in
which old Granny Fox had been
born. When he had lain down on
the doorstep for a nap and sun-bath,
he had thought that the old house
was still deserted. Then he had
fallen asleep, only to be wakened
PORKY ENJOYS HIMSELF 189
by Reddy Fox, who had been asleep
in the old house and who could n't
get out because Prickly Porky was
in the way.
Now Prickly Porky does not love
Reddy Fox, and the more Reddy
begged and scolded and called him
names, the more Prickly Porky
chuckled. It was such a good joke
to think that he had trapped Reddy
Fox, and he made up his mind that
he would keep Reddy in there a
long time just to tease him and
make him uncomfortable. You
see Prickly Porky remembered how
often Reddy Fox played mean
tricks on little meadow and forest
folks who are smaller and weaker
than himself.
"It will do him good. It cer-
190 OLD GRANNY FOX
tainly will do him good," said
Prickly Porky, 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 with fright.
Suddenly Prickly Porky pricked
up his funny little short ears. He
heard the 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 he is/' said Prickly Porky as
he made all the thousand little
spears stand out from his long coat
till he looked like a funny great
chestnut burr.
Bowser the Hound did have a
PORKY ENJOYS HIMSELF 191
surprise. He was hunting Reddy
Fox, and he almost ran into
Prickly Porky before he saw him.
The very sight of those thousand
little spears sent little cold chills
chasing each other down Bowser's
backbone clear to the tip of his
tail, for he remembered how he
had gotten some of them in his lips
and mouth once upon a time, and
how it had hurt to have them
pulled out. Ever since then he
had had the greatest respect for
Prickly Porky.
" Wow ! ' yelped Bowser the
Hound, stopping short. " I beg
your pardon, Prickly Porky, I beg
your pardon, I did n't know you
were taking a nap here."
All the time Bowser the Hound
192 OLD GRANNY FOX
was backing away as fast as he
could. Then he turned around,
put his tail between his legs and
actually ran away.
Slowly Prickly Porky unrolled,
and his little eyes twinkled as he
watched 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 light footstep and turned
to see who was coming. It was
old Granny Fox. She had seen
Bowser run away, and now she was
PORKY ENJOYS HIMSELF 193
anxious to find out if Reddy Foa
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 as soon move ? * asked Granny
Fox.
" Oh ! " exclaimed Prickly Porky,
" is this your house ? I thought
you lived over 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
194 OLD GRANNY FOX
smiled once more, and at the same
time rattled his 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 '11 bump his nose.
Old Granny Fox.
Now there is nothing like being
shut in alone in the dark to make
one think. A voice inside of
Reddy began to whisper to him.
"If you hadn't tried to be smart
and show off you wouldn't have
brought all this trouble on your-
self and Old Granny Fox/' said
the voice.
"I know it," replied Reddy
right out loud, forgetting that it
was only a small voice inside of him.
196 OLD GRANNY FOX
" What do you know ? ' asked
Prickly Porky. He was still keep-
ing Reddy in and 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 re-
peated as if 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 lie must smile who hopes to win,
And he who loses best will grin."
Reddy pretended that he had n't
heard. Prickly Porky continued
to chuckle for a while and finally
THE NEW HOME 19?
Reddy fell asleep. When lie
awoke it was to find that Prickly
Porky had left and old Granny Fox
had brought him something to eat.
Just as soon as Reddy Fox was
able to travel he and Granny had
moved to the Old Pasture. The
Old Pasture is very different from
the Green Meadows or the Green
Forest. Yes, indeed, it is very,
very different. Reddy Fox thought
so. And Reddy did n't like the
change, not a bit. All about
were great rocks, and around and
over them grew bushes and young
trees and bull-briars with long
ugly thorns, and blackberry and
raspberry canes that seemed to
have a million little hooked hands,
reaching to catch in and tear his
198 OLD GRANNY FOX
red coat and to scratch his face
and hands. There were little
open places where wild-eyed young
cattle fed on the short grass. They
had made many little paths all
crisscross among the bushes, and
when you tried to follow one of
these paths you never could 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 missed the little people of the
Green Meadows and the Green
Forest. There was no one to
bully and tease. And it was such
a long, long way from Farmer
Brown's henyard that old Granny
Fox would n't even try to bring
THE NEW HOME 199
him a fat hen. At least, that 's
what she told Reddy.
The truth is, wise old Granny
Fox knew that the very best thing
she could do was to stay away
from Farmer Brown's for a long
time. She knew that Reddy
could n't go down there, because
he was still too lame and sore to
travel such a long way, and she
hoped that by the time Reddy was
well enough to go, he would have
learned better than to do such a
foolish thing as to try to show off
by stealing a chicken in broad day-
light, 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 on a little knoll*
200 OLD GRANNY FOX
which you know is a little low
hill, right where they could sit on
their doorstep and look all over
the Green Meadows. It had been
very, very beautiful down there.
They had made lovely little paths
through the tall green meadow
grass, and the buttercups and
daisies had grown close up to their
very doorstep. But up here in
the Old Pasture Granny Fox had
chosen the thickest clump of bushes
and young trees she could find,
and in the middle was a great pile
of rocks. 'Way in among these
rocks Granny Fox had dug their
new house. It was right down
under the rocks. Even in the
middle of the day jolly, round, red
Mr. Sun could hardly find it with
THE NEW HOME 201
a few of his long, bright beams.
All the rest of the time it waa
dark and gloomy there.
No, Reddy Fox didn't like his
new home at all, but when he said
so old Granny Fox boxed his ears,
" It 's your own fault that we 've
got to live here now/' said she.
" It 's the only place where we are
safe. Farmer Brown's boy never
will find this home, and even if he
did he could n't dig into it as he
did into our old 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 anybody else and
tried to show off."
Reddy hung his head. " I don't
care ! ' he said, which was very,
202 OLD GRANNY FOX
very foolish, because, you know, he
did care a very great deal.
And here we will leave wise Old
Granny Fox and Reddy, safe, even
if they do not like their new home.
You see, Lightfoot the Deer is
getting jealous. He thinks there
should be some books about the
people of the Green Forest, and
that the first one should be about
him. And because we all love
Lightfoot the Deer, the very next
book is to bear his name.
RETURN CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT
TO -^ 1 98 Main Stacks
LOAN PERIOD 1
HOME USE
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ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS.
Renewls and Recharges may be made 4 days prior to the due date.
Books may be Renewed by calling 642-3405.
DUE AS STAMPED BELOW
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
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Usss*!;::
