Reddy could not remember when he had been more hungry than he was now.Lying there behind the fallen tree, watching the fat hens walking aboutunsuspectingly just a little way from him, it seemed to him that hesimply must rush out and catch one of them. But Reddy was smart enoughto know that if he did this there would at once be such a screaming andsquawking that some one would be sure to rush out from the farmhouse tofind out what was going on. If he were discovered, there would be smallchance for him to get another fat hen. Reddy is keen enough to make themost of an opportunity. He knew that if he could get one of these henswithout frightening the others, he would have a chance to get another.He might have a chance to get several in this way.
So, though he was so eager and so hungry, he made himself keep perfectlystill, while he studied out a plan. By and by he stole ever so carefullyaround back of the barn to the cowyard. Some of those fat hens werescratching in the straw of the cowyard. Just outside the cowyard was apile of old boards. Reddy crawled behind this pile of old boards andthen crouched and settled himself to be patient. He knew that sooner orlater one of those fat hens would be likely to come out of the cowyard.In this way he might be able to catch one without the others knowing athing about it.
Blacky the Crow sat in the top of a tall tree where he could see allthat was going on. Blacky was as impatient as Reddy was patient. "Whydoesn't the red rascal rush in and get one of those fat hens?" mutteredBlacky. "What is the matter with him, anyway? I wonder if he is afraid.He could catch one of them without half trying, and there he lies as ifhe expected them to run right into his mouth. I don't want to sit hereall day. Yet I can't do a thing until he catches one of those hens."
So Reddy waited patiently and Blacky waited impatiently, and the fathens wandered about unsuspectingly, and for a long, long time nothinghappened.
CHAPTER XXXV
THINGS HAPPEN ALL AT ONCE
The cleverest Fox is almost certain to visit the chicken yard once too often.
_Bowser the Hound._
Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun, high in the blue, blue sky, looked down onas peaceful a scene as ever was. In the cowyard back of the barn of thisparticular farm stood several cows contentedly chewing their cuds asthey took their daily airing. Half a dozen fat hens were walking aboutamong them and scratching in the straw. Out in the farmyard in front ofthe barn were many more fat hens. Behind a pile of old boards justoutside the cowyard was a spot of red. In the top of a tall tree not fardistant was a spot of black. The smoke from the chimney of the farmhousefloated skyward in a lazy way. Looking down on the Great World, jolly,round, bright Mr. Sun saw no more peaceful scene anywhere.
By and by a fat hen walked over to the bars of the cowyard and hopped upon the lower bar. There she sat for some time. Then, making up her mindthat she would see what was outside, she hopped down and walked over tothe pile of old boards. Right then things happened all at once. That redspot behind the pile of old boards suddenly came to life. There was aquick spring, and that fat hen was seized by the neck so suddenly thatshe didn't have time to make a sound. At the same instant the black spotin the top of the tall tree came to life, and Blacky the Crow flew overto the roof of the barn, screaming at the top of his lungs. Now thosewho know Blacky well, know when he is screaming "Fox! Fox! Fox!"although it sounds as if he were saying "Caw! Caw! Caw!"
In a moment the door of the farmhouse flew open, and a man stepped outwith a dog at his heels. The man looked up at Blacky, and he knew byBlacky's actions that something was going on back of the barn. Rightaway he guessed that there must be a Fox there, and calling the dog tofollow, he ran around to see what was happening. Of course Reddy heardhim coming, and with a little snarl of anger at Blacky the Crow, heseized the fat hen by the neck, threw her body over his shoulder, andstarted for the near-by swamp as fast as his legs could take him.
Just as Reddy reached the edge of the swamp, he heard the roar of agreat voice behind him. He knew that voice. It was the voice of Bowserthe Hound. It could be no one else but Bowser who was behind him, forthere was no other voice quite like his. Dismay awoke in Reddy's heart.He knew that Bowser was wise to the tricks of Foxes, and that he wouldhave to use all his cunning to get rid of Bowser. To do it he would haveto drop that fat hen he had come so far to get. Do you wonder that Reddywas dismayed?
CHAPTER XXXVI
REDDY HIDES THE FAT HEN
Dishonesty will run away Where Honesty will boldly stay.
_Bowser the Hound._
Reddy Fox was in a fix! He certainly was in a fix! Here he was with thefat hen which he had come such a long, long way to get, and no chance toeat it, for Bowser the Hound was on his trail. Ordinarily Reddy Fox canrun faster than can Bowser, but it is one thing to run with nothing tocarry, and another thing altogether to with a burden as heavy as a fathen. Reddy's wits were working quite as fast as his legs.
"I can't carry this fat hen far," thought Reddy, "for Bowser will surelycatch me. I don't want to drop it, because I have come such a long wayto get it, and goodness knows when I will be able to catch another. Thething for me to do is to hide it where I can come back and get it afterI get rid of that pesky dog. Goodness, what a noise he makes!"
As he ran, Reddy watched sharply this way and that way for a place tohide the fat hen. He knew he must find a place soon, because alreadythat fat hen was growing very heavy. Presently he spied the hollow stumpof a tree. He didn't know it was hollow when he first saw it, but fromits looks he thought it might be. The top of it was only about two feetabove the ground. Reddy stopped and stood up on his hind legs so as tosee if the top of that stump was hollow. It was. With a quick look thisway and that way to make sure he wasn't seen, he tossed the fat hen overinto the hollow and then, with a sigh of relief, darted away.
With the weight of that fat hen off his shoulders, and the worry aboutit off his mind, Reddy could give all his attention to getting rid ofBowser the Hound. He had no intention of running any farther than hemust. In the first place he had traveled so far that he did not feellike running. In the second place he wanted to get back to that hollowstump and the fat hen just as soon as possible.
It wasn't long before Reddy realized that it was not going to be so easyto fool Bowser the Hound. Bowser was too wise to be fooled by commontricks such as breaking the trail by jumping far to one side afterrunning back on his own tracks a little way; or by running along afallen tree and jumping from the end of it as far as he could. Of coursehe tried these tricks, but each time Bowser simply made a big circlewith his nose to the ground and picked up Reddy's new trail.
Reddy didn't know that country about there at all, and little by littlehe began to realize how much this meant. At home he knew every foot ofthe ground for a long distance in every direction. This made all thedifference in the world, because he knew just how to play all kinds oftricks. But here it was different. It seemed to him that all he could dowas to run and run.
CHAPTER XXXVII
FARMER BROWN'S BOY HAS A GLAD SURPRISE
The sweetest sound in the world is the voice of one you love.
_Bowser the Hound._
Farmer Brown's boy had an errand which took him far from home. Heharnessed the horse to a sleigh and started off right after dinner. Nowit happened that his errand took him in the direction of the farm whereBowser the Hound had been taken such good care of, and where Reddy Foxhad that very day caught the fat hen. Farmer Brown's boy was notthinking of Bowser. You see, he had already visited most of the farms inthat direction in his search for Bowser and had found no trace of him.
It was a beautiful day to be sleighing, and Farmer Brown's boy waswhistling merrily, for there is nothing he enjoys more than a sleighride. He had almost reached the place he had started for when 'way offacross the fields to his right he heard a dog. Now Farmer Brown's boyenjoys listening to the sound of a Hound chasing a Fox. There issomething about it which stirs the blood. He stopped whistling andstopped the horse in order that he might listen better.
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p; At first that sound was very, very faint, but as Farmer Brown's boylistened, it grew louder and clearer. Suddenly Farmer Brown's boy leapedup excitedly. "That's Bowser!" he cried. "As sure as I live that's goodold Bowser! I would know that voice among a million!"
He leaped from the sleigh and tied the horse. Then he climbed over thefence and began to run across the snow-covered fields. He could tellfrom the sound in what direction Bowser was running. He could tell fromthe appearance of the country about where Reddy Fox would be likely tolead Bowser, and he ran for a place which he felt sure Reddy would belikely to pass.
Louder and louder sounded the great voice of Bowser, and faster andfaster ran Farmer Brown's boy to reach that place before Bowser shouldpass. The louder that great voice sounded, the more absolutely certainFarmer Brown's boy became that it was the voice of Bowser, and a greatjoy filled his heart. At last he reached an old road. He felt certainthat Reddy would follow that road. So he hid behind an old stone wall onthe edge of it.
He did not have long to wait. A red form appeared around a turn in theold road, running swiftly. Then it stopped and stood perfectly still. Ofcourse it was Reddy Fox. He was listening to make sure just how farbehind him Bowser was. He listened for only a moment and then started onas swiftly as before. Right down the road past Farmer Brown's boy Reddyran, and never once suspected he was being watched.
A few minutes later another form appeared around the turn in the road.It was Bowser! Yes, Sir, it was Bowser! With a glad cry Farmer Brown'sboy jumped over the stone wall and waited.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
REDDY GOES BACK FOR HIS FAT HEN
Joy will make a puppy of an old dog.
_Bowser the Hound._
When Bowser the Hound is following the trail of Reddy Fox, it takes agreat deal to make him leave that trail. His love of the hunt is sogreat that, as a rule, nothing short of losing the trail will make himstop. He will follow it until he cannot follow it any longer.
But for once Bowser actually forgot that he was following Reddy Fox.Yes, Sir, he did. As he came down that old road with his nose inReddy's tracks, he was so intent on what he was doing that he didn't seeFarmer Brown's boy waiting for him. He didn't see him until he almostran into him.
For just a second Bowser stared in utter surprise. Then with a littleyelp of pure joy he leaped up and did his best to lick his master'sface. Could you have seen Bowser, you might have thought that he wasjust a foolish young puppy, he cut up such wild antics to express hisjoy. He yelped and whined and barked. He nearly knocked Farmer Brown'sboy down by leaping up on him. He raced around in circles. When at lasthe was still long enough, Farmer Brown's boy just threw his arms aroundhim and hugged him. He hugged him so hard he made Bowser squeal. Thentwo of the happiest folks in all the Great World started back across thesnow-covered fields to the sleigh.
Bowser and Farmer Brown's boy were not the only ones who rejoiced. ReddyFox had been badly worried. Although he had tried every trick he couldthink of, he had not been able to get rid of Bowser, and he had justabout made up his mind that there was nothing for it but to start backto the Old Pasture which was so far away. That would mean giving up thefat hen which he had hidden in the hollow stump.
Of course, Reddy knew the instant that Bowser began to yelp and barkthat something had happened. What it was he couldn't imagine. He satdown to wait and listen. Then he heard the voice of Farmer Brown's boy.Reddy knew that voice and he grinned, for he felt sure that Bowser wouldgive up the hunt. He grinned because now he would have a chance to goback for that fat hen. At the same time that grin was not wholly a happygrin, because Reddy knew that now Bowser would return to his home.
Presently Reddy very carefully crept back to a place where he could seewhat was going on. He watched Farmer Brown's boy start back for theroad and the sleigh, with Bowser jumping up on him and racing around himlike a foolish young puppy. He waited only long enough to make sure thatBowser would not come back; then he turned and trotted swiftly along hisown back trail towards that hollow stump into which he had tossed thatfat hen. Reddy's thoughts were very pleasant thoughts, for they were allof the fine dinner of which he now felt sure.
CHAPTER XXXIX
A VANISHED DINNER
This fact you'll find where'er you go Is true of Fox or Dog or Man: Dishonesty has never paid, And, what is more, it never can.
_Bowser the Hound._
Very pleasant were the thoughts of Reddy Fox as he trotted back to theswamp where was the hollow stump in which he had hidden the fat hen hehad stolen. Yes, Sir, very pleasant were the thoughts of Reddy Fox. Hefelt sure that no dinner he had ever eaten had tasted anywhere near asgood as would the dinner he was about to enjoy.
In the first place his stomach had not been really filled for a longtime. Food had been scarce, and while Reddy had always obtained enoughto keep from starving, it was a long time since he had had a really goodmeal. He had, you remember, traveled a very long distance to catch thatfat hen, and it had been many hours since he had had a bite of anything.There is nothing like a good appetite to make things taste good. Reddycertainly had the appetite to make that fat hen the finest dinner a Foxever ate.
So, with pleasant thoughts of the feast to come, Reddy trotted alongswiftly. Presently he reached the little swamp in which was the hollowstump. As he drew near it, he moved very carefully. You see, he was notquite sure that all was safe. He knew that the farmer from whom he hadstolen that fat hen had seen him run away with it, and he feared thatthat farmer might be hiding somewhere about with a terrible gun. SoReddy used his eyes and his ears and his nose as only he can use them.All seemed safe. It was as still in that little swamp as if no livingcreature had ever visited it. Stopping every few steps to look, listen,and sniff, Reddy approached that hollow stump.
Quite certain in his own mind that there was no danger, Reddy lightlyleaped up on the old stump and peeped into the hollow in the top. Thenhe blinked his eyes very fast indeed. If ever there has been a surprisedFox in all the Great World that one was Reddy. There was no fat hen inthat hollow! Reddy couldn't believe it. He _wouldn't_ believe it. Thatfat hen just _had_ to be there. He blinked his eyes some more and lookedagain. All he saw in that hollow stump was a feather. The fat hen hadvanished. All Reddy's dreams of a good dinner vanished too. A great ragetook their place. Somebody had _stolen_ his fat hen!
Reddy looked about him hurriedly and anxiously. There wasn't a sign ofanybody about, or that anybody had been there. Reddy's anger began togive place to wonder and then to something very like fear. How couldanybody have taken that fat hen and left no trace? And how could a fathen with a broken neck disappear of its own accord? It gave Reddy acreepy feeling.
CHAPTER XL
WHERE WAS REDDY'S DINNER?
Often it is better to look for a new trail than to waste time hunting for an old one.
_Bowser the Hound._
Reddy Fox is used to all sorts of queer happenings. Yes, Sir, he is usedto all sorts of queer happenings, and as a rule Reddy is seldom puzzledfor long. You see he is such a clever fellow himself that any one cleverenough to fool him for long must be very clever indeed. This time,however, all the cleverness of his sharp wits did him no good. The fathen he had hidden in a hollow stump had disappeared without leavingtrace.
Reddy's first thought was that probably the farmer from whom he hadstolen the fat hen had found it and taken it away. At once he began touse that wonderful nose of his searching for the scent of that farmer.Very carefully he sniffed all about the top of that old stump and insidethe hollow. There wasn't the faintest scent of anybody there. Then hejumped down, and with his nose to the ground, ran all around the stump,sniffing, sniffing, sniffing. The only thing he discovered was the scentof Bowser the Hound, and he knew that Bowser had not taken that fat hen,because, as you remember, Bowser had kept right on chasing him.
Reddy began to feel afraid of that old stump. People usually are afraidof mysterious things, and it certainly was very mysterious that
a fathen with a broken neck should disappear without leaving any trace atall. Reddy sat down at a little distance and did a lot of hard thinking.He looked every which way even up in the tree tops, but all his lookingwas in vain. It was so mysterious that if he hadn't known positivelythat he was awake he would have thought it was all a dream.
But Reddy is something of a philosopher. That fat hen was gone, andthere was no use in wasting time puzzling over it. There were other fathens where that one came from, and he would just have to catch another.
So Reddy trotted through the swamp till he came to the edge of it. Therehis keen nose found the scent of the farmer. It didn't take him twominutes to discover that the farmer had followed Bowser the Hound to theedge of the swamp and then gone back. Eagerly Reddy looked over to thefarmyard for those fat hens. They, too, had disappeared. Not one was tobe seen. But there was no mystery about the disappearance of these otherfat hens. He heard the muffled crow of the big rooster. It came from thehenhouse. All those fat hens had been shut up. It was perfectly plainto Reddy that the farmer suspected Reddy might return, and he didn'tintend to lose another fat hen. With a little yelp of disappointment,Reddy turned his back on the farm and trotted off into the woods.
CHAPTER XLI
WHAT BLACKY THE CROW SAW
The greatest puzzle is simple enough when you know the answer.