All the time Bowser the Hound was backing away as fast as he could. Thenhe turned around, put his tail between his legs and actually ran away.
Slowly Prickly Porky unrolled, and his little eyes twinkled as hewatched Bowser the Hound run away.
"Bowser's very big and strong; His voice is deep; his legs are long; His bark scares some almost to death. But as for me he wastes his breath; I just roll up and shake my spears And Bowser is the one who fears."
So said Prickly Porky, and laughed aloud. Just then he heard a lightfootstep and turned to see who was coming. It was old Granny Fox. Shehad seen Bowser run away, and now she was anxious to find out if ReddyFox were safe.
"Good morning," said Granny Fox, taking care not to come too near.
"Good morning," replied Prickly Porky, hiding a smile.
"I'm very tired and would like to go inside my house; had you just assoon move?" asked Granny Fox.
"Oh!" exclaimed Prickly Porky, "is this your house? I thought you livedover on the Green Meadows."
"I did, but I've moved. Please let me in," replied Granny Fox.
"Certainly, certainly. Don't mind me, Granny Fox. Step right over me,"said Prickly Porky, and smiled once more, and at the same time rattledhis little spears.
Instead of stepping over him, Granny Fox backed away.
CHAPTER XXIX: The New Home In The Old Pasture
Who keeps a watch upon his toes Need never fear he'll bump his nose. --Old Granny Fox.
Now there is nothing like being shut in alone in the dark to make onethink. A voice inside of Reddy began to whisper to him. "If you hadn'ttried to be smart and show off you wouldn't have brought all thistrouble on yourself and Old Granny Fox," said the voice.
"I know it," replied Reddy right out loud, forgetting that it was only asmall voice inside of him.
"What do you know?" asked Prickly Porky. He was still keeping Reddy inand Granny out and he had overheard what Reddy said.
"It is none of your business!" snapped Reddy.
Reddy could hear Prickly Porky chuckle. Then Prickly Porky repeated asif to himself in a queer cracked voice the following:
"Rudeness never, never pays, Nor is there gain in saucy ways. It's always best to be polite And ne'er give way to ugly spite. If that's the way you feel inside You'd better all such feelings hide; For he must smile who hopes to win, And he who loses best will grin."
Reddy pretended that he hadn't heard. Prickly Porky continued to chucklefor a while and finally Reddy fell asleep. When he awoke it was to findthat Prickly Porky had left and old Granny Fox had brought him somethingto eat.
Just as soon as Reddy Fox was able to travel he and Granny had movedto the Old Pasture. The Old Pasture is very different from the GreenMeadows or the Green Forest. Yes, indeed, it is very, very different.Reddy Fox thought so. And Reddy didn't like the change,--not a bit. Allabout were great rocks, and around and over them grew bushes andyoung trees and bull-briars with long ugly thorns, and blackberry andraspberry canes that seemed to have a million little hooked hands,reaching to catch in and tear his red coat and to scratch his face andhands. There were little open places where wild-eyed young cattle fedon the short grass. They had made many little paths all crisscross amongthe bushes, and when you tried to follow one of these paths you nevercould tell where you were coming out.
No, Reddy Fox did not like the Old Pasture at all. There was no long,soft green grass to lie down in. And it was lonesome up there. He missedthe little people of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest. There wasno one to bully and tease. And it was such a long, long way from FarmerBrown's henyard that old Granny Fox wouldn't even try to bring him a fathen. At least, that's what she told Reddy.
The truth is, wise old Granny Fox knew that the very best thing shecould do was to stay away from Farmer Brown's for a long time. She knewthat Reddy couldn't go down there, because he was still too lame andsore to travel such a long way, and she hoped that by the time Reddywas well enough to go, he would have learned better than to do sucha foolish thing as to try to show off by stealing a chicken in broaddaylight, as he had when he brought all this trouble on them.
Down on the Green Meadows, the home of Granny and Reddy Fox had been ona little knoll, which you know is a little low hill, right where theycould sit on their doorstep and look all over the Green Meadows. It hadbeen very, very beautiful down there. They had made lovely little pathsthrough the tall green meadow grass, and the buttercups and daisies hadgrown close up to their very doorstep. But up here in the Old PastureGranny Fox had chosen the thickest clump of bushes and young trees shecould find, and in the middle was a great pile of rocks. Way in amongthese rocks Granny Fox had dug their new house. It was right down underthe rocks. Even in the middle of the day jolly, round, red Mr. Sun couldhardly find it with a few of his long, bright beams. All the rest of thetime it was dark and gloomy there.
No, Reddy Fox didn't like his new home at all, but when he said so oldGranny Fox boxed his ears.
"It's your own fault that we've got to live here now," said she. "It'sthe only place where we are safe. Farmer Brown's boy never will findthis home, and even if he did he couldn't dig into it as he did into ourold home on the Green Meadows. Here we are, and here we've got to stay,all because a foolish little Fox thought himself smarter than anybodyelse and tried to show off."
Reddy hung his head. "I don't care!" he said, which was very, veryfoolish, because, you know, he did care a very great deal.
And here we will leave wise Old Granny Fox and Reddy, safe, even ifthey do not like their new home. You see, Lightfoot the Deer is gettingjealous. He thinks there should be some books about the people of theGreen Forest, and that the first one should be about him. And because weall love Lightfoot the Deer, the very next book is to bear his name.
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