The Adventures of Reddy Fox
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Thornton W. Burgess >> The Adventures of Reddy Fox
"I don't want to go in," whined Reddy Fox. "It's nice and warm
out here, and I feel a lot better than when I am curled up way
down there in the dark."
Old Granny Fox turned, and her eyes blazed as she looked at Reddy
Fox. She didn't say a word. She didn't have to. Reddy just
crawled into his house, muttering to himself. Granny stuck her
head in at the door.
"Don't you come out until I come back," she ordered. Then she
added: "Farmer Brown's boy is coming with his gun."
Reddy Fox shivered when he heard that. He didn't believe Granny
Fox. He thought she was saying that just to scare him and make
him stay inside. But he shivered just the same. You see, he knew
now what it meant to be shot, for he was still too stiff and sore
to run, all because he had gone too near Farmer Brown's boy and
his gun.
But old Granny Fox had not been fooling when she told Reddy Fox
that Farmer Brown's boy was coming with a gun. It was true. He
was coming down the Lone Little Path, and ahead of him was
trotting Bowser the Hound. How did old Granny Fox know it? She
just felt it! She didn't hear them, she didn't see them, and she
didn't smell them; she just felt that they were coming. So as
soon as she saw that Reddy Fox had obeyed her, she was off like a
little red flash.
"It won't do to let them find our home," said Granny to herself,
as she disappeared in the Green Forest.
First she hurried to a little point on the hill where she could
look down the Lone Little Path. Just as she expected, she saw
Farmer Brown's boy, and ahead of him, sniffing at every bush and
all along the Lone Little Path, was Bowser the Hound. Old Granny
Fox waited to see no more. She ran as fast as she could in a big
circle which brought her out on the Lone Little Path below Farmer
Brown's boy and Bowser the Hound, but where they couldn't see
her, because of a turn in the Lone Little Path. She trotted down
the Lone Little Path a very little way and then turned into the
woods and hurried back up the hill, where she sat down and
waited. In a few minutes she heard Bowser's great voice. He had
smelled her track in the Lone Little Path and was following it.
Old Granny Fox grinned. You see, she was planning to lead them
far, far away from the home where Reddy Fox was hiding, for it
would not do to have them find it.
And Farmer Brown's boy also grinned, as he heard the voice of
Bowser the Hound.
"I'll hunt that fox until I get him," he said. You see, he didn't
know anything about old Granny Fox; he thought Bowser was
following Reddy Fox.
XIX Unc' Billy Possum Gives Warning
"What's the matter with you, Unc' Billy? You look as if you had
lost your last friend." It was Jimmy Skunk who spoke.
Unc' Billy Possum stopped short. He had been hurrying so fast
that he hadn't seen Jimmy Skunk at all.
"Matter enuff, Suh! Matter enuff!" said Unc' Billy Possum,
when he could get his breath. "Do you hear that noise?"
"Sure, I hear that noise. That's only Bowser the Hound chasing
old Granny Fox. When she gets tired she'll lose him," replied
Jimmy Skunk. "What are you worrying about Bowser the Hound for?"
"Bowser the Hound will have to be smarter than he is now befo' he
can worry me, Ah reckon," said Unc' Billy Possum scornfully. "It
isn't Bowser the Hound; it's Farmer Brown's boy and his gun!"
Then Unc' Billy told Jimmy Skunk how he had been hiding in the
woodpile at Farmer Brown's and had heard Farmer Brown's boy say
that he was going to hunt over the Green Meadows and through the
Green Forest until he got Reddy Fox.
"What of it?" asked Jimmy Skunk. "If he gets Reddy Fox, so much
the better. Reddy always did make trouble for other people. I
don't see what you're worrying about Reddy Fox for. He's big
enough to take care of himself."
"Yo' cert'nly are plumb slow in your wits this morning, Jimmy
Skunk, yo' cert'nly are plumb slow! Supposing yo' should meet up
with Farmer Brown's boy with that gun in his hands and supposing
he had grown tired of watching fo' Reddy Fox. That gun might go
off, Jimmy Skunk; it might go off when it was pointing right
straight at yo'!" said Unc' Billy Possum.
Jimmy Skunk looked serious. "That's so, Unc' Billy, that's so!"
he said. "Boys with guns do get dreadfully careless, dreadfully
careless. They don't seem to think anything about the feelings of
those likely to get hurt when the gun goes off. What was you
thinking of doing, Unc' Billy?"
"Just passing the word along so everybody in the Green Meadows
and in the Green Forest will keep out of the way of Farmer
Brown's boy," replied Unc' Billy Possum.
"Good idea, Unc' Billy! I'll help you," said Jimmy Skunk.
So Unc' Billy Possum went one way, and Jimmy Skunk went another
way. And everyone they told hurried to tell someone else. Happy
Jack Squirrel told Chatterer the Red Squirrel; Chatterer told
Striped Chipmunk, and Striped Chipmunk told Danny Meadow Mouse.
Danny Meadow Mouse told Johnny Chuck; Johnny Chuck told Peter
Rabbit; Peter Rabbit told Jumper the Hare; Jumper the Hare told
Prickly Porky; Prickly Porky told Bobby Coon; Bobby Coon told
Billy Mink; Billy Mink told Little Joe Otter; Little Joe Otter
told Jerry Muskrat, and Jerry Muskrat told Grandfather Frog. And
everybody hastened to hide from Farmer Brown's boy and his
terrible gun.
By and by Farmer Brown's boy noticed how still it was in the
Green Forest. Nowhere did he see or hear a bird. Nowhere could he
catch a glimpse of anybody who wore fur.
"That fox must have scared away all the other animals and driven
away all the birds. I'll get him! See if I don't!" muttered
Farmer Brown's boy, and never once guessed that they were hiding
from him.
XX. Old Granny Fox Makes a Mistake
Old Granny Fox was running through the overgrown old pasture, way
up back of Farmer Brown's. She was cross and tired and hot, for
it was a very warm day. Behind her came Bowser the Hound, his
nose in Granny s tracks, and making a great noise with his big
voice. Granny Fox was cross because she was tired. She hadn't
done much running lately. She didn't mind running when the
weather was cold, but now--"Oh dear, it is hot!" sighed old
Granny Fox, as she stopped a minute to rest.
Now old Granny Fox is very, very smart and very, very wise. She
knows all the tricks with which foxes fool those who try to catch
them. She knew that she could fool Bowser the Hound and puzzle
him so that he wouldn't be able to follow her track at all. But
she wasn't ready to do that yet. No, indeed! Old Granny Fox was
taking great care to see that her tracks were easy to follow. She
wanted Bowser the Hound to follow them, although it made her
tired and hot and cross. Why did she? Well, you see, she was
trying to lead him, and with him Farmer Brown's boy, far, far
away from the home where Reddy Fox was nursing the wounds that he
had received when Farmer Brown's boy had shot at him a few days
before.
"Bow, wow, wow!" roared Bowser the Hound, following every twist
and turn which Granny Fox made, just as she wanted him to. Back
and forth across the old pasture and way up among the rocks on
the edge of the mountain Granny Fox led Bowser the Hound. It was
a long, long, long way from the Green Meadows and the Green
Forest. Granny Fox had made it a long way purposely. She was
willing to be tired herself if she could also tire Bowser the
Hound and Farmer Brown's boy. She wanted to tire them so that
when she finally puzzled and fooled them and left them there,
they would be too tired to go back to the Green Meadows.
By and by Granny Fox came to a hole in the ground, an old house
that had once belonged to her grandfather. Now this old house had
a back door hidden close beside the hollow trunk of a fallen
tree. Old Granny Fox just ran through the house, out the back
door, through the hollow tree, and then jumped into a little
brook where there was hardly more than enough water to wet her
feet. Walking in the water, she left no scent in her tracks.
Bowser the Hound came roaring up to the front door of the old
house. Granny's tracks led right inside, and Bowser grew so
excited that he made a tremendous noise. At last he had found
where Granny Fox lived; at least he thought he had. He was sure
that she was inside, for there were her fresh tracks going inside
and none coming out. Bowser the Hound never once thought of
looking for a back door. If he had, he wouldn't have been any the
wiser, because, you know, old Granny Fox had slipped away through
the hollow tree trunk.
Granny Fox grinned as she listened to the terrible fuss Bowser
was making. Then, when she had rested a little, she stole up on
the hill where she could look down and see the entrance to the
old deserted house. She watched Bowser digging and barking.After
a while a worried look crept into the face of old Granny Fox.
"Where's Farmer Brown's boy? I thought surely he would follow
Bowser the Hound," she muttered.
XXI. Reddy Fox Disobeys
When old Granny Fox had sent Reddy Fox into the house and told
him to stay there until she returned home, he had not wanted to
mind, but he knew that Granny Fox meant just what she said, and
so he had crawled slowly down the long hall to the bedroom, way
underground.
Pretty soon Reddy Fox heard a voice. It was very faint, for you
know Reddy was in his bedroom way underground, but he knew it. He
pricked up his ears and listened. It was the voice of Bowser the
Hound, and Reddy knew by the sound that Bowser was chasing Granny
Fox.
Reddy grinned. He wasn't at all worried about Granny Fox, not the
least little bit. He knew how smart she was and that whenever she
wanted to, she could get rid of Bowser the Hound. Then a sudden
thought popped into Reddy's head, and he grew sober.
"Granny did feel trouble coming, just as she said," he thought.
Then Reddy Fox curled himself up and tried to sleep. He intended
to mind and not put his little black nose outside until old
Granny Fox returned. But somehow Reddy couldn't get to sleep. His
bedroom was small, and he was so stiff and sore that he could not
get comfortable. He twisted and turned and fidgeted. The more he
fidgeted, the more uncomfortable he grew. He thought of the warm
sunshine outside and how comfortable he would be, stretched out
full length on the doorstep. It would take the soreness out of
his legs. Something must have happened to Granny to keep her so
long. If she had known that she was going to be gone such a long
time, she wouldn't have told him to stay until she came back,
thought Reddy.
By and by Reddy Fox crept a little way up the long, dark hall. He
could just see the sunlight on the doorstep. Pretty soon he went
a little bit nearer. He wasn't going to disobey old Granny Fox.
Oh, no! No, indeed! She had told him to stay in the house until
she returned. She hadn't said that he couldn't look out! Reddy
crawled a little nearer to the open door and the sunlight.
"Granny Fox is getting old and timid. Just as if my eyes aren't
as sharp as hers! I'd like to see Farmer Brown's boy get near me
when I am really on the watch," said Reddy Fox to himself. And
then he crept a little nearer to the open door.
How bright and warm and pleasant it did look outside! Reddy just
knew that he would feel ever and ever so much better if he could
stretch out on the doorstep. He could hear Jenny Wren fussing and
scolding at someone or something, and he wondered what it could
be. He crept just a wee bit nearer. He could hear Bowser's voice,
but it was so faint that he had to prick up his sharp little ears
and listen with all his might to hear it at all.
"Granny's led them way off on the mountain. Good old Granny!"
thought Reddy Fox. Then he crawled right up to the very doorway.
He could still hear Jenny Wren scolding and fussing.
"What does ail her?
"If it's hot or if it's cold,
Jenny Wren will always scold.
From morn till night the whole day long
Her limber tongue is going strong.
"I'm going to find out what it means," said Reddy, talking to
himself.
Reddy Fox poked his head out and--looked straight into the
freckled face of Farmer Brown's boy and the muzzle of that
dreadful gun!
XXII. Ol' Mistah Buzzard's Keen Sight
Old Granny Fox had thought that when she fooled Bowser the Hound
up in the old pasture on the edge of the mountain she could take
her time going home. She was tired and hot, and she had planned
to pick out the shadiest paths going back. She had thought that
Farmer Brown's boy would soon join Bowser the Hound, when Bowser
made such a fuss about having found the old house into which
Granny Fox had run.
But Farmer Brown's boy had not yet appeared, and Granny Fox was
getting worried. Could it be that he had not followed Bowser the
Hound, after all? Granny Fox went out on a high point and looked,
but she could see nothing of Farmer Brown's boy and his gun. Just
then Ol' Mistah Buzzard came sailing down out of the blue, blue
sky and settled himself on a tall, dead tree. Now Granny Fox
hadn't forgotten how Ol' Mistah Buzzard had warned Peter Rabbit
just as she was about to pounce on him, but she suddenly thought
that Ol' Mistah Buzzard might be of use to her.
So old Granny Fox smoothed out her skirts and walked over to the
foot of the tree where Ol' Mistah Buzzard sat.
"How do you do today, neighbor Buzzard?" inquired Granny Fox,
smiling up at Ol' Mistah Buzzard.
"Ah'm so as to be up and about, thank yo'," replied Ol' Mistah
Buzzard, spreading his wings out so that air could blow under
them.
"My!" exclaimed old Granny Fox, "what splendid great wings you
have, Mistah Buzzard! It must be grand to be able to fly. I
suppose you can see a great deal from way up there in the blue,
blue sky, Mistah Buzzard."
Ol' Mistah Buzzard felt flattered. "Yes," said he, "Ah can see
all that's going on on the Green Meadows and in the Green
Forest."
"Oh, Mistah Buzzard, you don't really mean that!" exclaimed old
Granny Fox, just as if she wanted to believe it, but couldn't.
"Yes, Ah can!" replied Ol' Mistah Buzzard.
"Really, Mistah Buzzard? Really? Oh, I can't believe that your
eyes are so sharp as all that! Now I know where Bowser the Hound
is and where Farmer Brown's boy is, but I don't believe you can
see them," said Granny Fox.
Ol' Mistah Buzzard never said a word but spread his broad wings
and in a few minutes he had sailed up, up, up until he looked
like just a tiny speck to old Granny Fox. Now old Granny Fox had
not told the truth when she said she knew where Farmer Brown's
boy was. She thought she would trick Ol' Mistah Buzzard into
telling her.
In a few minutes down came Ol' Mistah Buzzard. "Bowser the Hound
is up in the old back pasture," said he.
"Right!" cried old Granny Fox, clapping her hands. "And where is
Farmer Brown's boy?"
"Farmer Brown's boy is. . ." Ol' Mistah Buzzard paused.
"Where? Where?" asked Granny Fox, so eagerly that Ol' Mistah
Buzzard looked at her sharply.
"Yo' said you knew, so what's the use of telling yo'?" said Ol'
Mistah Buzzard. Then he added: "But if Ah was yo', Ah cert'nly
would get home right smart soon."
"Why? Do, do tell me what you saw, Mistah Buzzard!" begged Granny
Fox.
But Ol' Mistah Buzzard wouldn't say another word, so old Granny
Fox started for home as fast as she could run.
"Oh dear, I do hope Reddy Fox minded me and stayed in the house,"
she muttered.
XXII Granny Fox Has a Terrible Scare
Old Granny Fox felt her heart sink way down to her toes, for she
felt sure Ol' Mistah Buzzard had seen Farmer Brown's boy and his
gun over near the house where Reddy Fox was nursing his wounds,
or he wouldn't have advised her to hurry home. She was already
very tired and hot from the long run to lead Bowser the Hound
away from the Green Meadows. She had thought to walk home along
shady paths and cool off, but now she must run faster than ever,
for she must know if Farmer Brown's boy had found her house.
"It's lucky I told Reddy Fox to go inside and not come out till I
returned; it's very lucky I did that," thought Granny Fox as she
ran. Presently she heard voices singing. They seemed to be in the
treetops over her head.
"Happily we dance and play
All the livelong sunny day!
Happily we run and race
And win or lose with smiling face!"
Granny Fox knew the voices, and she looked up. Just as she
expected, she saw the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West
Wind playing among the leaves. Just then one of them looked down
and saw her.
"There's old Granny Fox! Just see how hot and tired she looks.
Let's go down and cool her off!" shouted the Merry Little Breeze.
In a flash they were all down out of the treetops and dancing
around old Granny Fox, cooling her off. Of course, Granny Fox
kept right on running. She was too worried not to. But the Merry
Little Breezes kept right beside her, and it was not nearly as
hard running now as it had been.
"Have you seen Farmer Brown's boy?" panted Granny Fox.
"Oh, yes! We saw him just a little while ago over near your
house, Granny Fox. We pulled his hat off, just to hear him
scold," shouted the Merry Little Breezes, and then they tickled
and laughed as if they had had a good time with Farmer Brown's
boy.
But old Granny Fox didn't laugh--oh, my, no, indeed! Her heart
went lower still, and she did her best to run faster. Pretty soon
she came out on the top of the hill where she could look, and
then it seemed as if her heart came right up in her mouth and
stopped beating. Her eyes popped almost out of her head. There
was Farmer Brown's boy standing right in front of the door of her
home. And while she was watching, what should Reddy Fox do but
stick his head out the door.
Old Granny Fox saw the gun of Farmer Brown's boy pointed right at
Reddy and she clapped both hands over her eyes to shut out the
dreadful sight. Then she waited for the bang of the gun. It
didn't come. Then Granny peeped through her fingers. Farmer
Brown's boy was still there, but Reddy Fox had disappeared inside
the house.
Granny Fox sighed in relief. It had been a terrible scare, the
worst she could remember.
XXIV. Granny and Reddy Have To Move
"I don't want to move," whined Reddy Fox. "I'm too sore to walk."
Old Granny Fox gave him a shove. "You go along and do as I say!"
she snapped. "If you had minded me, we wouldn't have to move.
It's all your own fault. The wonder is that you weren't killed
when you poked your head out right in front of Farmer Brown's
boy. Now that he knows where we live, he will give us no peace.
Move along lively now! This is the best home I have ever had, and
now I've got to leave it. Oh dear! Oh dear!"
Reddy Fox hobbled along up the long hall and out the front door.
He was walking on three legs, and at every step he made a face
because, you know, it hurt so to walk.
The little stars, looking down from the sky, saw Reddy Fox limp
out the door of the house he had lived in so long, and right
behind him came old Granny Fox. Granny sighed and wiped away a
tear, as she said good-by to her old home. Reddy Fox was thinking
too much of his own troubles to notice how badly Granny Fox was
feeling. Every few steps he had to sit down and rest because it
hurt him so to walk.
"I don't see the use of moving tonight, anyway. It would be a lot
easier and pleasanter when the sun is shining. This night air
makes me so stiff that I know I never will get over it," grumbled
Reddy Fox.
Old Granny Fox listened to him for a while, and then she lost
patience. Yes, Sir, Granny Fox lost patience. She boxed Reddy Fox
first on one ear and then on the other. Reddy began to snivel.
"Stop that!" said Granny Fox sharply. "Do you want all the
neighbors to know that we have got to move? They'll find it out
soon enough. Now come along without any more fuss. If you don't,
I'll just go off and leave you to shift for yourself. Then how
will you get anything to eat?"
Reddy Fox wiped his eyes on his coat sleeve and hobbled along as
best he could. Granny Fox would run a little way ahead to see
that the way was safe and then come back for Reddy. Poor Reddy.
He did his best not to complain, but it was such hard work. And
somehow Reddy Fox didn't believe that it was at all necessary. He
had been terribly frightened when he had disobeyed Granny Fox
that afternoon and put his head out the door, only to look right
into the freckled face of Farmer Brown's boy. He had ducked back
out of sight again too quickly for Farmer Brown's boy to shoot,
and now he couldn't see why old Granny Fox wanted to move that
very night.
"She's getting old. She's getting old and timid and fussy,"
muttered Reddy Fox, as he hobbled along behind her.
It seemed to Reddy as if they had walked miles and miles. He
really thought that they had been walking nearly all night when
old Granny Fox stopped in front of the worst-looking old fox
house Reddy had ever seen.
"Here we are!" said she.
"What! Are we going to live in that thing?" cried Reddy. "It
isn't fit for any respectable fox to put his nose into."
"It is where I was born!" snapped old Granny Fox. "If you want to
keep out of harm's way, don't go to putting on airs now.
"Who scorns the simple things of life
And tilts his nose at all he sees,
Is almost sure to feel the knife
Of want cut through his pleasant ease.
"Now don't let me hear another word from you, but get inside at
once!"
Reddy Fox didn't quite understand all Granny Fox said, but he
knew when she was to be obeyed, and so he crawled gingerly
through the broken-down doorway.
XXV. Peter Rabbit Makes a Discovery
Hardly had jolly, round, red Mr. Sun thrown off his nightcap and
come out from his home behind the Purple Hills for his daily
climb up in the blue, blue sky, when Farmer Brown's boy started
down the Lone Little Path through the Green Forest.
Peter Rabbit, who had been out all night and was just then on his
way home, saw him. Peter stopped and sat up to rub his eyes and
look again. He wasn't quite sure that he had seen aright the
first time. But he had. There was Farmer Brown's boy, sure
enough, and at his heels trotted Bowser the Hound.
Peter Rabbit rubbed his eyes once more and wrinkled up his
eyebrows. Farmer Brown's boy certainly had a gun over one
shoulder and a spade over the other. Where could he be going down
the Lone Little Path with a spade? Farmer Brown's garden
certainly was not in that direction. Peter watched him out of
sight and then he hurried down to the Green Meadows to tell
Johnny Chuck what he had seen. My, how Peter's long legs did fly!
He was so excited that he had forgotten how sleepy he had felt a
few minutes before.
Halfway down to Johnny Chuck's house, Peter Rabbit almost ran
plump into Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk, who had been quarreling
and were calling each other names. They stopped when they saw
Peter Rabbit.
"Peter Rabbit runs away
From his shadder, so they say.
Peter, Peter, what a sight!
Tell us why this sudden fright,"
shouted Bobby Coon.
Peter Rabbit stopped short. Indeed, he stopped so short that he
almost turned a somersault. "Say," he panted, "I've just seen
Farmer Brown's boy."
"You don't say so!" said Jimmy Skunk, pretending to be very much
surprised. "You don't say so! Why, now I think of it, I believe
I've seen Farmer Brown's boy a few times myself."
Peter Rabbit made a good-natured face at Jimmy Skunk, and then he
told all about how he had seen Farmer Brown's boy with gun and
spade and Bowser the Hound going down the Lone Little Path. "You
know there isn't any garden down that way," he concluded.
Bobby Coon's face wore a sober look. Yes, Sir, all the fun was
gone from Bobby Coon's face.
"What's the matter?" asked Jimmy Skunk.
"I was just thinking that Reddy Fox lives over in that direction
and he is so stiff that he cannot run," replied Bobby Coon.
Jimmy Skunk hitched up his trousers and started toward the Lone
Little Path. "Come on!" said he. "Let's follow him and see what
he is about."
Bobby Coon followed at once, but Peter Rabbit said he would hurry
over and get Johnny Chuck and then join the others.
All this time Farmer Brown's boy had been hurrying down the Lone
Little Path to the home old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox had moved
out of the night before. Of course, he didn't know that they had
moved. He put down his gun, and by the time Jimmy Skunk and Bobby
Coon and Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck reached a place where they
could peep out and see what was going on, he had dug a great
hole.
"Oh!" cried Peter Rabbit, "he's digging into the house of Reddy
Fox, and he'll catch poor Reddy!"
XXVI. Farmer Brown's Boy Works for Nothing
The grass around the doorstep of the house where Reddy Fox had
always lived was all wet with dew when Farmer Brown's boy laid
his gun down, took off his coat, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and
picked up his spade. It was cool and beautiful there on the edge
of the Green Meadows. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had just begun
his long climb up in the blue, blue sky. Mr. Redwing was singing
for joy over in the bulrushes on the edge of the Smiling Pool.
Yes, it was very beautiful, very beautiful indeed. It didn't seem
as if harm could come to anyone on such a beautiful morning.