Old Granny Fox watched him. "He must have a tremendous appetite to behunting for beetles after eating my chicken!" muttered she. Thenshe jumped out in front of Jimmy Skunk, her eyes snapping, her teethshowing, and the hair on her back standing on end so as to make her lookvery fierce. But all the time old Granny Fox took the greatest care notto get too near to Jimmy Skunk.
"Where's my chicken?" snarled old Granny Fox, and she looked very, veryfierce.
Jimmy Skunk looked up as if very much surprised. "Hello, Granny Fox!" heexclaimed. "Have you lost a chicken?"
"You've stolen it! You're a thief, Jimmy Skunk!" snapped Granny Fox.
"Words can never make black white; Before you speak be sure you're right,"
said Jimmy Skunk. "I'm not a thief."
"You are!" cried Granny working herself into a great rage.
"I'm not!"
"You are!"
All the time Jimmy Skunk was chuckling to himself, and the more hechuckled the angrier grew old Granny Fox. And all the time Jimmy Skunkkept moving toward old Granny Fox and Granny Fox kept backing away, for,like all the other little meadow and forest people, she has very greatrespect for Jimmy Skunk's little bag of scent.
Now, backing off that way, she couldn't see where she was going, andthe first thing she knew she had backed into a bramble bush. It tore herskirts and scratched her legs. "Ooch!" cried old Granny Fox.
"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Jimmy Skunk. "That's what you get for calling menames."
XIV. Granny Fox Finds What Became of the Chicken
Old Granny Fox was in a terrible temper. Dear, dear, it certainly wasa dreadful temper! Jimmy Skunk laughed at her, and that made it worse.When he saw this, Jimmy Skunk just rolled over and over on the groundand shouted, he was so tickled. Of course, it wasn't the least bit niceof Jimmy Skunk, but you know that Granny Fox had been calling Jimmya thief. Then Jimmy doesn't like Granny Fox anyway, nor do any of theother little meadow and forest people, for most of them are very muchafraid of her.
When old Granny Fox finally got out of the bramble bush, she didn't stopto say anything more to Jimmy Skunk, but hurried away, muttering andgrumbling and grinding her teeth. Old Granny Fox wasn't pleasant to meetjust then, and when Bobby Coon saw her coming, he just thought it bestto get out of her way, so he climbed a tree.
It wasn't that Bobby Coon was afraid of old Granny Fox. Bless you,no! Bobby Coon isn't a bit afraid of her. It was because he had a fullstomach and was feeling too good-natured and lazy to quarrel.
"Good morning, Granny Fox. I hope you are feeling well this morning,"said Bobby Coon, as old Granny Fox came trotting under the tree he wassitting in. Granny Fox looked up and glared at him with yellow eyes.
"It isn't a good morning and I'm not feeling fine!" she snapped.
"My goodness, how you have torn your skirts!" exclaimed Bobby Coon.
Old Granny Fox started to say something unpleasant. Then she changed hermind and instead she sat down and told Bobby Coon all her troubles. Asshe talked, Bobby Coon kept ducking his head behind a branch of the treeto hide a smile. Finally Granny Fox noticed it.
"What do you keep ducking your head for, Bobby Coon?" she askedsuspiciously.
"I'm just looking to see if I can see any feathers from that chicken,"replied Bobby Coon gravely, though his eyes were twinkling withmischief.
"Well, do you?" demanded old Granny Fox.
And just then Bobby Coon did. They were not on the ground, however, butfloating in the air. Bobby Coon leaned out to see where they came from,and Granny Fox turned to look, too. What do you think they saw? Why,sitting on a tall, dead tree was Mr. Goshawk, just then swallowing thelast of Granny's chicken.
"Thief! thief! robber! robber!" shrieked old Granny Fox.
But Mr. Goshawk said nothing, just winked at Bobby Coon, puffed out hisfeathers, and settled himself for a comfortable nap.
XV. Reddy Fox Has a Visitor
Hardly was old Granny Fox out of sight on her way to hunt for thechicken she had left on the hill, when Unc' Billy Possum came strollingalong the Lone Little Path. He was humming to himself, for he had justhad a good breakfast. One of the Merry Little Breezes spied him andhurried to meet him and tell him about how Reddy Fox had been shot.
Unc' Billy listened, and the grin with which he had greeted the MerryLittle Breeze grew into a broad smile.
"Are yo' all sure about that?" he asked.
The Merry Little Breeze was sure.
Unc' Billy Possum stopped for a few minutes and considered.
"Serves that no 'count Reddy Fox right," chuckled Unc' Billy. "He donespoil mah hunting at Farmer Brown's, he raised such a fuss among thehens up there. 'Tisn't safe to go there any mo'! No, Suh, 'tisn't safe,and it won't be safe for a right smart while. Did yo' say that GrannyFox is home?"
The Merry Little Breeze hadn't said anything about Granny Fox, but nowremembered that she had gone up the hill.
"Ah believe Ah will just tote my sympathy over to Reddy Fox," said Unc'Billy Possum, as he started in the direction of Reddy Fox's house.But he made sure that old Granny Fox was not at home before he showedhimself. Reddy Fox lay on his doorstep. He was sick and sore and stiff.Indeed, he was so stiff he couldn't walk at all. And he was weak--weakand hungry, dreadfully hungry. When he heard footsteps, he thought oldGranny Fox was bringing him the chicken after which she had gone. Hefelt too ill even to turn his head.
"Did you get the chicken, Granny?" he asked weakly. No one answered. "Isay, did you get the chicken, Granny?" Reddy's voice sounded a littlesharp and cross as he asked this time.
Still there was no reply, and Reddy began to be a little bit suspicious.He turned over and raised his head to look. Instead of old Granny Fox,there was Unc' Billy Possum grinning at him.
"Smarty, Smarty is a thief! Smarty, Smarty came to grief! Tried to show off just for fun And ran too near a loaded gun.
"Yo' all certainly has got just what yo' deserve, and Ah'm glad of it!Ah'm glad of it, Suh!" said Unc' Billy Possum severely.
An angry light came into the eyes of Reddy Fox and made them an uglyyellow for just a minute. But he felt too sick to quarrel. Unc' BillyPossum saw this. He saw how Reddy was really suffering, and down deepin his heart Unc' Billy was truly sorry for him. But he didn't let Reddyknow it. No, indeed! He just pretended to be tickled to death to seeReddy Fox so helpless. He didn't dare stay long, for fear Granny Foxwould return. So, after saying a few more things to make Reddy feeluncomfortable, Unc' Billy started off up the Lone Little Path toward theGreen Forest.
"Too bad! Too bad!" he muttered to himself. "If ol' Granny Fox isn'tsmart enough to get Reddy enough to eat, Ah'll have to see what we-allscan do. Ah cert'nly will."
XVI. Unc' Billy Possum Visits the Smiling Pool
Joe Otter and Billy Mink were sitting on the Big Rock in the SmilingPool. Because they had nothing else to do, they were planning mischief.Jerry Muskrat was busy filling his new house with food for the winter.He was too busy to get into mischief.
Suddenly Billy Mink put a finger on his lips as a warning to Little JoeOtter to keep perfectly still. Billy's sharp eyes had seen somethingmoving over in the bulrushes. Together he and Little Joe Otter watched,ready to dive into the Smiling Pool at the first sign of danger. In afew minutes the rushes parted and a sharp little old face peered out.Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink each sighed with relief, and their eyesbegan to dance. "Hi, Unc' Billy Possum!" shouted Billy Mink.
A grin crept over the sharp little old face peering out from thebulrushes.
"Hi, yo'self!" he shouted, for it really was Unc' Billy Possum.
"What are you doing over here?" called Little Joe Otter.
"Just a-looking round," replied Unc' Billy Possum, his eyes twinkling.
"Have you heard about Reddy Fox?" shouted Billy Mink.
"Ah done jes' come from his home," replied Unc' Billy Possum.
"How is he?" asked Little Joe Otter.
"Po'ly, he sho'ly is po'ly," replied Unc' Billy Pos
sum, shaking his headsoberly. Then Unc' Billy told Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter how ReddyFox was so stiff and sore and sick that he couldn't get anything to eatfor himself, and how old Granny Fox had lost a chicken which she hadcaught for him.
"Serves him right!" exclaimed Billy Mink, who has never forgotten howReddy Fox fooled him and caught the most fish once upon a time.
Unc' Billy nodded his head. "Yo' are right. Yo' cert'nly are right. Yes,Suh, Ah reckons yo' are right. Was yo' ever hungry, Billy Mink--realhungry?" asked Unc' Billy Possum.
Billy Mink thought of the time when he went without his dinner becauseMr. Night Heron had gobbled it up, when Billy had left it in a temper.He nodded his head.
"Ah was just a-wondering," continued Une' Billy Possum, "how it wouldseem to be right smart powerful hungry and not be able to hunt fo'anything to eat."
For a few minutes no one said a word. Then Billy Mink stood up andstretched. "Good-by," said Billy Mink.
"Where are you going so suddenly?" demanded Little Joe Otter.
"I'm going to catch a fish and take it up to Reddy Fox, if you mustknow!" snapped Billy Mink.
"Good!" cried Little Joe Otter. "You needn't think that you can have allthe fun to yourself either, Billy Mink. I'm going with you."
There was a splash in the Smiling Pool, and Unc' Billy Possum was leftlooking out on nothing but the Smiling Pool and the Big Rock. He smiledto himself as he turned away. "Ah reckon Ah'll sho' have to do my share,too," said he.
And so it happened that when old Granny Fox finally reached home withnothing but a little wood mouse for Reddy, she found him taking a nap,his stomach as full as it could be. And just a little way off were twofish tails and the feathers of a little duck.
XVII. Farmer Brown's Boy Is Determined
Farmer Brown's boy had made up his mind. When he shut his teeth with aclick and drew his lips together into a thin, straight line, those whoknew him were sure that Farmer Brown's boy had made up his mind. That isjust what he had done now. He was cleaning his gun, and as he worked hewas thinking of his pet chicken and of all the other chickens that ReddyFox had taken.
"I'm going to get that fox if it takes all summer!" exclaimed FarmerBrown's boy. "I ought to have gotten him the other day when I had a shotat him. Next time well, we'll see, Mr. Fox, what will happen next time."
Now someone heard Farmer Brown's boy, heard everything he said, thoughFarmer Brown's boy didn't know it. It was Unc' Billy Possum, who washiding in the very pile of wood on which Farmer Brown's boy was sitting.Unc' Billy pricked up his ears.
He didn't like the tone of voice in which Farmer Brown's boy spoke.He thought of Reddy Fox still so stiff and sore and lame that he couldhardly walk, all from the shot which Farmer Brown's boy thought hadmissed.
"There isn't gwine to be any next time. No, Suh, there isn't gwine to beany next time. Ah sho'ly doan love Reddy Fox, but Ah can't nohow lethim be shot again. Ah cert'nly can't!" muttered Unc' Billy Possum tohimself.
Of course, Farmer Brown's boy didn't hear him. He didn't hear him and hedidn't see him when Unc' Billy Possum crept out of the back side of thewoodpile and scurried under the henhouse. He was too intent on his planto catch Reddy Fox.
"I'm just going to hunt over the Green Meadows and through the GreenForest until I get that fox!" said Farmer Brown's boy, and as he said ithe looked very fierce, as if he really meant it. "I'm not going tohave my chickens stolen any more! No, Sir-e-e! That fox has got a homesomewhere on the Green Meadows or in the Green Forest, and I'm going tofind it. Then watch out, Mr. Fox!"
Farmer Brown's boy whistled for Bowser the Hound and started for theGreen Forest.
Unc' Billy Possum poked his sharp little old face out from under thehenhouse and watched them go. Usually Unc' Billy is grinning, but nowthere wasn't any grin, not the least sign of one. Instead Unc' BillyPossum looked worried.
"There goes that boy with a gun, and nobody knows what'll happen when itgoes off. If he can't find Reddy Fox, just as likely as not he'll pointit at somebody else just fo' fun. Ah hope he doan meet up with mah ol'woman or any of mah li'l' pickaninnies. Ah'm plumb afraid of a boy witha gun, Ah am. 'Pears like he doan have any sense. Ah reckon Ah better bemoving along right smart and tell mah family to stay right close inthe ol' hollow tree," muttered Unc' Billy Possum, slipping out from hishiding place. Then Unc' Billy began to run as fast as he could towardthe Green Forest.
XVIII. The Hunt for Reddy Fox
"Trouble, trouble, trouble, I feel it in the air; Trouble, trouble,trouble, it's round me everywhere."
Old Granny Fox muttered this over and over, as she kept walking arounduneasily and sniffing the air.
"I don't see any trouble and I don't feel any trouble in the air.It's all in the sore places where I was shot," said Reddy Fox, who wasstretched out on the doorstep of their home.
"That's because you haven't got any sense. When you do get some andlearn to look where you are going, you won't get shot from behindold tree trunks and you will be able to feel trouble when it is near,without waiting for it to show itself. Now I feel trouble. You go downinto the house and stay there!" Granny Fox stopped to test the air withher nose, just as she had been testing it for the last ten minutes.
"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 thedark."
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 hishouse, 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. Hethought 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 tobe shot, for he was still too stiff and sore to run, all because he hadgone too near Farmer Brown's boy and his gun.
But old Granny Fox had not been fooling when she told Reddy Fox thatFarmer Brown's boy was coming with a gun. It was true. He was comingdown the Lone Little Path, and ahead of him was trotting Bowser theHound. How did old Granny Fox know it? She just felt it! She didn't hearthem, she didn't see them, and she didn't smell them; she just felt thatthey 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 shedisappeared in the Green Forest.
First she hurried to a little point on the hill where she could lookdown the Lone Little Path. Just as she expected, she saw Farmer Brown'sboy, and ahead of him, sniffing at every bush and all along the LoneLittle 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 onthe Lone Little Path below Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the Hound, butwhere 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 turnedinto the woods and hurried back up the hill, where she sat down andwaited. In a few minutes she heard Bowser's great voice. He had smelledher track in the Lone Little Path and was following it. Old Granny Foxgrinned. You see, she was planning to lead them far, far away from thehome where Reddy Fox was hiding, for it would not do to have them findit.
And Farmer Brown's boy also grinned, as he heard the voice of Bowser theHound.
"I'll hunt that fox until I get him," he said. You see, he didn't knowanything about old Granny Fox; he thought Bowser was following ReddyFox.
XIX Unc' Billy Possum Gives Warning
"What's the matter with you, Unc' Billy? You look as if you had lostyour last friend." It was Jimmy Skunk who spoke.
Unc' Billy Possum stopped short. He had been hurrying so fast that hehadn't seen Jimmy Skunk at all.
"Matter enuff, Suh! Matter enuff!" said Unc' Billy Possum, when he couldget his breath. "Do you hear that noise?"
"Sure, I hear t
hat noise. That's only Bowser the Hound chasing oldGranny 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 canworry me, Ah reckon," said Unc' Billy Possum scornfully. "It isn'tBowser 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 FarmerBrown's and had heard Farmer Brown's boy say that he was going to huntover the Green Meadows and through the Green Forest until he got ReddyFox.
"What of it?" asked Jimmy Skunk. "If he gets Reddy Fox, so much thebetter. Reddy always did make trouble for other people. I don't see whatyou're worrying about Reddy Fox for. He's big enough to take care ofhimself."
"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 FarmerBrown's boy with that gun in his hands and supposing he had grown tiredof watching fo' Reddy Fox. That gun might go off, Jimmy Skunk; it mightgo off when it was pointing right straight at yo'!" said Unc' BillyPossum.
Jimmy Skunk looked serious. "That's so, Unc' Billy, that's so!" he said."Boys with guns do get dreadfully careless, dreadfully careless. Theydon't seem to think anything about the feelings of those likely to gethurt when the gun goes off. What was you thinking of doing, Unc' Billy?"