Old Granny Fox

by Thornton W. Burgess

  But Reddy, with a guilty conscience, was afraid to go home. And so,miserable and hungry, he hunted through the Green Forest all the longnight and wished and wished that he had heeded what old Granny Fox hadtold 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.

  There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and theGreen 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, sokeenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeedwho fools her or gets ahead of her. Reddy Fox is smart, very smart. ButReddy isn't nearly as smart as Old Granny Fox. You see, he hasn't livednearly as long, so of course there is much knowledge of many thingsstored 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 sowith Old Granny Fox. With all her smartness and cleverness and wisdomshe grew careless, and all the smartness and cleverness and wisdom inthe world is useless if the possessor becomes careless.

  You see, Old Granny Fox had become so used to thinking that she wassmarter than any one else, unless it was Old Man Coyote, that sheactually believed that no one was smart enough ever to surprise her.Yes, Sir, she actually believed that. Now, you know when a personreaches the point of thinking that no one else in all the Great World isquite so smart, that person is like Peter Rabbit when he made ready onewinter day to jump out on the smooth ice of the Smiling Pool,--gettingready for a fall. It was this way with Old Granny Fox.

  Because she had lived near Farmer Brown's so long and had been huntedso often by Farmer Brown's boy and by Bowser the Hound, she had got theidea in her head that no matter what she did they would not be able tocatch her. So at last she grew careless. Yes, Sir, she grew careless.And that is something no Fox or anybody else can afford to do.

  Now on the edge of the Green Forest was a warm, sunny knoll, which, asyou know, is a sort of little hill. It overlooked the Green Meadows andwas quite the most pleasant and comfortable place for a sun-nap thatever was. At least, that is what Old Granny Fox thought. She tooksun-naps there very often. It was her favorite resting place. WhenBowser the Hound had found her trail and had chased her until shewas tired of running and had had quite all the exercise she needed orwanted, she would play one of her clever tricks by which to make Bowserlose her trail. Then she would hurry straight to that knoll to rest andgrin at her own smartness.

  It happened that she did this one day when there was fresh snow on theground. Of course, every time she put a foot down she left a print inthe snow. And where she curled up in the sun she left the print of herbody. They were very plain to see, were these prints, and Farmer Brown'sboy saw them.

  He had been tramping through the Green Forest late in the afternoonand just by chance happened across Granny's footprints. Just for fun hefollowed them and so came to the sunny knoll. Granny had left some timebefore, but of course she couldn't take the print of her body withher. That remained in the snow, and Farmer Brown's boy saw it and knewinstantly what it meant. He grinned, and could Granny Fox have seen thatgrin, she would have been uncomfortable. You see, he knew that he hadfound 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, afterrunning Bowser almost off his feet. I think we will give you a surpriseone of these days. Yes, indeed, I think we will give you a surprise. Youhave fooled us many times, and now it is our turn."

  The next day Farmer Brown's boy shouldered his terrible gun and sentBowser the Hound to hunt for the trail of Old Granny Fox. It wasn't longbefore Bowser's great voice told all the Great World that he had foundGranny's tracks. Farmer Brown's boy grinned just as he had the daybefore. Then with his terrible gun he went over to the Green Forest andhid under some pine boughs right on the edge of that sunny knoll.

  He waited patiently a long, long time. He heard Bowser's great voicegrowing more and more excited as he followed Old Granny Fox. By and byBowser stopped baying and began to yelp impatiently. Farmer Brown's boyknew exactly what that meant. It meant that Granny had played one of hersmart tricks and Bowser had lost her trail.

  A few minutes later out of the Green Forest came Old Granny Fox, andshe was grinning, for once more she had fooled Bowser the Hound andnow could take a nap in peace. Still grinning, she turned around twoor three times to make herself comfortable and then, with a sigh ofcontentment, 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 boyholding his terrible gun and grinning. At last he had caught Old GrannyFox 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, Sir, 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 comfortableplace indeed. You see, jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun poured his warmestrays right down there from the blue, blue sky. When Old Granny Fox wastired, she often slipped over there for a short nap and sun-bath evenin winter. She was quite sure that no one knew anything about it. It wasone of her secrets.

  This morning Old Granny Fox was very tired, unusually so. In the firstplace she had been out hunting all night. Then, before she could reachhome, Bowser the Hound had found her tracks and started to follow them.Of course, it wouldn't have done to go home then. It wouldn't have doneat all. Bowser would have followed her straight there and so found outwhere she lived. So she had led Bowser far away across the Green Meadowsand through the Green Forest and finally played one of her smart trickswhich had so mixed her tracks that Bowser could no longer follow them.While he had sniffed and snuffed and snuffed and sniffed with thatwonderful nose of his, trying to find out where she had gone, Old GrannyFox 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 GreenForest and the Green Meadows, sleeps with her ears wide open. Her eyesmay be closed, but not her ears. Those are always on guard, even whenshe is asleep, and at the least sound open fly her eyes, and she isready to run. If it were not for the way her sharp ears keep guard, shewouldn't dare take naps in the open right in broad daylight. If youever want to catch a Fox asleep, you mustn't make the teeniest, weeniestnoise. Just remember that.

  Now Old Granny Fox had no sooner closed her eyes than she began todream. At first it was a very pleasant dream, the pleasantest dream aFox 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 asif it were a real and not a dream dinner she was enjoying.

  But presently the dream changed and became a bad dream. Yes, indeed,it became a bad dream. It was as bad as at first it had been good. Itseemed to Granny that Bowser the Hound had become very smart, smarterthan she had ever known him to be before. Do what she would, shecouldn't fool him. Not one of all the tricks she knew, and she knew agreat many, fooled him at all. They didn't puzzle him long enough forher to get her breath.

  Bowser kept getting nearer and nearer and nearer, all in the dream, youknow, until it seemed as if his great voice sounded right at her veryheels. She was so tired that it seemed to her that she couldn't runanother step. It was a very, very real dream. You know dreams sometimesdo seem very real indeed. This was the way it was with the bad dreamof Old Granny Fox. It seemed to her that she could feel the breath ofBowser the Hound and that his great jaws were just going to close on herand shake her to death.

  "Oh! Oh!" cried Granny and waked herself up. Her eyes flew open. Th
enshe gave a great sigh of relief as she realized that her terrible frightwas 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 andthen,--well, she didn't know whether she was really awake or stilldreaming! No, Sir, she didn't. For a full minute she couldn't be surewhether 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 ofhis dreadful gun!

  For just a few seconds she didn't move. She couldn't. She was toofrightened to move. Then she knew what she saw was real and not a dreamat all. There wasn't the least bit of doubt about it. That was FarmerBrown's boy, and that was his dreadful gun! All in a flash she knew thatFarmer Brown's boy must 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 tofire that dreadful gun, and that would be the end of her. She knew it.

  CHAPTER VIII: What Farmer Brown's Boy Did

  In time of danger heed this rule: Think hard and fast, but pray keep cool. --Old Granny Fox.

  Poor Old Granny Fox! She had thought that she had been in tight placesbefore, 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 dreadfulgun straight at her, and only such a short distance, such a very shortdistance away! It wasn't the least bit of use to run. Granny knew that.That dreadful gun would go "bang!" and that would be the end of her.

  For a few seconds she stared at Farmer Brown's boy, too frightenedto move or even think. Then she began to wonder why that dreadful gundidn't go off. What was Farmer Brown's boy waiting for? She got toher feet. She was sure that the first step would be her last, yet shecouldn't stay there.

  How could Fanner Brown's boy do such a dreadful thing? Somehow, hisfreckled face didn't look cruel. He was even beginning to grin. Thatmust be because he had caught her napping and knew that this time shecouldn't possibly get away from him as she had so many times before."Oh!" sobbed Old Granny Fox under her breath.

  And right at that very instant Farmer Brown's boy did something. What doyou think it was? No, he didn't shoot her. He didn't fire his dreadfulgun. What do you think he did do? Why, he threw a snowball at Old GrannyFox and shouted "Boo!" That is what he did and all he did, except tolaugh as Granny gave a great leap and then made those black legs of hersfly as never before.

  Every instant Granny expected to hear that dreadful gun, and it seemedas if her heart would burst with fright as she ran, thinking each jumpwould be the last one. But the dreadful gun didn't bang, and after alittle, when she felt she was safe, she turned to look back over hershoulder. Farmer Brown's boy was standing right where she had last seenhim, 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 wasgood to hear, for it was good-natured and merry and all that an honestlaugh should be.

  "Go it, Granny! Go it!" shouted Farmer Brown's boy. "And the next timeyou are tempted to steal my chickens, just remember that I caught younapping and let you off when I might have shot you. Just remember thatand leave my chickens alone."

  Now it happened that Tommy Tit the Chickadee had seen all thathad 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'tbad. He'd be friends with every one if every one would let him," hecried.

  "Maybe, maybe," grumbled Sammy Jay, who also had seen all that hadhappened. "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 theend of it. If ever again she boasts of how smart she is, all we willhave to do will be to remind her of the time Farmer Brown's boy caughther napping. Ho! ho! ho! I must hurry along and find my cousin, Blackythe Crow. This will tickle him half to death."

  As for Old Granny Fox, she feared Farmer Brown's boy more than ever, notbecause 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 smarterthan 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. Sammywas brimming over with the news he had to tell,--how Old Granny Fox hadbeen caught napping by Farmer Brown's boy. Sammy wouldn't have believedit if any one had told him. No, Sir, he wouldn't. But he had seen itwith his own eyes, and it tickled him almost to pieces to think that OldGranny Fox, whom everybody thought so sly and clever and smart, had beencaught actually asleep by the very one of whom she was most afraid, butat whom she always had turned up her nose.

  Presently Sammy spied Reddy Fox trotting along the Lone Little Path.Reddy was forever boasting of how smart Granny Fox was. He had boastedof it so much that everybody was sick of hearing him. When he saw Reddytrotting along the Lone Little Path, Sammy chuckled harder than ever. Hehid 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!"

  Reddy looked up angrily. He couldn't see Sammy Jay, but he knew Sammy'svoice. There is no mistaking that. Everybody knows the voice of SammyJay. Of course it was foolish, very foolish of Reddy to be angry, andstill more foolish to show that he was angry. Had he stopped a minute tothink, he would have known that Sammy was saying such a mean, provokingthing just to make him angry, and that the angrier he became the betterpleased Sammy Jay would be. But like a great many people, Reddy allowedhis temper to get the better of his common sense.

  "Who says Granny Fox is stupid?" he snarled.

  "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 theGreen Meadows. She is smarter than anybody else in all the Great World,"boasted Reddy, and he really believed it.

  "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?" Reddyforgot his anger in a sudden great fear. Could Granny have been shot byFarmer Brown's boy?

  "Nothing much, only Farmer Brown's boy caught her napping in broaddaylight," 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 nobody ever will."

  "I don't care whether you believe it or not; it's so, for I saw him,"retorted Sammy Jay.

  "You--you--you--" began Reddy Fox.

  "Go ask Tommy Tit the Chickadee if it isn't true. He saw him too,"interrupted Sammy Jay.

  "Dee, dee, dee, Chickadee! It's so, and Farmer Brown's boy only threw asnowball at her and let her run away without shooting at her," declareda 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 alonehe wouldn't have believed. Then Tommy Tit and Sammy Jay told Reddyall about what they had seen, how Farmer Brown's boy had surprised OldGranny Fox and then allowed her to go unharmed. Reddy had to believeit. If Tommy Tit said it was so, it must be so. Reddy Fox started off tohunt up Old Granny Fox and ask her about it. But a sudden thought poppedinto his red head, and he changed his mind.

  "I won't say a thing about it until some time when Granny scolds me forbeing careless," muttered Reddy, with a sly grin. "Then I'll see whatshe has to say. I guess she won't scold me so much after this."

  R
eddy grinned more than ever, which wasn't a bit nice of him. Instead ofbeing sorry that Old Granny Fox had had such a fright, he was planninghow he would get even with her when she should scold him for his owncarelessness.

  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 tothinking that his way is the best way just because it is his way. He issmart, is Reddy Fox. Yes, indeed, Reddy Fox is very, very smart. He hasto be in order to live. But a great deal of what he knows he learnedfrom Old Granny Fox. The very best tricks he knows she taught him. Shebegan teaching him when he was so little that he tumbled over his ownfeet. It was she who taught him how to hunt, that it is better never tosteal chickens near home but to go a long way off for them, and how tofool Bowser the Hound.

  It was Granny who taught Reddy how to use his little black nose tofollow the tracks of careless young Rabbits, and how to catch MeadowMice under the snow. In fact, there is little Reddy knows which hedidn't learn from wise, shrewd Old Granny Fox.

  But as he grew bigger and bigger, until he was quite as big as Grannyherself, he forgot what he owed to her. He grew to have a very goodopinion of himself and to feel that he knew just about all there wasto know. So sometimes when he had done foolish or careless things andGranny had scolded him, telling him he was big enough and old enough toknow better, he would sulk and go off muttering to himself. But he neverquite dared to be openly disrespectful to Granny, and this, of course,was quite as it should have been.