The shot was deafening and a cloud of smoke went high over the sty-pen, making Swerlie-Wherlie and Sox crouch down quickly.
The bang of the shotgun seemed to jolt Swerlie-Wherlie into action.
'Sox. Come with me. We have to get away from here, right now. Come on.'
His urgent voice was enough to make Sox move, 'Where are we going,' she asked, hoping it would be somewhere much quieter.
Across the farmyard, next to a store shed in which worn out tools like scythes, old wagon wheels and machine parts were kept, there was a large heap of hay stacked against the wall.
'Follow me,' whispered Swerlie-Wherlie, 'but keep as low to the ground as you can. It doesn't matter if they can see me.'
In a few moments they had hidden themselves under the hay.
Farmer Blox was still trying to untangle himself from Flash's lead, made much more difficult because Flash, over-excited but enjoying every minute (it was the best thing that had happened to him for ages), kept running round Farmer Blox. Each time more of his lead wrapped itself, tighter and tighter until Farmer Blox fell over again.
'Flash, Flash, give over boy.' he kept shouting. 'Sit, sit. Bonio, Bonio, sit Flash, good boy. Do you want your Bonio now? I said sit Flash, sit.'
Flash gave a loud bark and tried to run to the farmhouse for a Bonio, Of course the lead stopped him, so he turned and began to whine.
Just then the farmers wife came out, hands covered in flour.
'For goodness sake, what's going on? My word, why have you got Flash's lead round your feet? And look, your shotgun is in the duck pond. I don't think that will do it any good, do you? Why have you put it in there? I can't believe it and don't stay down there all day either. I'll come back when you've sorted it all out.'
Farmer Blox gave a big sigh and pulled Flash closer. He could now free himself from the tangled lead.
'Home boy, home,' he said to Flash, who by now had calmed down, gave a little yelp and ran back to his kennel.
Feeling stiff all-over Farmer Blox crossed over to the little duck pond and picked up his dripping-wet shotgun. 'More work,' he muttered to himself, thinking of all the oiling and cleaning he would have to do to it tonight.
He plodded back to the farmhouse, all thoughts of catching the fox gone.
Now that things had quietened down Swerlie-Wherlie whispered to Sox, 'Now is our chance. I think I can get you to the cornfield gate without anyone seeing you. Are you ready?
Sox was more than ready. She wanted to get home as quickly as possible. She didn't like farmyards anymore.
'Yes,' she said, 'Can we go now please.'
So Swerlie-Wherlie grabbed a pile of hay between his trotters and covered Sox with it.
'Now,' he said quietly, 'Walk slowly and we can reach the cornfield gate in no time.'
At the gate, Sox looked at Swerlie-Wherlie for a long time and then said, 'I can never thank you enough for saving me and I hope we can be friends for ever.'
Sox touched Swerlie-Wherlie gently on the face with a paw. 'Bye and look after yourself,'
'And you,' he called out but she had all ready gone.
What a day it has been, he thought as he went through the farmyard. A scuffle in the corner of the old barn made him stop.
It was Cockie, scratching in the dirt, and instead of eating the big worm he had found, he put it on a big leaf, which seemed to be covered with them.
Cockie looked around carefully to see if anyone was watching. Then he folded the big leaf of worms under a wing and went inside the old barn.
How strange, thought Swerlie-Wherlie as he walked towards the sty-pen.
'That's mine you cheat.....'
A voice was loudly complaining amongst a babble of squeals and grunts.
Then. 'Shssssssss, you'll wake Mumsy.'
***
The Author
Watercolour painting - Rita Clements Lee
https://ritaclementslee-artist.co.uk/Public_html_Home.html/Home.html
***
By Brian Leo Lee
(Children's stories)
Bouncey the Elf and Friends Bedtime Stories
Just Bouncey
Bouncey the Elf and Friends Meet Again
Bouncey the Elf and Friends (Box Set)
Mr Tripsy's Trip
Mr Tripsy's Boat Trip
Tales from Sty-Pen
(Swerlie-Wherlie's New Friend)
By Brian Leon Lee
Trimefirst
Domain of the Netherworld
All available as eBooks
https://www.bounceytheelf.co.uk
Tales from Sty-Pen - Swerlie-Wherlie Meets Sox the Fox Page 4
