The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-01-14
Ant tie Euus auh Girls.
aNcCDOTEs OF THE FOX.

that peculiar trait which VIC call cunning
This is not always bad quality, for it Is frc-
uuentlv employed to defeat evil intentions,
and oftener still for mere amusement; but 1t
:. seldom that cunning may be ranked with
the virtues We say Of man who resorts to
all manner of tricks to secure his Objects that
he is wi!v or that he is 'as cunning as a iox'
The fox is one of the mos abundant OF the
tour-tootcd animals. lie is found IN nearly
every part Of the globe. and wear coats Of dit
Grent colours in different localities. Some
times he appears in suit of glossy black: a
u,in he is found in red coat. a yellow jack
# Or grey mantl ;: while in far northern
regions. he lons a robe ofwhte. as if he were
the most innocent creature in the world.
lie is no: easily tanned. and hence there
arc not half so many entertaining stories told
alou, him. as there are about more domestic
animals. lie loves his freedom too well
and Is too ford of committing depre'lations a
mong the poultry. TO tc content to be pettcd
IN the house Nor would he be a very agree
able com panion. although it must he allowed
that he IS not an ilI-looking fellow with his
soft ORGY or reddish coat. his BRIGHT eve and
his t,.~hv tail
liz is very rapacions. constantly seeking
what he NAV dcvour. seldom disdaining any
thing in the shape of fish, flesh or fowl that
he Law his paws on. lie is fond of rabbi's--ep-
i..nrc that he Is and displays his cunning
in the manner in which he takes them rrIs-
,rcrs. Instead of entering the hole which
leads to their burrowing- place. he saves HIM
self the trouble by seeming the track Of the
rabbit above the GROUND till he reaches The
SPOT where he hides, when he ,.iss down. ard
fails upon lis victim Suddenly.
The fox is fond OF grapes, and in the fables
o. ;.sop there is q familiar story OF one who
cane one ,i.y &c wire !.angin" fell OF driic-
i,n,-:o,k in. fruit. Tie fox made great cxer
.;.n> &c r..ril them On. 't,.inr il impossible.
h. con <ori himself t.: savin" t!:at they were
miserable. sour t:.:n.> and not worth having.
I, has become from this fable, quite a rrovcr!'.
when thin. is beyond our reach. to say the
cranes are sour.
There is another story Of equai truth. t'''i
nf this animal One DIV. fox. who was Dis
.inru.heI among his fellows Iv the size of
III. "hru>h."(a name Givcn hv the hunters to
his hushy tail.) wa, 50 unfortunate as TO "a!
into trap. from which he contrivcd 70 c>can"
with a sad loss. howe,cr. the loss OF his tail
The cunning rascal. while he was dcpioTi""r
III misfortune. conceived OF a plan to make i:
'iai fox and he resolved 70 try what cloGucnc,
roi.li ID .monG his fellows So. qtter some
day # en- eralm"n' i" made his appearance
{ .,ong his tribe. and reported that he lad
l., en- abroad. whcra he SAID the fashion wa>
: year 70 tails ard he earnestly counseiicd
Us brethren 70 Adopt thc fashion. as l.r had
ALREADY done But Tie cunning of one was
r:ct = match ior the cunning of many. who
loudly protested that they did not approve the
fashion and did not believe that their broth
er would 20 so. ifhc had not first lost his tail
in trap.
\ naturalist relates that fox lost one Of
his fore feet in trap. and made his escape.
Some two wears aftcrward. he was uncarthcA
by some dogs, but instead of running. as is
usual will, The hunted fox. he waited until
each do" came up to him. and then jumped
suddenly over HIM When he was taken
after repeating this ru>c several times !: was
discovered that he had but three feet and
could not run well
The same writer tells us an ancc,lotc of an
other fox who wanted very much to secure a
hare for his breakfast lie saws that he saw
him stealing along the edge of plantation
ard looking very cautiously over the low
wall at some harrs which were feeding there.
lie was 100 cunnin. to give them chase. for
he knew that they would escape him in fiiEl:
so he resolved to try strataccm. H. stretch
cd himself out at full length. close to gap
in the wall, which one or more of the harc>
might pass on leaving the field "; .nSictv.
for meal prompted bin now and then r.
rise up and peep over the fence: but mos. of
the time he laid motionlcss. not even stirring
hen two or three harrs left the field at ar.
other gap not many feet removed. At length
$50 approached his place of ambush. and TIE
fox rronchc' lower, anil his ears quivcred
As they passed the gap, he sprung M ike a
flash Of lightning. and Selling one of them
ki''e'! it Immediately lie was making oil
boldly with his breakfast. when a ri!lc-h III
si:d'n'v pat 4 stop 70 his course
In ioS-cl:a-' ~!:i'!i TOOK place in Ireland
E"ynarl was harl pushed AMI mace for a
high wall. over wi,ic!, h. spranc. and cra,:c!,-
rd beneath it: and. while the hounds viii II
',y.k 81" leap after him dashed forward in full
Nv. !" Ir;::.v i'acc,l Aa"h aaan ard made
y ..-.-..-.
l. ano;.ier l.i>h chasc. ,ha fox was 20 Lofty
ir>,it' tii.:i h. s,.ranr 81 tie root Of c:}.n
end. m liir- H." Store chi:mncv. !oo.',c,!
'amiE down uioa 'i.c ,.o'n,i> One q T! Sc
a'"rF.r. a.'''~ after Lin ~ reSoi.:."iv, tim,
k'Enar' had +" p'un-r down the chimney "a
"Scap" his r'r.,heS He descended into tnc
mp Of Al o.i woman. Who THOUGHT tie ,;;.;,-
ant 'anr from quite an iiI-f.ncl quarter. au.i
>'Hirhirm with al!r"i,. .;rsl .l ;,.oo,a ,.,~,o~