The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1893-12-20
SLY REYNARD.
THE FOX Is; a MERRY BEAST AND
u BOLD FSEEBOOTER.
Restless, Alert and Full of Resources
Ills Career Is often Short Lived,
but Ills Existence is u Hap
py-Go-Lucty One.

as n chickcn-th thief, which he is. But
he has lots of points, tell you. A
merry, sly dog is rcynard. All sum.
mcr he lives in luxurious ease, roam
ing tho woods and snuntering by the
pearly brooks, or basking in the noon
day sun.
Gle loves fish /; and going down to
tho stream he waits Till he spiesa plump
trout. It's all over in Il twinkle. A
leap, snap, and OF he trois with his
juicy morsel. a stupid crawfsh
snooZe9 by his hole near tho waters
edge. ReynGrd drops his tail in tho
water and tickles him with it, The
argercd crustacean comes out of his
hiding place and j. seized and crushed,
armor and all. when the ripening
corn is ready 10 dr9p, and the luscious
fruits have reached their maturity, and
all nature is plothoric with ripening
fullness, then Master Fox is in clover.
Iimid rabbits prick up their cars and
ruin, unconscious of danger, along the
hillside; the Uunilg Rkulk noisclessly
III the wheat stuhh'c; birds pour forth
their notes ~ praise and he catches
them all. He loves fruits, stealthily
stealing into orchids, where apples and
plump pcara tempt, and in the vine
yard he fairly rcvclG in cranes. His
cubs grow TAT and saucv. He shows
them how 60 piIlar honey, and when
the busy bees have laid up winter
store he Crawls to the hives near the
garden fcncc and jumping up 10 the
small opening lickB the sweet drops
with puro delight. Out come the
stinging, humming honey makers, and
settle like n pail on ,his thick pclt but
he doubles up in ltwinkIing and roll
ing over and over crushcs them 10y the
score and cats them ~ relish.
Cunning? No animal beats him.
Look nj his brainy head. His delicate
cars--broad below t. catch every
"hrill warbler to the low grooming of
the cricket, OF the distant murmur of
storm, or the fovcrcd pants of the
prancing hounds, and tapcriug 30
sharply to point 'hat they can shape
themselves to every wave of air that
makes tho tiniest rustic of noise. Note
the crafty calculation and foresight of
tho low, fiat broY. What nose
>No" full of resoiuR purpose pointing
straight forward, md anon turning
mp with concentrated malice and scorn.
The eye, deep set, regular robber's Is
eye, Lacking the soft beauty of the
timid deer, or the fascinating glare of
the cats, yet il trembles with modest
humility or glares with murderous
rage, flashing fire and vengeance. En-
ergy and sclf-contrpl speak in the thin,
cynical lips, aud the mouth opens
from ear TO ear. He can leap, crawl,
run and swim with the velocity Of
lightning, aud his wiry body is carried
80 noiselcssly along that scarce trace
il left. His delicate footballs echo no
response even among the dead leaves
of the forest. HiS{ ak is treacherous,
his glance sinister. Seizing a bunch
of grain in his mouth. he will swim
into the midst of flock of ducks and
seize the plnmpcst for dinner.
"Hc will fcign Death like 'possum,
| and even the hounds teeth aud the
!, flash of gunpowlcr have failed to
arouse him. A farmer surprised one
i'll hen-roost. Believing that the
fox was dead from vcr-oating the
farmer kicked th, stiircned body on
tho floor, picked It mp Ivy the tail and
dung it out in the barnyard. In q
jihy the fox gathered up his legs and
escaped.
''Hc is voracioug, is reynard When
hunger and gaunt and lean
| from starvation, he'll not refuse SER
| pents ana tuads and moleB and rats.
He has been known tn attack and kill
| young calves and lambs, and il the sea :
shore 10 near will ,rovel in oysters and
shoilfish. A grour oi rabbits arc feed
ing in u clover patch. He'll crawl
along, nibbling the juicy flowers until
near enough to make grab. He'll
stalk n bird with his hind legs dragging
behind him, until near enough to
make spring. How farmers dread
his inroads ia Che poultry yard Fas-
ten tho yard up tight and he will bur.
row winding passage into the ground
beneath and suddenly appear among
the drowsy chickens and stupid geese,
whose shrill aud alarmed cries arouse
the farmer from his bed to sally forti,
iinding oil safe. Then tho fox will
sneak back and pack away the plump
est ruiict or the fattcst goose.
"felrdary is tko month when rey-
| nnrd Goes G.wOoiaV and n wide ranoc