Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-12-15
SLY REY NARD.
THE FOXIS A MERnY BEAST AND
4 BOLD FREEBOOTER.
Restless, Alert and Full of Resources
His Career is Often Short-Livcd,
but His Existence is a Hap
py-go-Lucky One.
1T TOW few people know what
~ aninteresting chopthe fox
L is - said the nntnralist in

as a chicken-thief, which he Is. But
he has lots of points, | tell you. A
merry, sly dog is reynard. All sum-
mer he lives i'll luxurious case, roam
ing the woods and sauntering by the
pearly brooks, or bsskiDg in the noon
day sun.
"He loves fish; and going down to
the stream he waits tillhe spiesa plump
trout. It's all over in twinkle. A
leap, a snap, and off he trots with his
Juicy morsel. A stupid crawhsh
snoozes by his hole near the waters
edge. Reynard drops his tail in the
water and tickles him with it. The
angered crustacean comes out of his
hiding place and is seized and crushed
armor and all When the ripening
corn is aady to drop, and the luscious
fruits have reached their maturity, and
all nature is plethoric with ripening
fullness. then Master Fox is in clover
Timid rabbits prick up their ears and
run. unconscious Of danger, along the
hillside; the quails skulk noiselessly
in the wheat stubble birds pour forth
their notes of praise-and he catches
them all. He loves fruits, stealthily
stealing into orchids where apples and
plump pears tempt, and in the vine
yard he fairly revels in grapes. His
cubs grow fat and saucv. He shows
them how to pilier honey, and when
the busy bees have laid up a winter
store he crawls 10 the hives near the
garden fence and jumping up to the
small opening licks the sweet drops
with pure delight. Ont come the
singing, humming honey-makers, and
settle like pail on his thick pelt but
he doubles up in twinkling and roll
ing over and over crushes them by the
score and cats them as relish.
Cunning? No animal beats him.
Look at his brainy head. His delicate
ears-broad below to catch every
sound from the highest note Of the
shrill warbler to the low grooming of
the cricket, or the distant murmur of
storm, or the fevered pants Of the
prancing hounds, and tapering so
sharply to point that they can shape
themselves TO every wave of air that
makes the tiniest rustic of noise. Note
the crafty calculation and foresight of
the low. flat bro,r. What o nose
Nov full OF resolute purpose pointing
Straight forward, and anon turning
up with concentrated malice and scorn.
The eve, deep set regular robber s
eve, lacking the soft beauty of the
timid deer. or the fascinating glare of
the cats. vet it trembles with modest
humility or glsres with murderous
rage, flashing fire and vengeance. In
ergy and self-control speak in the thin,
cynical lips, and the mouth opens
from ear to ear. He can leap, crawl
run and swim with the velocity of
lightning, and his wiry body IS carried
SO noiselessly along that scarce trace
is left. His delicate footballs echo no
response even among the dead leaves
of the forest. His walk is treacherous,
his glance sinister. Selling n bunch
OF grain in his mouth, he will swim
into the midst of flock Of ducks and
seize the plumpest for a dinner.
"He will feigD death like q 'possum,
and even the hounds teeth and the
fash Of gunpowder have failed to
arouse him. A farmer surprised one
in a hen-roost. Believing that the
fox was dead from over-eating the
farmer kicked the stiffened body on
the floor, picked it up by the tail and
flung it ort in the barnyard. In a
iiffy the fox gathered up his legs and
escaped.
''He is voracious, is reynard. When
hunger pressed, and gaunt and lean
from starvation, he'll not refuse ser
pents and toads and moles and rats.
He has been known to attack and kill
young calves and lambs, and il the sea-
shore is near will reyel in oysters and
shellish. A group OF rabbits are feed
ing in clover patch. He'll crawl
along, nibbling the juicy flowers until
near enough to make grab. He'll
stalk bird with his hind legs dragging
behind him, until near enough to
make spring. How farmers dread
his inroads in the poultry yard. Fas
ten the yard up tight aud he will bur
row winding passage into the ground
beneath and suddenly appear among
the drowsy chickens and stupid geese,
whose sbrill and alarmed cries arouse
the farmer from his bed to sally forth
finding all safe. Then the fox will
sneak back and pack away the plump
est pullet or the fattest goose.
February is the month when rey-
nard goes a-wooing, and wide range
he takes, flirting and toying with any
vixen that chances in his way. 1t is
fully sixty days before mamma clears
the brush eli out of her burrow and
brings forth her young, from three to
six at litter. II WILDE fully month
before the sharp-nosed cubs begin 10