The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1894-02-15
THE CUNNING Fox.
An Animal That Is Full OF Life
and Resources.
Ito Is Ever on the Alert and Notwith-
standing His offering Tendon
Giles Is In Truth a
Merry beast.

uralist, recently. "They know him
only by reputation, and that as a
chicken thief, which he is. But he has
lots of points, / tell you. A merry, sly
dog Is reynard. All summer he lives
In luxurious ease, roaming the woods
and sauntcring by the pearly brooks,
or baslSing in the monday sun.
ole loves fish; and going down TO
the stream he waits till he spies q
plump trout It's over In twinkling.
A leap. snap, and off he trots with
his Juicy morsel. A stupid crawfish
snoozes by his hole near the waters
edge. Reynard drops his tail in the
wnte- and ticlSles him with Il. The
angcrod crustacean comes out of his
| hiding place and is seized and crushed,
armor and all. When the ripcning
| corn Is ready TO drop, and the luscious
| fruits have reached their maturity,
and all nature is plethoric'with ripen-
| ing fullness then Master Fox Ia 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 he steals into orchards,
where apples and plump pears tempt,
and In the vineyard he fairly revels in
| grapes. His cubs grow fat and saucy.
lie shows them how TO pilfer honey.
and when the busy bees have laid up
a winter store he crawls TO the hives
near the garden fence and, jumping up
to the small opening, ticks the sweet
drops with pure delight. Out come
the singing hummlng honeymnleers
and settle like ball on his thick
polt but he doubles up in twinlling,
and, rolling over and over, brushes
them by the score and eats them Us a
relish.
"Cunning2 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, OF the distant murmur of storm,
or the fevered pants of the prancing
hounds, and tapering 30 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,
dat brow. What nose! Now full of
resolute purpose pointing straight for
ward, and anon turning up with con-
centrated malice and scorn. The eye,
| decp-set, n regular robbers eve, lack
ing the soft beauty of the timid deer,
or the fascinating glare of the cats, yet
II trembles with modest humility, or
| glarcs with murderous rage, flashing
fire and vengeance. Energy and self
control speak in the thin, cynical lips,
md the mouth opens from ear TO ear
He can leap, crawl, run ana SWIM with
the velocity Of lightning. and his wiry
body ia carried so noiselessly along
that scarce q trace Is left. His deli
cate footballs echo no response even
among the dead l,ayea Of the forest.
His walk is trcachcr-t.s, his glance sim
lister. Selling lonch of grain in his
mouth, he will IS, in into the midst OF
u flock Of ducks and seize the plumpest
I "a ID din5.er.
HE Is voracious, Is reynard. When
hunger pressed, and gaunt and lean
from starvation, he'll not refuse SER
oents and toads md moles and rats
lie has been known to attack and kill
young calves and lambs, and IL the sea-
shore Is near will revel In oysters and
shellfish. 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 drag
ging behind him, until near enough to
spring. How farmers dread his inronds
-. lNaa 1N,..s a
mp tight and he will burrow a winding
passage into the ground beneath and
iuddenly appear among the drowsy
chickens and stupid geese, whose phrill
and alarmed cries aroure the farmer
| from his bed 20 sally forth, finding all
safe. Then the fox win sneak back
and pack away with tho plumpest pull
let or the latest goose.
February Is tho month when rev
aard goes awooing, and wide range
he takes, flirting and toying with
every vixen that CHANCES in his way.
II IA fully sixty days before madame
clears the rubbish all out OF her bur.
cow and brings forth her young, from
three to six at litter II viii be fully
a month before the sharp-nosed cubs
begin to play and gambol about the
doorway of their home. Perhaps il
win be NJ the root of an old tree, be.
meath ledge OF rocks, or in the hollow
OF dead tree trunk, or burrow with
several entrances in the sand or loan.
rell-tale chicken bones, aud feathers
and furs strewn about the entrance,
speak OF many q hen roost robbed, or
OF foolish rabbits and over-confidcnt
grouse that have furnished food for
the ever-hungry cubs. The mother fox
faithfully feeds her young and boldly
steals TO support them She knows, as
all sportsmen know, that the hounds
will not follow her while she has u
family depending upon her.
IA merry, devil-may-care life does
the fox lead, indeed! II may be a short
one, FOR traps and snares are many,
hunters are alert and the scent OF
hound is keen. But reynnrd rolliolss
and roisters, and plays the bold free.
booter amid IL all"
THE japanese for good morning is
ohio
HNposTAS is about twenty-five
times as large as the state Of New
York.
HAN QUAY, China's richest banker, Is
said TO be worth the incredible sum OF
nearly g. 600 OOo, 900.
ITALIAN women and oriental women
bring with them b this country tho
arts of knitting and embroidery.
YEDDo, the capital Of the Japanese
empire, contains 100000 inhabitants
and has greater area than London.
IT rs probably not known 10 the pen.
eral public that all the names placed
before Chinese shops and llundries are
false. Every Chinanan in business has
''shOp name" and a private name"