The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-06-16
STORIES FOR CHILDREN FROM DIXIE.
Mate Hare and Mate Fox.

hVL ming uo hChIu bOuobulhS SOlhB
scratch, scratch, scratch, at the hole,
SO he called cut: "Who is that scratch
ing at my door,"
No one answered, but he still heard
scratch, scratch, scratch. He said
Cant you talk? Don't yOH hear?
Who is that scratching at my door, /
say?"
cts mel"
"Who is me?"
"Mate Fox"
"Mate Fox? What do you want,
Mate Fox?"
81 want to come int your house"
"YOu can't get into my house, Mate
Fox, the door is too small for you"
"Why do you have such a small
door? I'm mighty anxious to come in
and see you. Come out, Mate Hare,
and have talk with me"
"DOnt You see anything green in
my eye, Mate Fox? How long would
l talk before yeu would eat me up?"
"Ha, ha, hal Mate Hare, you are
such funny fellow! You know I
can't see your eyes at all. Come out
and let me look at them. would not
hurt you for anything in the world.
"Humph-hmOO Since when did
you stop eating horses I'd like to know?
I8wasn't born in thicket to be fooled
by cricket like you, sly old Mr..
Fox.
"Pshaw Mate Hare, don't make
fun of nae row. You know / wouldn't
hurt you You know that all the ami
mails had big meeting yesterday
regular camp-meeting, where they all
talked and sang and prayed together
and made an everlasting peace with
each other"
els that SO, Mate Fox? Well, l
hadn't heard word about it. So cats
won't kill rats and mice, and foxes
won't kill hares and chickens, and
dogs won't kill foxes any more?"
"That's it, Mate Hare. We all took
a great oath not to hurt one another
again, 50 you see you are safe from me-
You'll come cut now and have good
long talk will you not?"
81 don't know SO much about that,
Mate Fox. / haven't heard o thing
about this great meeting and this
swearing of peace that yeu are telling
of. It's strange too, for 1 hear almost
everything that goes on"
Then the hare said to himself: sold
fox is mighty cunning, but so is old
hare. | believe I'll try and find oSt
whether or not this old rascal is trying
to fool me, so he stepped over to tie
far side of his house and commenced
barking like hound long way off.
Next he slipped back to his dOsr, peep
ed out and saw the fox, with his ears
erect and eyes wide open, turning his
head this way and that way, as if he
was looking and listening for some.
thing.
Bye-and- bye the fsx said: "Did
You hear that, Mate Hare?''
"Hear What?"
"Why, didn't you hear something
that sounded like hound barking?"
"Wsll, yes, Mate Fox; I believe !
did, but it was long way eff.
81 say, Mate Mare, do any fox
hounds live close about here?"
"Well, yes, Mate Fox. A whole
pack Of them live at the farmers about
two miles of, but you need not mind
that; hounds won't hurt foxes now,
yeu know"
81 don't know so much about that,
Mate Hare. Maybe those hounds are
like you and haven't heard about the
peace"
90, ho!" said the sly old hare to
himself; Il thought you were trying
to cheat me, you snsaking old rascal
but, never mind; I'll get even with
you yet" Then he slipped back across
his hellow and again barked like a
hound. This time it sounded as if the
dog was getting closer and as if he was
running on the track of SEINE animal.
The hare slipped back to his door
and peeped out. There stood the fox,
looking all about him, with his ears
standing straight up, his bristles
on end, his head and tail stretch
ed straight out and his whOle body
quivering, just as if he was about
to run for his life. 1t scared him so
much that he thought he heard a whole
pack Of hounds.
He said: cit sounds like they are
getting closer, Mate Hare; dent yOu
hear them?"
at does sound like it, Mate Fox,
but you needn't mind that. All the
animals are at peace now, you know,
and the hounds won't hurt you. Sit
down and wait till they come up. Then
I'll Gene out and we'll oil sit down to-
gether and have nice, long chat"
80, YOU needn't wait for the dogs to
come up, Mate Hare. Come out now
and stay with me and we'll both wait
for the dogs"
"All right, Mate Fox, I'll come as
seon as can get ready-in a few min
utes. Sit down and make yourself