Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-03
Reddy Fox Loses His Temper.

Reddy Fox had caught Danny Meadow
Mouse and yet he hadn't caught him. He
had found Danny hiding in an old tomato
can, and it didn't enter Reddys head that
he couldn't get Danny out when he want
ed to- He was in no hurry He had had a
pretty good breakfast of grasshoppers
and SO he thought he would torment Dan
ny a while before gobbling him up. He
lay down that he could peep in at the
open end of the old can and see Danny
trying to make himself as small as pos
sible at the other end. Reddy grinned
until he showed all his long teeth Reddy
always is bully, especially when his vic
tim is a great deal smaller and weaker
than himself
I've got you this time. Mr. Smarty,
haven't r. tainted Reddy.
Danny didn't say anything.
You think you've been very clever be-
cause you have fooled me two or three
times, don't you? Well this time I've
got you where your tricks won't work."
continued Reddy. 80, what are you going
to do about it,
Danny didn't answer. The fact is, he
was too frightened to answer. Besides,
he didn't know what he could do So
he just kept still. but his bright eyes
never once left Reddy's cruel face For
all his fright Danny was doing some
hard thinking. He had been in tight
places before and had learned never to
give up hope. Something might happen
TO brighten Reddy away Anyway, Reddy
had got TO get him out of that old can
before he would admit that he was really
caught.
For long time Reddy lay there lick
ing his chops and saying all the things
he could think of to brighten poor Danny
Meadow Mouse. Al last he grew tired of
this and made up his mind that it was
time to end it and. Danny Meadow
Mouse at the same time He thrust his
sharp nose in at the opening in the end
OF the old can, but the opening was too
small for him to get more than his nose
in, and lie only scratched ii on the sharp
edges without SO much as touching
Danny
'-Ill pull him out" said Reddy. and he
thrust in one black paw.
Danny promptly bit it so hard that
Reddy yelped with pain and pulled it out
in a hurry. Presently. he tried again
with the other paw Danny bit this one
harder STILL and Reddy danced with pain
and anger. Then he lost his temper com
pletely, very foolish thing to do as il
always is, He hit the old can and away
1t rolled. with Danny Meadow Mouse in
side. This seemed to make Reddy angrier
than ever. He sprang after it and hit it
again. Then he batted il first this way
angrier. And all the time Danny Meadow
Mouse managed to keep inside although
he got a terrible shaking up.
Back and forth, across the patch of
short grass Reddy knocked the old can
and he was in such a rage that he didn't
notice where he was knocking it to- Fl
naly he sent il spinning into the long
grass on the far side of the open patch
close 10 one Of Danny's private little
paths. Like flash Danny was out and
cfurrying along the little path lie
lodged into another and presently into a
third. which brought him to a tanglc of
barbed wire, left there by Farmer Brown
when he had built a new fence Under
this he was safe.
Phew. exclaimed Danny, breathing
very hard That the narrowest
escape of all, | guess Ill get that spe-
cial grass seed | started out for after ali
And he did. while to this day Reddy
! Fox wonders how Danny got out of the
old tomato can without him knowing it
And 80 you see what temper does
For those who give il rein:
II cheats them of the very thing
They seek hard to gain.