The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-12
Little Stories For Bedtime
sy vHoRNToH V. suRaEss

Granny Fox Plans Trouble For Digger
 A S she ran swiftly down across the A Green Meadows toward the home
 of Digger the Badger there was sparkle in the eyes of Granny Fox. Behind her, his great voice startling all the little people near and causing them to hurry to places where they would be safe and at the same time could see what was going on, ran Bowser the Hound, and if you could tell any thing by looks it was very plain that Bowser had made up his mind that this time he would catch Granny. But then Bowser always does make up his mind just like that whenever he starts to hunt Old Granny Fox. The fact that he never has caught her doesn't bother him at all. It seems to simply make him the more sure each time that this time he will be successful.
 In cool weather Granny rather en- joys these runs. She hasn't the least fear of Bowser, because she has such faith in her own nimble wits that she knows that whenever she gets tired she can play a trick on him and fool him so that he will lose her tracks. In warm weather she does not, as a rule, enjoy run ahead of Bowser, but this time she was enjoying it, which account ed for the sparkle in her eyes. In fact, she was chuckling as she ran.
 She took pains not to get very far ahead of Bowser. She kept only very little way ahead, so that she was right before his eyes all the time and he didn't have to waste any time picking out her trail with his wonderful nose. You see, Granny wanted him to run his very fastest. She wanted Bowser to get down tds the home of Digger the Badger before Digger, who was out hunting, could get back there. It was very simple and very clever plan of Granny's. She would lead Bowser straight to where Digger was. When he saw Digger he would forget all about her and would stop to fight Digger. Perhaps he would kill Digger. If he did she wouldn't be sorry. She hadn't liked Digger since the first time she saw him when he came to- the Green Meadows to live, and since the day when he had stirred up the humble bees by robbing their home of honey close by where she had been sitting, and they, in the blindness of their an ger, had stung her, she had fairly hated him.
 As Bowser's great voice rolled down across the Green Meadows she saw Digger sit up that he might better see what was going on. Then he dropped down and started to run towards his home. Granny almost laughed aloud for she saw that she and Bowser would get there long before Digger could. You know his legs are so short and he is such a heavy fellow that at his best he is slow runner. Digger soon saw that he couldn't possibly reach his home first and, as soon as he saw this, he stopped running. Yes, sir, he stop ped running. Instead, he stretched him. self out flat on the ground. Being such broad, flat fellow there was nothing much of him to see when he did this. If you had happened along past there while he was stretched out that way you probably would not have seen him at all. If you did you prob ably wouldn't have guessed that he was anything alive. That is Digger's wise way of keeping out of trouble when he is caught N too far from home to get back there safely.
 Granny Fox knows all about this trick of Digger's. She turned up her nose as she saw him flatten down in the grass. T wonder if he thinks he can fool me that way" she muttered scornfully. "He may be able to fool stupid men folks that way, but if he thinks it will work with me he will find that he has made a dreadful mis- take. In few minutes he is going to get the greatest surprise of his life. When Bowser the Hound gets through with him there won't be much of him left"
 Granny ran straight to Digger's home, so that Bowser, following her, would be directly between Digger and his house. Then she turned and headed straight for where Digger was trying to flatten himself out of sight in the grass. She had let Bowser get almost