The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-19
Little Stories For Bedtime
More Results From A Bad Man
(By THORNTON BURGEss)
TN EDDY FOX is smart enough
 know when some one is smarte

:" EDDY FOX is smart enough tC know when some one is smarter than he. So after two or three at | tempts to catch Shadow the Wease
 down there along the fence on the edgt
 of Farmer Browns cornfield, he gave
 up and trotted off about his business | telling Shadow that he would get ever
 with him yet. Shadow just grinned ir the most provoking manner. He wasn't
 worried the least bit by Reddy's threats
 He had heard such threats before very very often, but no one had caught him yet and he didn't for a minute believe that anybody ever would catch him
 You see, he had the greatest confidence in his own smartness. If you had asked him he would have told you that there wasn't any one in the world smart enough to catch him and he would have believed it, too.
 But you know there is such a thing as being too smart for your own good. People sometimes get to thinking themselves so very smart that they grow careless That is just what happened to Shadow the Weasel He watched Reddy Fox out of sight and then he started on along the fence to see what he could find. He was i'm mensley ticked with himself to think that he had been too smart for Reddy Fox, and at the same time he was very, very angry because Reddy had falsely accused him of having caught Danny Meadow Mouse If it had been true he wouldn't have troubled in the least. But it wasn't true and because it wasn't true he felt it was very unjust. So his eyes were still red with anger as he bounded along in and out among the bushes and in his heart he resolved that he would get Danny Meadow Mouse now if for nothing but to spite Reddy Fox. He was so intent on thinking how sweet would be his revenge when he could tell Reddy that he had caught Danny that for once he forgot to watch out as sharply as usual.
 Out in the cornfield was little white round, snow-covered heap of corn stalks Shadow saw it and at once de cided that he would look it over Danny Meadow Mouse might be living there, you know. Lightly Shadow bounded along over the snow to that little white mound. Just as he reached it there was sharp whizzing sound overhead. instantly He Junpeu SlueWdSS. bul ue was not quite quick enough. Something sharp tore through his white coat and he was lifted up into the air.
 'This is to pay you for catching my meadow mouse." cried the voice of Roughleg the Hawk. "You will be mighty poor eating but better than nothing, and you'll never again steal what doesn't belong to youn
 This was too much for Shadow. yFor second time that day he was falsely accused. He knew it was all because of the bad name he had earned. but this didn't matter. Its a lie :" he screamed. II haven't even seen a mead ow mouse and no meadow mouse be- longs to you until you've caught it! Let me go or you'll be sorry v
 Roughleg the Hawk laughed and that laugh was harsh and unpleasant. Who'll make me sorry?" he sneered, beating the air with his great wings as he headed for the Big Hickory Tree.
 If he had waited a minute longer he wouldn't have asked that question. As I have said before Shadow the Weasel