New Britain herald., 1927-03-17
Reddy Gets Even
By Thornton W. Burgess

To get even satisfies;
 This nobody e'er denies,
 -Old Mother West Wind
 Heddy Fox was badly out of sorts, IL Is bad enough to want a thing Very much indeed and not be able to get it, but 1t is q whole lot worse to set q thing and then lose it. Even worse than this is it to have the thing taken away. You will remen- bcr that Reddy had taken q chick en and then Hooty the owl had snatched the chicken away from Reddy when Reddy laid it down for R. moment To make matters still worse for Reddy he had been laugh ing 10 himself al Hooty and now IIooty was having the laugh on him, 2 'I'll get even" muttered Reddy FOX as he trottod along. some day I'll get even with that fellow. Yes. sir, some day I'll get even with him"
 How he would or could get even he hadn't the slightest idea. If Hooty had been an animal instead of a bird, getting even would have been simpler matter. So, though he kept saving he would get even, Reddy didn't really believe himself, He foolishly wished that he had wings. "It I had wings" thought he, T wouldn't waste any time. ] would get even with that fellow be- fore this night Is over. I would so.'
 Such thoughts, of course. were <erv foolish. Presently Reddy for got his troubles in hunting. If one is to be a successful hunter one must give hunting all his attention. He cannot hunt successfully md think 0. other things at the same time. Reddy had to have food, and 10 get food he must hunt for it. So for the rest Of that night Roddy didn't give Hooty the Owl another thought.
 It was very early in the morning, es the Black Shadows were creep ,ns back to the Purple Hills, when peddy finally headed toward home. He had found some mice, and, while he hadn't had what Ee would call a real dinner, he had had enough 10 take the edge off his appetite and he was feeling in better spirits. By this time he had quite forgotten about IIo1.y the Owl He was trot- ting along thinking Of nothing Tn particular, when something landed with a thump right in tront of him. r. startled hin, IL made him jump to ono side fust q hit
 But Reddy Fox is nothing Y not an oppcrtunlsi My, that's d big word, isn't it? T. means one who is always ready 10 make tHe most of every chance that comes along So Teddy is an opporrunist While he Jumped because he was SO startled, nis eyes saw instantly what it was that frightened him. They saw that f. was the body ot a Wood Rat. Where it could have como from he hadn't tho slightest idea. j" never had known a Rat 10 drop out Of the sky before. But he didn't stop aven the tinlest hit Of a second to won der aboUt this No sooner did hs l'FL Nbt'.u t34' El'hthl f'|+ 'll' startled jump than he jumped again. This lime he jumped right on that Rat and like a flash hc picked i' 1p. Even az he did so hc saw out of the corner Of his eye a great bird coming down and almost on top Of 1lrn. Just in the very nick of time Ie jumped 10 one side. That great hrd was Hooty the Great Horned Owl
 What had happened was this: Hooty had been flying home with that Wood Rat held in his claws, The skin had torn and it had slipped out and dropped right in front Of Peddy. My, you should have seen how angry Hooty was. You should