Evening star., 1940-07-31
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS

Il don't want to move" Whlned
Reddy Fox. I'm too sore to walk"
Old Granny Fox gave him a
shove. you go along and do as I
say!" she snapped. IF you had
minded me we wouldn't have to
move. It's all your own fault. The
wonder is that you weren't killed
when you poked your head out
right in front of Farmer Browns
Boy. Now he knows where we live
he will give us no peace. Move
along lively now! This Is the best
home have ever had, and now I've
got to leave it. Oh, dear! Oh, dear!"
Reddy Fox hobbled along up the
long hall and out the front door.
He was walking on three legs, and
at every step he made a face, be-
cause you know, it hurt so to walk.
Reddy had been shot few days
before by Farmer Browns Boy,
after he had stolen chicken, and
he was still very stiff and lame and
sore.
The little stars looked down from
the sky saw Reddy Fox limp out
of the door of the little house he
had lived in so long, and right be-
hind him came Old Granny Fox.
Granny sighed and wiped awav a
tear as she said good-by to her old
home.
Reddy Fox was thinking too much
of his own troubles to notice how
badly Granny Fox was feeling.
Every few steps he had to sit down
and rest because it hurt him so to
walk.
II don't see the use of moving
tonight anyway. 1t would be lot
easier and pleasanter when the sun
is shining. This night air makes
me so stiff that I know I never will
get over it," grumbled Reddy Fox.
Old Granny Fox listened to him
for while and then she lost pa
tience. Yes, sir, Granny Fox lost
patience. She boxed Reddy Fox
first on one ear and then on the
other. Reddy began to snivel.
stop that" said Granny Fox
sharply. do you want all the
neighborhood to know that we have
got to move? They'll find it out
soon enough. Now come along,
without any more fuss. If you don't
I'll just go off and leave you to
shift for yourself. Then how will
you get anything to eat?"
Reddy Fox wiped his eyes on his
sleeve and hobbled along as best
he could. Granny Fox would run
little way ahead to see that the
way was safe, and then come back
for Reddy! He did his best not to
complain, but it was such hard
work. And sometimes Reddy didn't
believe that 1t was at all necessary.
He had been terribly frightened
when he had disobeyed Granny
Fox that afternoon and put his head
out of the door only to look right
into the freckled face of Farmer
Browns Boy, but he had ducked
back out of sight again too quickly
for Farmer Browns Boy to shoot,
and now he couldn't see why Old
Granny Fox wanted to move that
very night.
She's getting old. She's getting
old and timid and fussy," muttered
Reddy Fox, as he hobbled along
behind her.
1t seemed to Reddy as if they
had walked miles and miles. He
really thought that they had been
walking nearly all night when Old
Granny Fox stopped in front of the
worst looking old fox house Reddy
had ever seen. Here we are" said
she.
What! Are we going to live in
that thing?" cried Reddy. 1T isn't
fit for any respectable fox to put
his nose into"
ut is where was born!" snapped
Old Granny Fox. "If you want to
keep out of harms way don't 70 to
putting on airs now"
Who scorns the simple things of life
And tilts his nose at all he sees,
Is almost sure to feel the knife
OF want cut through his pleasant
ease.
Nov don't let me hear another
word from you, but get inside at
once!"
Reddy Fox didn't quite under
stand all Granny Fox said, but he
knew when she was to be obeyed.
and so gingerly he crawled through
the broken-down doorway.