Evening star., 1940-07-26
Bedtime Stories
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS


Old Granny Fox was running
through the overgrown pasture way
up back of Farmer Browns. She
was cross and tired and hot, for 1t
was very warm day. Behind her
came Bowser the Hound, his nose
in Granny's tracks and making a
great noise with his big voice.
Granny Fox was cross because she
was tired. She hadn't done much
running lately. She didn't mind
running when the weather was cold,
but now-"Oh, dear, it is hot!"
sighed Old Granny Fox as she
stopped a minute to rest.
Now Old Granny Fox is very, very
smart and very, very wise. She
knows all the tricks with which
foxes fool those who try to catch
them. She knew that she could fool
Bowser the Hound and puzzle him
so that he wouldn't be able to follow
her track at all. But she wasn't
ready to do that yet. No, indeed!
Old Granny Fox was taking great
care to see that her tracks were easy
to follow. She wanted Bowser the
Hound to follow them, although it
made her tired and hot and cross.
Why did she? Well, you see, she
was trying to lead him, and with
him Farmer Browns Boy, far, far
away from the home where Reddy
Fox was nursing the wounds that
he had suffered when Farmer
Browns Boy had shot at him a few
days before.
Bow, WOW, wow!" roared Bowser
the Hound, following every twist
and turn which Granny Fox made,
just as she wanted him to.
Back and forth across the old
pasture and way up among the rocks
on the side of the mountain Granny
Fox led Bowser the Hound. It was
long, long way from the Green
Meadows and the Green Forest.
Granny Fox had made it a long
way purposely. She was willing to
be tired herself if she could also
tire Bowser the Hound and Farmer
Browns Boy. She wanted to tire
them SO that when she finally puz-
zled and fooled them and left them
there they would be too tired to
go back to the Green Meadows.
BY and by Granny Fox came to
hole in the ground, an old house
that had once belonged to her
grandfather. Now this old house
had a back door hidden close beside
the hollow trunk Of a fallen tree.
Old Granny Fox just ran through
| the house, out the back door through
the hollow tree, and then jumped
into little brook where there was
hardly more than enough water to
wet her feet. Walking in the water
she left no scent in her tracks.
Bowser the Hound came roaring
up to the front door of the old
house. Grannys tracks led right
inside, and Bowser grew SO excited
that he made a tremendous noise.
At last he had found where
Granny Fox lived-at least he
thought he had. He was sure that
she was inside, for there were her
fresh tracks going inside and none
coming out. Bowser the Hound
never once thought of looking for
a back door. If he had he wouldn't
have been any the wiser, because,
you know, Old Granny Fox had
| slipped away through the hollow
tree trunk.
Granny Fox grinned as she listened
to the terrible fuss Bowser was max
ing. Then. when she had rested a
little. she stole up on the hill. where
she could look down and see the en-
trance to the old deserted house.
She watched Bowser digging and
bbarking.
After a while worried look crept
I into the face of Old Granny Fox.
where's Farmer Browns Boy? I
thought surely he would follow Bow
ser the Hound" she muttered.