Evening star., 1940-08-15
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.

Dy OAN we ~SAS0NSSs
Old Granny Fox had been prowl-
ing about just at sunset to try to
find something for supper for her
self and Reddy Fox. Now Granny's
eyes are very sharp. her ears are
very sharp, and her nose is very
sharp and there are few things
she doesn't see or hear or smell.
So 1t wasn't long before Old Granny
Fox knew that something unusual
was going on that evening. Sneak
ing around through the bushes and
grass she saw first one and then
another of the little meadow and
forest people hurrying along, and all
were going in the same direction.
Now, what can be going on?"
said Granny Fox to herself. There
must be something that I know
nothing about. That will never do!
Not at all! Not at all! 1t is neces-
sary that should know all that is
going on so that I may be better
able to watch out for danger and
take care of Reddy."
So walking on tiptoes, almost
holding her breath, stealing from
shadow to shadow, Old Granny Fox
followed Jimmy Skunk down to the
big hickory tree on the bank of the
Smiling Pool. OF course she didn t
walk right up to the tree herself.
MY, my, no indeed! There were so
many sharp eyes and keen ears and
noses there that Granny Fox knew
that she must be very, very careful
If she did not want to be discovered.
First she stretched up her sharp
little nose so that what wind there
was would blow against the end of
it, and she could tell from which
direction 1t was coming. Then she
crawled fiat on her stomach until
she was on the side of the big
hickory tree where she could smell
all the little people gathered there,
but they couldn't smell her. Then in
the blacklist shadow she crawled
inch by inch nearer to the big
circle Of little meadow and forest
people who were attending Billy
Mink's meeting
She heard Billy Mink explain
why he had called the meeting, and
how necessary 1t was that something
should be done to stop Farmer
Browns Boy from hunting with
his dreadful gun. When Billy Mink
said that it was all the fault OF
Reddy Fox that such a dreadful
state Of affairs had come to pass
Granny Fox pricked up her ears a
little more. She heard Billy Mink
tell how Reddy Fox had tried to be
smart and show of by catching
the pet chicken of Farmer Browns
Boy in broad daylight, and suddenly
she understood something that had
been puzzling her all these hard
days.
The little scamp!" she muttered
to herself. "The little scamp! II
he wasn't so sore from the wounds
where Farmer Browns Boy shot
him I'd go straight home and give
Reddy the hardest whipping he
ever had. He has never told me
about that pet chicken, the sly
rogue! Now I understand why
Farmer Browns Boy hunts us Sc
hard and why he watches his
chickens so closely that I haven't
been able to steal one for days and
days"
All the time she was thinking
these things she was listening to
what was being said at the meeting
OF course she heard all about the
plan to give Reddy Fox up to
Farmer Browns Boy, and her eyes
grew yellow with anger. But right
down in her heart she couldn't
blame the little meadow and forest
people very much.
ITS very lucky, very lucky indeed
that I found out about Billy Mink &
meeting" muttered Old Granny
Fox, as she hurried back to the ole
house where Reddy Fox was hiding