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🟡 Adventures of Reddy Fox (Full Audiobook) | Thornton W. Burgess · Fantasy Audiobooks

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Section one of the Adventures of Reddy Fox. This is
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  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Recording by John Leader. The Adventures of Reddy Fox by
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Thornton W. Burgess. Chapter one, Granny Fox gives Ready a scare.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox lived with Granny Fox. You see, Reddy was
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: one of a large family, so large that mother Fox
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: had hard work to feed so many hungry little mouths,
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: and so she had let Reddy go to live with
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  Speaker 1: old Granny Fox. Granny Fox was the wisest, slyest, smartest
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: fox in all the country round, and now that Reddy
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: had grown so big, she thought it about time that
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: he began to learn the things that every fox should know.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: So every day she took him hunting with her and
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: taught him all the things that she had learned about hunting,
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  Speaker 1: about how to steal Farmer Brown's chickens without awakening Bowser
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  Speaker 1: the hound, and all about the thousand and one ways
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: of fooling a dog that she had learned. This morning,
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  Speaker 1: Granny Fox had taken Ready across the green meadows up
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  Speaker 1: through the green forest and over to the railroad track.
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  Speaker 1: Reddy had never been there before, and he didn't know
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: just what to make of it. Grannie trotted ahead until
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: they came to a long bridge. Then she stopped. Come here, ready,
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  Speaker 1: and look down, she commanded. Reddy did as he was told,
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  Speaker 1: but a glance down made him giddy, so giddy that
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: he nearly fell. Grannie Fox grinned. Come across, said she,
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: and ran lightly across to the other side. But Reddy
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: Fox was afraid, Yes, sir, he was afraid to take
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: one step on the long bridge. He was afraid that
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: he would fall through into the water or on to
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  Speaker 1: the cruel rocks below. Granny Fox ran back to where
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: Reddy sat for shame. Ready Fox said she, what are
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: you afraid of? Just don't look down and you will
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: be safe enough. Now, come along over with me. But
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox hung back and begged to go home, and whimpered. Suddenly,
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: Grannie Fox sprang to her feet, as if in great fright.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: Bowser the hound, come ready, Come, she cried, and started
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  Speaker 1: across the bridge as fast as she could go. Ready
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  Speaker 1: didn't stop to look or to think. His one idea
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  Speaker 1: was to get away from Bowser the hound. Wait, Grannie wait,
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  Speaker 1: he cried, and started after her as fast as he
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  Speaker 1: could run. He was in the middle of the bridge
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  Speaker 1: before he remembered it at all. When he was at
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: last safely across it was to find old Granny Fox
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: sitting down laughing at him. Then, for the first time,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Reddy looked behind him to see where Bowser the Hound
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: might be. He was nowhere to be seen. Could he
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: have fallen off the bridge? Where is Bowser the Hound?
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  Speaker 1: Cried Reddy? Home in Farmer Brown's dooryard, replied Granny Fox dryly.
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  Speaker 1: Ready stared at her for a minute. Then he began
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  Speaker 1: to understand that Granny Fox had simply scared him into
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: running across the bridge. Reddy felt very cheap, very cheap. Indeed,
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: now we'll run back again, said Granny Fox, and this
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: time Reddy did. End of Chapter one. Chapter two Granny
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: shows Ready a trick. Every day, Granny Fox led Reddy
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: Fox over to the long railroad bridge and made him
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  Speaker 1: run back and forth across it until he had no
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  Speaker 1: fear of it whatever. At first it had made him dizzy,
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: but now he could run across at the top of
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  Speaker 1: his speed and not mind it. In the least, I
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: don't see what good it does to be able to
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  Speaker 1: run across a bridge. Anyone can do that, exclaimed Reddy.
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  Speaker 1: One day, Granny Fox smiled. Do you remember the first
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: time you tried to do it? She asked. Reddy hung
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  Speaker 1: his head. Of course, he remembered, remembered that Grannie had
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: had to scare him into crossing that first time. Suddenly,
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  Speaker 1: Granny Fox lifted her head. Huck, she exclaimed. Reddy pricked
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  Speaker 1: up his sharp pointed ears. Way off back in the
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: direction from which they had come, they heard the baying
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  Speaker 1: of a dog. It wasn't the voice of Bowser the hound,
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  Speaker 1: but of a younger dog. Grannie listened for a few minutes.
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  Speaker 1: The voice of the dog grew louder as it drew nearer.
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  Speaker 1: He certainly is following our track, said Granny Fox. Now, ready,
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  Speaker 1: you run across the bridge and watch from the top
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  Speaker 1: of the little hill over there. Perhaps I can show
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  Speaker 1: you a trick that will teach you why I have
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  Speaker 1: made you learn to run across the bridge. Reddy trotted
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  Speaker 1: across the long bridge and up to the top of
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  Speaker 1: the hill as Grannie had told him to. Then he
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  Speaker 1: sat down to watch. Grannie trotted out in the middle
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  Speaker 1: of the field and sat down. Pretty soon, a young
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  Speaker 1: hound broke out of the bushes, his nose in Grannie's track.
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  Speaker 1: Then he looked up and saw her, and his voice
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  Speaker 1: grew still more savage and eager. Grannie Fox started to
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  Speaker 1: run as soon as she was sure that the hound
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  Speaker 1: had seen her, but she did not run very fast.
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: Reddy did not know what to make of it, for
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  Speaker 1: Grannie seemed simply to be playing with the hound and
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  Speaker 1: not really trying to get away from him at all.
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: Pretty soon ready heard another sound. It was a long,
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  Speaker 1: low rumble. Then there was a distant whistle. It was
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  Speaker 1: a train. Granny heard it too. As she ran. She
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  Speaker 1: began to work back toward the long bridge. The train
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  Speaker 1: was in sight now. Suddenly Granny Fox started across the
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: bridge so fast that she looked like a little red streak.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: The dog was close at her heels when she started,
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  Speaker 1: and he was so eager to catch her that he
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  Speaker 1: didn't see either the bridge or the train. But he
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  Speaker 1: couldn't begin to run as fast as Granny Fox. Oh
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  Speaker 1: my no. When she had reached the other side, he
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  Speaker 1: wasn't halfway across, and right behind him whistling for him
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  Speaker 1: to get out of the way was the train. The
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  Speaker 1: hound gave one frightened yelp, and then he did the
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  Speaker 1: only thing he could do. He leaped down down into
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  Speaker 1: the swift water below, and the last Ready saw of
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: him he was frantically trying to swim ashore. Now you
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  Speaker 1: know why I wanted you to learn to cross a bridge.
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  Speaker 1: It's a very nice way of getting rid of dogs,
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  Speaker 1: said Granny Fox as she climbed up beside Ready. End
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: of chapter two. Chapter three, Bowser the Hound isn't fooled.
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  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox had been taught so much by Granny Fox
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  Speaker 1: that he began to feel very wise and very important.
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  Speaker 1: Reddy is naturally smart, and he had been very quick
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  Speaker 1: to learn the tricks that old Grannie Fox had taught him.
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  Speaker 1: But Reddy Fox is a boaster. Every day he swaggered
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  Speaker 1: about on the green meadows and bragged how smart he was.
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  Speaker 1: Blackie the Crow grew tired of Reddy's boasting. If you're
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  Speaker 1: so smart, what is the reason you always keep out
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  Speaker 1: of sight of Bowser the Hound asked Blackie. For my part,
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: I don't believe that you're smart enough to fool him.
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  Speaker 1: A lot of little meadow people heard Blackie say this,
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  Speaker 1: and Reddy knew it. He also knew that if he
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: didn't prove Blackie in the wrong, he would be laughed
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  Speaker 1: at forever after. Suddenly he remembered the trick that Granny
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: Fox had played on the young Hound at the railroad bridge.
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  Speaker 1: Why not play the same trick on Bowser and invite
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: Blackie the Crow to see him do it? He would,
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  Speaker 1: If you will be over at the railroad bridge when
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  Speaker 1: the train comes this afternoon, I'll show you how easy
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  Speaker 1: it is to fool Bowser the Hound, said Reddy. Blackie
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  Speaker 1: agreed to be there, and ready started off to find
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  Speaker 1: out where Bowser was. Blackie told everyone he met how
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  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox had promised to fool Bowser the Hound, and
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  Speaker 1: every time he told it, he chuckled, as if he
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  Speaker 1: thought it was the best joke. Blackie the Crow was
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: on hand promptly that afternoon, and with him came his cousin,
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  Speaker 1: Sammy Jay. Presently they saw Reddy Fox hurrying across the fields,
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  Speaker 1: and behind him, in full cry, came Bowser the Hound,
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  Speaker 1: just as old Granny Fox had done with the young Hound.
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  Speaker 1: Ready allowed Bowser to get very near him, and then
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  Speaker 1: as the train came roaring along. He raced across the
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  Speaker 1: long bridge just ahead of it. He had thought that
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  Speaker 1: Bowser would be so intent on catching him that he
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  Speaker 1: would not notice the train until he was on the bridge,
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  Speaker 1: and it was too late, as had been the case
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  Speaker 1: with the young hound, then Bowser would have to jump
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  Speaker 1: down into the swift river or be run over. As
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: soon as Ready was across the bridge, he jumped off
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  Speaker 1: the track and turned to see what would happen to
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  Speaker 1: Bowser the Hound. The train was halfway across the bridge,
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  Speaker 1: but Bowser was where to be seen. He must have
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  Speaker 1: jumped already ready, sat down and grinned in the most
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  Speaker 1: self satisfied way. The long train roared past, and Reddy
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: closed his eyes to shut out the dust and smoke.
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: When he opened them again, he looked right into the
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  Speaker 1: wide open mouth of Bowser the Hound, who was not
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  Speaker 1: ten feet away. Did you think you could fool me
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  Speaker 1: with that old trick? Roared Bowser. Reddy didn't stop to
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  Speaker 1: make reply. He just started off at the top of
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  Speaker 1: his speed, a badly frightened little fox. You see, Bowser
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  Speaker 1: the Hound knew all about that trick, and he had
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  Speaker 1: just waited until the train had passed and then had
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  Speaker 1: run across the bridge right behind it. And as Reddy Fox,
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: out of breath and tired, ran to seek the aid
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  Speaker 1: of Granny Fox, and getting read of Bowser the Hound,
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  Speaker 1: he heard a sound that made him grind his teeth.
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  Speaker 1: Ha ha ha, how smart we are. It was Blacky
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  Speaker 1: the Crow. And of chapter three, Chapter four, Reddy Fox
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  Speaker 1: grows bold. Reddy Fox was growing bold. Everybody said so,
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  Speaker 1: and what everybody says must be so. Reddy Fox had
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  Speaker 1: always been very sly and not bold at all. The
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  Speaker 1: truth is, Reddy Fox had so many times fooled bows
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  Speaker 1: of the Hound and Farmer Brown's boy that he had
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  Speaker 1: begun to think himself very smart. Indeed, he had really
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  Speaker 1: fooled himself. Yes, sir, Reddy Fox had fooled himself. He
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: thought himself so smart that nobody could fool him. Now.
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  Speaker 1: It is one of the worst habits in the world
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  Speaker 1: to think too much of oneself, and Reddy Fox had
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  Speaker 1: the habit home. Ah. Yes, Reddy Fox certainly did have
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  Speaker 1: the habit. When anyone mentioned Bowser the Hound, Reddy would
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  Speaker 1: turn up his nose and say, pooh, it's the easiest
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  Speaker 1: thing in the world to fool him. You see, he
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: had forgotten all about the time Bowser had fooled him
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  Speaker 1: at the railroad bridge. Whenever Reddy saw Farmer Brown's boy,
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  Speaker 1: he would say, with the greatest scorn, who's afraid of him?
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  Speaker 1: Not I. So as Reddy Fox thought more and more
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  Speaker 1: about his own smartness, he grew bolder and bolder. Almost
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: every night he visited Farmer Brown's hen yard. Farmer Brown
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: set traps all around the yard, but Reddy always found
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: them and kept out of them. It got so that
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: Uncle Billy Possum and Jimmy Skunk didn't dare go to
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: the henhouse for eggs anymore, for fear that they would
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: get into one of the traps set for Reddy Fox.
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: Of course they missed those fresh eggs, and of course
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: they blamed Reddy Fox. Never mind, said Jimmy Skunk, scowling
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  Speaker 1: down on the green meadows where Reddy Fox was taking
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: a sunbath. Thimmy Brown's bully will get him, yet, I
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: hope he does. Jimmy said this a little spitefully, and
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: just as if he really meant it. Now, when people
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: think that they are very, very smart, they like to
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: show off. You know, it isn't any fun at all
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  Speaker 1: to feel smart unless others can see how smart you are.
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: So Reddy Fox, just to show off, grew very bold,
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  Speaker 1: very bold. Indeed, he actually went up to Farmer Brown's
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  Speaker 1: henyard in broad daylight, and almost under the nose of
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: bows or the hound, he caught the pet chicken of
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy. All missed a buzzard sailing overhead high
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: up in the blue blue sky, saw Ruddy Fox and
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  Speaker 1: shook his bald I see trouble on the way. Yes
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  Speaker 1: I do, Yes, I do. Hope it ain't a gwine
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  Speaker 1: to stay. Yes, I do, Yes, I do Trouble. I'm
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  Speaker 1: a spry o man bound to find you if he can,
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  Speaker 1: if he finds yo, bound to stick. When I sees him,
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: eye runs quick. Yes, I do, Yes, I do. But
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  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox thought himself so smart that it seemed as
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: if he really were hunting for ol Mister Trouble. And
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: when he caught the pet chicken of Farmer Brown's boy,
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  Speaker 1: ol Mister Trouble was right at his heels. End of
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: chapter four, Chapter five, Ready grows Careless. Oh, mister Buzzard
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: was right. Trouble was right at the heels of Reddy Fox.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: Although Reddy wouldn't have believed it if he had been
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: told he had stolen that plump pet chicken of Farmer
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: Brown's boy for no reason, I'm to the sun, but
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: to show off. He wanted everyone to know how bold
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  Speaker 1: he was. He thought himself so smart that he could
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: do just exactly what he pleased, and no one could
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: stop him. He liked to strut around through the green
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  Speaker 1: forest and over the green meadows and brag about what
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: he had done and what he could do now. People
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: who brag and boast and who like to show off
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: are almost sure to come to grief, and when they do,
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: very few people are sorry for them. None of the
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: little meadow and forest people liked Reddy Fox anyway, and
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: they were getting so tired of his boasting that they
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: just ached to see him get into trouble. Yes, sir,
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: they just ached to see Reddy get into trouble. Peter Rabbit,
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: Happy go lucky. Peter Rabbit shook his head gravely when
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: he heard how Reddy had stolen that pet chicken of
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy and was boasting about it to everyone.
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: Riddy Fox is getting so puffed up that pretty soon
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: he won't be able to see his own feet, said
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: Peter Rabbit. When what if he doesn't, demanded Jimmy Skunk.
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: Peter looked at Jimmy in disgust. He comes to grief, however, fleet,
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  Speaker 1: who doesn't watch his flying feet. Jimmy Skunk, if you
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: didn't have that little bag of sent that everybody is
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: afraid of, you would be a lot more careful where
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: you step, replied Peter. If Reddy doesn't watch out, some
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: day he'll step right into a trap. Jimmy Skunk chuckled.
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: He amish he would, said he now. When Farmer Brown's
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: boy heard about the boldness of Reddy Fox, he shut
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: his mouth tight in a way that was unpleasant to see,
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: and reached for his gun. I can't afford to raise
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: chickens to feed foxes, said he. Then he whistled for
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: Bowser the Hound, and together they started out. It wasn't
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: long before Bowser found Ready's tracks. Wow Wow wo wow wow,
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: roared Bowser the Hound. Reddy Fox, taking a nap on
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: the edge of the green forest, heard Bowser's big, deep voice.
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: He pricked up his ears. Then he grinned. I feel
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: just like a good run today, said he, and he
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: trotted off along the crooked little path down the hill.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: Now this was a beautiful summer day, and Reddy knew
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: that in summer men and boys seldom hunt foxes. It's
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: only Bowser the hound, thought Reddy, And when I've had
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: a good run, I'll play a trick on him so
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: that he will lose my track. So Reddy didn't use
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: his eyes as he should have done. You see, he
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: thought himself so smart that he had grown careless. Yes, sir,
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox had grown careless. He kept looking back to
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: see where Bowser the hound was, but didn't look around
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: to make sure that no other danger was near. Oh,
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: mister Buzzard, sailing round and round way up in the
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: blue blue sky, could see everything going on down below.
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: He could see Reddy Fox running along the edge of
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: the green forest, and every few minutes stopping to chuckle
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: and listen to bows of the hound, trying to pick
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: out the trail Ready had made so hard to follow
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: by his twists and turns. And he saw something else,
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: did old mister Buzzard. It looked to him very much
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: like the barrel of a gun sticking out from behind
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: an old tree just ahead of Ready. I reckon It's
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: just like I said, Ready, Fox is gone to meet trouble.
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: That's mot soon muttered old mister Buzzard. End of chapter
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: five and end of section one. Recording by John Leader, Bloomington, Illinois,
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: Second two of the Adventures of Reddy Fox. This is
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: Recording by John Leader. The Adventures of Reddy Fox by
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: Thornton W. Burgess, Chapter six, Drummer the woodpecker drums in vain.
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: Once upon a time before he had grown to think
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: himself so very very smart, Reddy Fox would never never
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: have thought of running without watching out in every direction.
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: He would have seen that thing that looked like the
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: barrel of a gun sticking out from behind the old
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: tree toward which he was running, and he would have
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: been very suspicious, very suspicious indeed. But now already could
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: think of was what a splendid chance he had to
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: show all the little meadow and forest people, what a bold,
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: smart fe he was. So once more ready sat down
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: and waited until Bowser the hound was almost up to him.
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: Just then Drummer the Woodpecker began to make a tremendous noise.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: Rat tat tat tat rat a tat tat tat, rata
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: tat tat tat. Now, everybody who heard that rat tat
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: tat tat knew that it was a danger signal. Drummer
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: the Woodpecker never drums just that way for pleasure, But
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox paid no attention to it. He didn't notice
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: it at all. You see, he was so full of
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: the idea of his own smartness that he didn't have
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: room for anything else. Stupid thing, said Drummer the Woodpecker
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: to himself. I don't know what I'm trying to warn
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: him for. Anyway, the Queen Metals or the green forest
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: would be better off without him, a lot better off.
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: Nobody likes him. He's a dreadful bully and is all
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: the time trying to catch or scare to death those
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: who are smaller than he. Still, he is so handsome.
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: Drummer cocked his head on one side and looked over
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: at Reddy Fox. Reddy was laughing to see how hard
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: Bowser the Hound was working to untangle Reddy's mixed up trail. Yes, sir,
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: he certainly is handsome, said drummer once more. Then he
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: looked down at the foot of the old tree on
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: which he was sitting, and what he saw caused a
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: drummer to make up his mind. I surely would missing
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: that beautiful read coat of his. I surely would, he muttered.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: If he doesn't hear and heed now, it won't be
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: my fault. Then, drummer, the woodpecker began such a furious
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: rat tat tat on the trunk of the old tree
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: that it rang through the green forest and out across
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: the green meadows, almost to the purple hills. Down at
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: the foot of the tree, a freckled face on which
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: there was a black scowl looked up. It was the
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: face of Farmer Brown's boy. What ails that pesky woodpecker?
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: He muttered, If he doesn't keep still, he'll scare that fox.
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: He shook a fist at drummer, but drummer didn't appear
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: to notice. He kept right on. Rad a tat tat tat,
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: rad a tat tat tat, rat a tat tat tat
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: end of chapter six, Chapter seven. Too late, ready, fox
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: hears drummer the woodpecker was pounding out his danger signal
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: so fast and so hard that his red head flew
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: back and forth, almost too fast to see. Rad a
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: tat tat tete, a tat tat beat Drummer on the
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: old tree trunk on the edge of the green forest.
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: When he stopped for breath, he looked down into the
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: scowling face of Farmer Brown's boy, who was hiding behind
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: the old tree trunk. Drummer didn't like the looks of
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: that scowl, not a bit, and he didn't like the
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: looks of the gun which Farmer Brown's boy had. He
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: knew that Farmer Brown's boy was hiding there to shoot
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox, but Drummer was beginning to be afraid that
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy might guess what all that drumming meant.
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: That it was a warning to Reddy Fox. And if
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy did guess that, why why Anyway, on
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: the other side of the tree there was a better
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: place to drum. So Drummer the woodpecker crept around to
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: the other side of the tree, and in a minute
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: was drumming harder than ever. Whenever he stopped for breath,
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: he looked out over the green meadows to see if
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox had heard his warning. But if Reddy had heard,
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: he hadn't heeded, Just to show off before all the
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: little meadow and forest people, Reddy had waited until Bows
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: of the Hound had almost reached him. Then with a
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: saucy flirt of his tail, Reddy Fox started to show
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: how fast he could run. And that is very fast.
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: Indeed it made Bows of the Hound seem very slow,
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: as with his nose to the ground, he came racing after,
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: ready making a tremendous noise with his great voice. Now
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox had grown as careless as he had grown bold.
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: Instead of looking sharply ahead, he looked this way and
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: that way to see who was watching and admiring him.
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: So we took no note of where he was going
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: and started straight for the old tree trunk on which
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: Drummer the woodpecker was pounding out his warning of danger.
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: Now Reddy Fox has sharp eyes and very quick ears. My, my,
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: indeed he has. But just now Reddy was as deaf
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: as if he had cotton stuffed in his ears. He
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: was chuckling to himself to think how he was going
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: to fool Bows the Hound, and how smart everyone would
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: think him, when all of a sudden he heard the
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: rat tat tata tat tat of Drummer the woodpecker and
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: knew that that meant danger. For just a wi wee
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: little second, it seemed to ready Fox that his heart
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: stopped beating. He couldn't stop running, for he had let
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: bows of the hound get too close for that. Ready
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: sharp eyes saw Drummer the Woodpecker near the top of
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: the old tree trunk and noticed that Drummer seemed to
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: be looking at something down below. Reddy Fox gave one
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: quick look at the foot of the old tree trunk
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: and saw a gun pointed at him, and behind the
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: gun the freckled face of Farmer Brown's boy. Reddy Fox
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: gave a little gasp of fright and turned so suddenly
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: that he almost fell flat. Then he began to run
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: as never in his life had he run before. It
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: seemed as though his flying feet hardly touched the grass.
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: His eyes were popping out with fright, as with every
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: jump he tried to run just a wee bit faster, bang, bang,
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: Two flashes of fire and two puffs of smoke darted
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: from behind the old tree trank. Drummer. The woodpecker gave
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: a frightened scream and flew deep into the green forest.
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: Peter Rabbit flattened himself under a friendly bramba bush. Johnny
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: Chuck dived headfirst down his doorway. Reddy Fox gave a yelp,
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: a shrill little yelp of pain, and suddenly began to
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: go lame. But Farmer Brown's boy didn't know that. He
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: thought he had missed, and he growled to himself, I'll
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: get that fox yet for stealing my pet chicken. End
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: of chapter seven. Chapter eight, Granny Fox takes care of ready.
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox was so soreed and lame that he could
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: hardly hobble. He had had the hardest kind of work
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: to get far enough ahead of Bowser the Hound to
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: mix his trail up so that Bowser couldn't follow it.
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: Then he had limped home, big tears running down his nose,
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: although he tried hard not to cry. Oh oh oh,
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: moaned Reddy Fox as he crept in at the doorway
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: of his home. What's the matter now, snapped old Grannie Fox,
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: who had just waked up from a sun nap. I
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: I've got hurt, said Reddy Fox, and he began to
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: cry harder. Grannie Fox looked at Reddy sharply, what have
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: you been doing now, tearing your clothes on a barbed
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: wire fence or trying to crawl through a bullbrier thicket?
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: I should think you were big enough by this time
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: to look out for yourself, said Granny Fox crossly, as
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: she came over to look at Reddy's hurts.
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: Oh please don't scold, Please don't, Grannie Fox begged Reddy,
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: who was beginning to feel sick to his stomach as
• 27:53
  Speaker 2: well as lame and to smart dreadfully.
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: Grannie Fox took one look at Reddy's wounds and knew
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: right away what had happened. She made ready stretch himself
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: out at full length, and then she went to work
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: on him, washing his wounds with the greatest care and
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: binding them up. She was very gentle, was old Granny Fox,
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: as she touched the sore places. But all the time
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: she was at work, her tongue flew and that wasn't
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: gentle at all. Oh my no, there was nothing gentle
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: about that. You see, Old Grannie Fox is wise and
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: very very sharp and shrewd just as soon as she
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: saw Reddy's hurts. She knew that they were made by
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: shot from a gun, and that meant that Reddy Fox
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: had been careless, or he never never would have been
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: where he was in danger of being shot. I hope
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: this will teach you a lesson, said Grannie Fox. What
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: are your eyes, and your ears and your nose for?
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: To keep you out of just such trouble as this?
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: A little fox must use his eyes or get some
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: day a bad surprise. A little fox must use his ears,
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: and no, it makes each sound he hears. A little
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: fox must use his nose and try the wind where'er
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: he goes. A little fox must use all three to live,
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: to grow as old as me. Now, tell me all
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: about it, ready, Fox, This is summer, and men don't
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: hunt foxes. Now, I don't see how it happens that
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy was waiting for you with a gun.
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: So Reddy Fox told Grannie Fox all about how he
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: had run too near the old tree trunk behind which
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy had been hiding. But Reddy didn't tell
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: how he had been trying to show off, or how
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: on broad daylight he had stolen the pet chicken of
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: farmer Brown's boy. You may be sure he was very
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: careful not to mention that, And so old Granny Fox
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: puckered up her brow in thought and thought, trying to
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: find some good reason why Farmer Brown's boy should have
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: been hunting in the summertime. Ha ha, ha, shouted Blackie
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: the Crow. The face of Granny Fox cleared. Blackie the
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: Crow has been stealing, and Farmer Brown's boy was out
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: after him. When ready came along, said Granny Fox, talking
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: out loud to herself. Reddy Fox drew very red in
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: the face, but he never said a word. End of
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: chapter eight. Chapter nine, Peter Rabbit, here's the news. Johnny
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: Chuck came running up to the edge of the old
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: briar patch, quiet out of breath. You see, he is
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: so round and fat and roly poly that to run
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: makes him puff and blow. Johnny Chuck's eyes danced with
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: excitement as he peered into the old briar patch, trying
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: to see Peter Rabbit. Peter, Peter Rabbit, Oh, Peter, He called,
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: No one answered. Johnny Chuck looked disappointed. It was the
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: middle of the morning and he had thought that Peter
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: would surely be at home. Then he would try once more.
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: Oh yo, Peter Rabbit, he shouted in such a high
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: pitched voice that it was almost a squeal. What you want,
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: asked a sleepy voice from the middle of the old
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: briar patch. Johnny Chuck's face lighted up. Come out here, Peter,
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: when I can look at you, cried Johnny. Go away,
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: Johnny Chuck. I'm sleepy, said Peter Rabbit, and his voice
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: sounded just to wee bit cross, for Peter had been
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: out all night, a habit which Peter has. I've got
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: some news for you, Peter, called Johnny Chuck eagerly. How
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: do you know it's news to me? Asked Peter, and
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: Johnny noticed that his voice wasn't quite so cross. I'm
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: almost sure it is, for I've just heard it myself,
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: and I've hurried right down here to tell you because
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: I think you'll want to know it, replied Johnny Chuck. Pooh,
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: said Peter Rabbit. It's probably as old as the heels
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: to me. You folks who go to bed with the
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: sun don't hear the news until it's old. What is
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: it it's about, ready, fox, began Johnny Chuck, but Peter
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: interrupted him. Shucks, Johnny Chuck, you are slow. Why it
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: was all over green Meadows last night? How already Fox
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: had been shot by Farmer Brown's boy, jeered Peter Rabbit. Oh,
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: that's no news, and here you've waked me up to
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: tell me something I knew before you went to bed
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: last night. Serves ready Fox right, hope he'll be lame
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: for a week, added Peter Rabbit. He can't walk at all,
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: cried Johnny Chuck in triumph. Sure now that Peter Rabbit
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: hadn't heard the news, what's that? Demanded Peter and Johnny Chuck.
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: Could hear him begin to hop along one of his
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: little private paths in the heart of the old briar patch.
• 33:08
  Speaker 1: He knew now that Peter Rabbit's curiosity was roused, and
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: he smiled to himself. In a few minutes, Peter thrust
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: a sleepy looking face out from the old briar patch
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: and grinned rather sheepishly. What was that you were saying
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: about reddy Fox? He asked again. I've got a good
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: mind not to tell you, mister know at all, exclaimed
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: Johnny Chuck. Oh please, Johnny Chuck, pleaded Peter Rabbit. Finally,
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: Johnny gave in. I said that Reddy Fox can't walk,
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: aren't you glad? Peter? How do you know, asked Peter.
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: For Peter is very suspicious of Reddy Fox and has
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: to watch out for his tricks all the time. Jimmy
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: Skunk told me he was up by Reddy's house early
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: this morning and saulready tried to walk. He tried and
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: tried and couldn't. You won't have to watch out for
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox for some time, Peter. It's so sam, right,
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: doesn't it. Let's go up and see if it really
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: is true, said Peter. Suddenly, all right, said Johnny Chuck,
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: and off they started. End of chapter nine and end
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: of section two. Recording by John Leader, Bloomington, Illinois, Section
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: three of the Adventures of Reddy Fox. This is a
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: Recording by John Leader. The Adventures of Reddy Fox by
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: Thornton W. Burgess. Chapter ten, Poor Reddy Fox, Peter Rabbit,
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: and Johnny Chuck stole up the hill toward the home
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: of Reddy Fox. As they near, they crept from one
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: bunch of grass to another, and from bush to bush,
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: stopping behind each to look and listen. They were not
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: taking any chances. Johnny Chuck was not much afraid of
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox, for he had whipped him once, but he
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: was afraid of Old Granny Fox. Peter Rabbit was afraid
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: of both. The nearer he got to the home of
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox, the more anxious and nervous he grew. You see,
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox had played so many tricks to try and
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: catch Peter that Peter was not quite sure that this
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: was not another trick, so we kept a sharp watch
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: in every direction, ready to run at the least sign
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: of danger. When they had tiptoed and crawled to a
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: point where they could see the doorstep of the fox home,
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck laid down in a clump
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: of bushes and watched. Pretty soon they saw old Granny
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: Fox come out. She sniffed the wind, and then she
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: started off at a quick run down the lone little path.
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: Chuck gave a sigh of relief, for he wasn't afraid
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: of Reddy and now we felt safe. But Peter Rabbit
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: was just as watchful as ever, I've got to see
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: ready for myself before I'll go a step nearer, he whispered.
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: Just then, Johnny Chuck put a hand on his lips
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: and pointed with the other hand. There was Reddy Fox
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: crawling out of his doorway into the sun. Peter Rabbit
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: leaned forward to see better. Was Reddy Fox really so
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: badly hurt or was he only pretending? Reddy Fox crawled
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: painfully out onto his doorstep. He tried to stand and walk,
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: but he couldn't because he was too stiff and sore,
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: so he just crawled. He didn't know that anyone was
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: watching him, and with every movement he made a face
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: that was because it hurt. So Peter Rabbit, watching from
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: the clump of bushes, knew then that Reddy was not pretending.
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: He knew that he had nothing, not the least little
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: thing to fear from Reddy Fox. So Peter gave a
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: whoop of joy and sprang out into view. Reddy looked
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: up and tried to grin, but made a face of
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: pain instead. You see, it hurts so to move. I
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: suppose you were tickled to death. This seeming like this,
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: he growled to Peter Rabbit. Now Peter had every reason
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: to be glad, for Reddy Fox had tried his best
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: to catch Peter Rabbit to give to Old Granny Fox
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: for her dinner, and time and again Peter had just
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: barely escaped. So at first Peter Rabbit had whooped with joy,
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: But as he saw how very helpless Reddy really was
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: and how much pain he felt, suddenly Peter Rabbit's big
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: soft eyes filled with tears of pity. He forgot all
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: about the threats of Reddy Fox and how Reddy had
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: tried to trick him. He forgot all about how mean
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: Reddy had been. Poor Reddy Fox, said Peter Rabbit, poor
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: ready Fox. End of chapter ten. Chapter eleven, Granny Fox
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: returns up over the hill trotted Old Granny Fox. She
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: was on her way home with a tender young chicken
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: for Reddy Fox poor ready. Of course, it was his
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: own fault, for he had been showing off, and he
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: had been careless, or he never would have gone so
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: near to the old tree trunk behind which Farmer Brown's
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: boy was hiding. But Old Granny Fox didn't know this.
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: She never makes such mistakes herself, Oh I know. So now,
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: as she came up over the hill to a place
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: where she could see her home. She laid the chicken down,
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: and then she crept behind a little bush and looked
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: all over the green meadows to see if the way
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: was clear. She knew that Bowser the hound was chained up.
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: She had seen Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown's boy hoeing
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: in the cornfield, so she had nothing to fear from them.
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: Looking over to her doorstep, she saw Reddy Fox lying
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: in the sun. And then she saw something else, something
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: that made her eyes flash and her teeth come together
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: with a snap. It was Peter Rabbit, sitting up very straight,
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: not ten feet from Reddy Fox. So that's that young
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: scamp of a Peter rabbit whom Reddy was going to
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: catch for me when I was sick and couldn't. Well,
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: I'll just show ready Fox how easily it can be done,
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: and he shall have tender young rabbit with his chicken,
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: said Grannie Fox to herself. So first she studied and
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: studied every clump of grass and every bush behind which
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: she could creep. She saw that she could get almost
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: to where Peter Rabbit was sitting and never once show
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: herself to him. Then she looked this way and looked
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: that way to make sure that no one was watching her.
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: No one did she see on the green meadows who
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: was looking her way. Then Granny Fox began to crawl
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: from one clump of grass to another, and from bush
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: to bush. Sometimes she wriggled along flat on her stomach.
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: Little by little she was drawing nearer and nearer to
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: Peter Rabbit. Now, with all her smartness, Grannie Fox had
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: forgotten one thing, Yes, sir, she had forgotten one thing.
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: Never once had she thought to look up in the sky.
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: And there was all mister Buzzard, sailing round and round
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: and looking down and seeing all that was going on below. All.
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: Mister Buzzard is sharp. He knew just what old Granny
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: Fox was planning to do. Knew it as well as
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: if he had read her thoughts. His eyes twinkled. I
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: suddenly can't allow little rabbit to be hurt. I suddenly can't,
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: muttered old mister Buzzard, and chuckled. Then he slanted his
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: broad wings downward, and without a sound, slid down out
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: of the sky till he was right behind Granny Fox.
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: Do you always crawl home? Granny Fox asked old mister Buzzard,
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox was so startled, for she hadn't heard a sound,
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: that she jumped almost out of her skin. Of course,
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: Peter Rabbit saw her then and was off like a shot.
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox showed all her teeth. I wish you would
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: mind your own business, mister Buzzard, she snarled. Suddenly, suddenly,
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: I surely will, replied old mister Buzzard, and sailed up
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: into the blue blue sky. End of chapter eleven. Chapter twelve,
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: The Lost Chicken. When old Granny Fox had laid down
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: the chicken she was bringing home to Ready Fox to
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: try to catch Peter Rabbit, she had meant to go
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: right back and get it as soon as she had
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: caught Peter. Now she saw Peter going across the green
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: meadows the Lipperty Liberty Lip, as fast as he could go.
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: She was so angry that she hopped up and down.
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: She tore up the grass and ground her long white teeth.
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: She glared up at old mister Buzzard, who had warned
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: Peter Rabbit, but all she could do was to scold,
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: and that didn't do her much good, for in a
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: few minutes, old mister Buzzard was so far up in
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: the blue blue sky that he could hear a word
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: she was saying, my mid But old Granny Fox certainly
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: was angry. If she hadn't been so angry, she might
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: have seen Johnny Chuck lying as flat as he could
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: make himself behind a big clump of grass. Johnny Chuck
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: was scared. Yes, indeed, Johnny Chuck was dreadfully scared. He
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: had thought Reddy Fox and whipped him, but he knew
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: that old Granny Fox would be too much for him.
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: So it was with great belief that Johnny Chuck saw
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: her stop tearing up the grass and trot over to
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: see how Reddy Fox was getting along. Then Johnny Chuck
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: crept along until he was far enough away to run.
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: How he did run, he was so fat and roly
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: poly that he was all out of breath when he
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: reached home, and so tired that he just dropped down
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: on his doorstep and panted. Serves me right for having
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: so much curiosity, said Johnny Chuck to himself. Reddy Fox
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: looked up as Old Granny Fox came hurrying home. He
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: was weak and very, very hungry, but he felt sure
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: that Old Granny Fox would bring him something nice for
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: his breakfast, and as soon as he heard her footsteps,
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: his mouth began to water. Did you bring me something nice,
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: Cranny asked Reddy Fox. Now, old Granny Fox had been
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: so put out by the scare she had had and
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: by her failure to catch Peter Rabbit, that she had
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: forgotten all about the chickens she had left up on
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: the hill. When Reddy spoke, she remembered it, and the
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: thought of having to go way back after it didn't
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: improve her temper a bit. No, she snapped, you don't
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: deserve any breakfast anyway. If you had any gumption, and
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: that's the word Granny Fox used, gumption. If you had
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: any gumption at all, you wouldn't have gotten into trouble
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: and could get your own breakfast. Reddy Fox didn't know
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: what gumption meant, but he didn't know that he was very,
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: very hungry, and to do what he would he couldn't
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: keep back a couple of big tears of disappointment. Granny
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: Fox saw them. Oh they're they're ready. Don't cry. I've
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: got a fine fetched chicken for you up on the hill,
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: and I'll run back and get it, said Granny Fox.
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: So off she started up the hill to the place
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: where she had left the chicken when she started to
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: try to catch Peter Rabbit. When she got there, there
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: wasn't any chicken, No sir, there was no chicken at all,
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: just a few feathers. Granny Fox could hardly believe her
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: own eyes. She looked this way, and she looked that way,
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: but there was no chicken, just a few feathers. Old
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox flew unto a greater rage than before. End
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: of chapter twelve, Chapter thirteen, Granny Fox calls Jimmy Skunk names.
• 45:12
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox couldn't believe her own eyes, No, sir, She
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: couldn't believe her own eyes, and she rubbed them two
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: or three times to make sure that she was seeing right.
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: That chicken certainly had disappeared and left no trace of
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: where it had gone. It was very queer. Old Granny
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: Fox sat down to think. Who would dare steal anything
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: from her? Then she walked in a big circle with
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: her nose to the ground, sniffing and sniffing. What was
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: she doing that for? Why? To see if she could
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: find the tracks of anyone who might have stolen her chicken? Aha,
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Old Granny Fox, starting to run along the top
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: of the hill, her nose to the ground. Aha, I'll
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: catch him this time. A few minutes she began to
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: run more slowly, and every two or three steps she
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: would look ahead. Suddenly, her eyes snapped, and she began
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: to creep, almost flat on her stomach, just as she
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: had crept for Peter Rabbit. But it wasn't Peter Rabbit
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: this time. It was who do you think, Jimmy Skunk. Yes, sir,
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: it was Jimmy Skunk. He was slowly ambling along. For
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: Jimmy Skunk never hurries. Every big stick or stone that
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: he could move, he would pull over or look under for.
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: Jimmy Skunk was hunting for beetles. Old Granny Fox watched him.
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: He must have a tremendous appetite to be hunting for
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: beetles after eating my chicken, muttered she. Then she jumped
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: out in front of Jimmy Skunk, her eyes snapping, her
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: teeth showing, and the hair on her back standing on
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: end so as to make her look very fierce. But
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: all the time Old Granny Fox took the greatest care
• 46:59
  Speaker 1: not to get too near to Jimmy Skunk. Where's my chicken?
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: Snarled Old Granny Fox, and she looked very very fierce.
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: Jimmy Skunk looked up as if very much surprised. Hello,
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox, he exclaimed, have you lost a chicken? You've
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: stolen it? You're a thief, Jimmy Skunk snapped Granny Fox.
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: Words can never make black weight. Before you speak, be
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: sure you're right, said Jimmy Skunk. I'm not a thief,
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: you are, cried Granny working herself into a great rage.
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: I'm not you are. All the time Jimmy Skunk was
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: chuckling to himself, and the more he chuckled, the angrier
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: grew Old Granny Fox. And all the time, Jimmy Skunk
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: kept moving toward Old Granny Fox, and Granny Fox kept
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: backing away. For like all the other little meadow and
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: forest people, she has very great respect for Jimmy Skunk's
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: little bag of scent. Now backing off that way, she
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: couldn't see where she was going, and the first thing
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: she knew she had backed into a bramble bush. It
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: tore her skirts and scratched her legs. Oach, cried Old
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox. Ha ha ha, laughed Jimmy Skunk. That's what
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: you get for calling me names end of chapter thirteen
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: and end of section three. Recording by John Leader, Bloomington, Illinois,
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: Section four of the Adventures of Reddy Fox. This is
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: Recording by John Leader. The Adventures of Reddy Fox by
• 48:51
  Speaker 1: Thornton W. Burgess, Chapter fourteen, Granny Fox finds what became
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: of the chicken. Old Fox was in a terrible temper. Dear, Dear,
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: it certainly was a dreadful temper. Jimmy Skunk laughed at her,
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: and that made it worse. When he saw this, Jimmy
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: Skunk just rolled over and over on the ground and shouted.
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: He was so tickled. Of course, it wasn't the least
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: bit nice of Jimmy Skunk, But you know that Granny
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: Fox had been calling Jimmy a thief. Then Jimmy doesn't
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: like Granny Fox anyway, nor do any of the other
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: little meadow and forest people, for most of them are
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: very much afraid of her. When Old Granny Fox finally
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: got out of the bramble bush, she didn't stop to
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: say anything more to Jimmy Skunk, but hurried away, muttering
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: and grumbling and grinding her teeth. Old Granny Fox wasn't
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: pleasant to meet just then, and when Bobby Coon saw
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: her coming, he just thought it best to get out
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: of her way, so he climbed a tree. It wasn't
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: that Bobby Kohon was afraid of Old Granny Fox, bless you. No,
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: Bobby Koon isn't a bit afraid of her. It was
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: because he had a full stomach and was feeling too
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: good natured and lazy to quarrel. Good morning, Grannie Fox,
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: I hope you were feeling well this morning, said Bobby Coon,
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: as Old Granny Fox came trotting under the tree he
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: was sitting in. Granny Fox looked up and glared at
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: him with yellow eyes. It isn't a good morning, and
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: I'm not feeling fine, she snapped. My goodness, how you
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: have torn your skirts, exclaimed Bobby Coon. Old Granny Fox
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: started to say something unpleasant, then she changed her mind,
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: and instead she sat down and told Bobby Coon all
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: her troubles. As she talked, Bobby Coon kept ducking his
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: head behind a branch of the tree to hide a smile.
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: Finally Grannie Fox noticed it. But do you keep ducking
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: your head for Bobby Coon? She asked suspiciously. I'm just
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: looking to see if I can see any feathers from
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: that chicken, replied Bobby Coon gravely, though his eyes were
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: twinkling with mischief. Well do you, demanded Old Granny Fox,
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: and just then Bobby Coon did. They were not on
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: the ground, however, but floating in the air. Bobby Coon
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: leaned out to see where they came from, and Granny
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: Fox turned to look too. What do you think they saw? Why?
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: Sitting on a tall dead tree was mister Goshawk just
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: then swallowing the last of Granny's chicken. Thief Thief Rubber
• 51:36
  Speaker 1: Rubber shrieked Old Granny Fox, But mister Gosshawk said nothing,
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: just winked at Bobby Coon, puffed out his feathers, and
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: settled himself for a comfortable nap. End of chapter fourteen.
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: Chapter fifteen, Reddy Fox has a visitor. Hardly was Old
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox out of sight on her way to hunt
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: for the chicken she had left on the hill when
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: Uncle Billy Possum came strolling along the lone little path.
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: He was humming to himself, for he had just had
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: a good breakfast. One of the Merry little Breezes spied
• 52:10
  Speaker 1: him and hurried to meet him and tell him about
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: how Reddy Fox had been shot. Uncle Billy listened, and
• 52:17
  Speaker 1: the grin with which he greeted the merry little Breeze
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: grew into a broad smile. Are you all sure about that?
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: He asked? The merry little Breeze was sure. Uncle Billy
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: Possum stopped for a few minutes and considered. Serves that no,
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: count Ready Fox right, chuckled unc Billy, He don't spoil
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: my hunting at Farmer Brown's here. He's such a fuss
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: among the hens up there. Isn't safe to go up
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: there any more, No, suck, tisn't safe, and it won't
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: be safe for a rat, smart wire. Did you see
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: that Grannie Fox is home? The merry little Breeze hadn't
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: said anything about Granny Fox, but now remembered that she
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: had gone up the hill. I believe I will just
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: took my sympathy over to Reddy Fox, said Uncle Billy
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: Possum as he started in the direction of Reddy Fox's house.
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: But he made sure that Old Granny Fox was not
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: at home before he showed himself. Reddy Fox lay on
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: his doorstep. He was sick and sore and stiff. Indeed,
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: he was so stiff he couldn't walk at all. And
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: he was weak, weak, and hungry, dreadfully hungry. When he
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: heard footsteps, he thought old Granny Fox was bringing him
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: the chicken after which she had gone. He felt too
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: ill even to turn his head. Did you get the chicken, Granny?
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: He asked weakly. No one answered, I say, did you
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: get the chicken? Granny? Reddy's voice sounded a little sharpened
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: cross as he asked this time. Still there was no reply,
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: and Reddy began to be a little bit suspicious. He
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: turned over and raised his head to look. Instead of
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: old Granny Fox, there was Uncle Billy Possum grinning at him.
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: Smarty Smarty is a thief. Smarty Smarty came to grief,
• 54:14
  Speaker 1: tried to show off just for fun, and ran too
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: near a loaded gun. You suddenly has got just what
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: you deserve, and I'm glad of it. I'm glad of it, sir,
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: said Uncle Billy Possum severely. An angry light came into
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: the eyes of Reddy Fox and made them an ugly
• 54:34
  Speaker 1: yellow for just a minute, but he felt too sick
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: to quarrel. Uncle Billy Possum saw this. He saw how
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: Reddy was really suffering and down deep in his heart.
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: Uncle Billy was truly sorry for him, but he didn't
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: let Reddy know it. No, Indeed, he just pretended to
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: be tickled to death to see Reddy Fox so helpless.
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: He didn't dare stay long for fear of Granny Fox
• 54:59
  Speaker 1: would return. So after saying a few more things to
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: make Ready feel uncomfortable, Uncle Billy started off up the
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: lone little path toward the green forest. Too bad, too bad,
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: he muttered to himself. If old Grenire Fox isn't smart
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: enough to get ready enough to eat, I'll have to
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: see what we alls can do. I suddenly will. End
• 55:23
  Speaker 1: of chapter fifteen. Chapter sixteen, unc Billy Possum visits the
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: Smiling Pool. Joe Otter and Billy Mink were sitting on
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: the big rock in the Smiling Pool because they had
• 55:36
  Speaker 1: nothing else to do. They were planning mischief. Jerry Muskrat
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: was busy filling his new house with food for the winter.
• 55:43
  Speaker 1: He was too busy to get into mischief. Suddenly, Billy
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: Mink put a finger on his lips as a warning
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: to Little Joe Otter to keep perfectly still. Billy's sharp
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: eyes had seen something moving over in the bulrushes. Together,
• 55:57
  Speaker 1: he and Little Joe Otter watched, ready to dive into
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: the smiling pool at the first sign of danger. In
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: a few minutes, the rushes parted and a sharp little
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: old face peered out. Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: each sighed with relief, and their eyes began to dance. Hi,
• 56:16
  Speaker 1: unc Billy Possum, shouted Billy Mink. A grin crept over
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: the sharp little old face peering out for the bulrushes.
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: Hi yourself, he shouted, for it really was, Uncle Billy Possum.
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: What are you doing over here, called Little Joe Otter.
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: Just looking around, replied Uncle Billy Possum, his eyes twinkling.
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: Have you heard about Reddy Fox? Shouted Billy Mink. I done,
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: just come from his home, replied Uncle Billy Possum. How
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: is he asked Little Joe Otter. Polly, he surely is, Polly,
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: replied Uncle Billy Possum, shaking his head soberly. Then Uncle
• 56:55
  Speaker 1: Billy told Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter how Reddy
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: Fox was so stiff and sore and sick that he
• 57:01
  Speaker 1: couldn't get anything to eat for himself, and how old
• 57:04
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox had lost a chicken which she had caught
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: for him. Serves him right, exclaimed Billy Mink, who has
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: never forgotten how ready Fox fooled him and caught the
• 57:14
  Speaker 1: most fish once upon a time. Unc Billy nodded his head.
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: You're all right, you'll certainly all right, Yes, sir, I
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: reckons you all right. Was you ever hungry, Billy Mink?
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: Real hungry, asked unc Billy Possum. Billy Mink thought of
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: the time when he went without his dinner because mister
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: Knighthron had gobbled it up when Billy had left it
• 57:39
  Speaker 1: in a temper. He nodded his head. I was just wondering,
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: continued unc Billy Possum, how it would seem to be right, smart, powerful, hungry,
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: and not been able to hunt for anything to eat.
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: For a few minutes, no one said a word. Then
• 57:58
  Speaker 1: Billy Mink stood up and stretched good bye, said Billy Mink,
• 58:04
  Speaker 1: Where are you going? So suddenly demanded little Joe Otter.
• 58:08
  Speaker 1: I'm going to catch a fish and take it to
• 58:10
  Speaker 1: Ready Fox, if you must know, snapped Billy Mink, good,
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: cried little Joe Otter. You needn't think that you can
• 58:18
  Speaker 1: have all the funny yourself, Billy Mink, I'm going with you.
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: There was a splash in the smiling pool, and unc
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: Billy Possum was left looking out on nothing but the
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: smiling pool and the big rock. He smiled to himself
• 58:31
  Speaker 1: as he turned away. I reckon, I'll show half to
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: do my share, too, said he. And so it happened
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: that when old Granny Fox finally reached home with nothing
• 58:42
  Speaker 1: but a little wood mouse for Ready, she found him
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: taking a nap, his stomach as full as it could be,
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: and just a little way off were two fish tails
• 58:52
  Speaker 1: and the feathers of a little duck. End of Chapter sixteen,
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: Chapter seventeen, Farmer Brown's Boy is determined. Farmer Brown's Boy
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: had made up his mind when he shut his teeth
• 59:08
  Speaker 1: with a click and drew his lips together into a
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: thin straight line. Those who knew him were sure that
• 59:13
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's Boy had made up his mind. That is
• 59:17
  Speaker 1: just what he had done. Now he was cleaning his gun,
• 59:21
  Speaker 1: and as he worked. He was thinking of his pet chicken,
• 59:23
  Speaker 1: and of all the other chickens that Ruddy Fox had taken.
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna get that fox if it takes all summer,
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Farmer Brown's boy. I ought to have gotten him
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: the other day when I had a shot at him.
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: Next time, well, we'll see, mister Fox, what will happen
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: next time? Now, someone heard Farmer Brown's boy heard everything
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: he said, though Farmer Brown's Boy didn't know it. It
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: was Uncle Billy Possum, who was hiding in the very
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: pile of wood on which Farmer Brown's Boy was sitting.
• 59:55
  Speaker 1: Uncle Billy pricked up his ears. He didn't like the
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: tone of voice in which Farmer Brown's boy spoke. He
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: thought of Reddy Fox, still so stiff and sore and
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: lame that he could hardly walk all from the shot
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 1: which Farmer Brown's Boy thought had missed. There isn't gwine
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: to be in the next time, No, sir, there isn't
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: gwine to be at a next time. I surely don't
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 1: love Reddy Fox, but I can't know how let him
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: be shot again. I suddenly can't, muttered Uncle Billy Possum
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 1: to himself. Of course, Farmer Brown's Boy didn't hear him.
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 1: He didn't hear him, and he didn't see him. When
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: Uncle Billy Possum crept out of the backside of the
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: woodpile and scurried under the henhouse, he was too intent
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: on his plan to catch reddy fox. I'm just going
• 1:00:44
  Speaker 1: to hunt over the green meadows and through the green
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: forest until I get that fox, said Farmer Brown's Boy,
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: and as he said it he looked very fierce, as
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: if he really meant it. I'm not going to have
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: my chicken stolen anymore, no, Surrie. That fire fox has
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: got home somewhere on the green meadows or in the
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: green forest, and I'm going to find it. Then watch out,
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: mister fox. Farmer Brown's Boy whistled for bows of the
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: hound and started for the green forest. Unc Billy Possum
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: poked his sharp little old face out from under the
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: henhouse and watched them go. Usually unc Billy is grinning,
• 1:01:22
  Speaker 1: but now there wasn't any grin, not the least sign
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 1: of one. Instead, unc Billy Possum looked worried. There goes
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: that boy with a gun, and nobody knows what'll happen
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: when it goes off. If he can't find ready Fox,
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: just as likely as not he'll point it at somebody
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 1: else just for fun. Now, I hope he don't meet
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: up with my old woman or any of my little
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 1: pickining is. I'm plumb afraid of a boy with a gun.
• 1:01:50
  Speaker 1: I am Bill's like he don't have in a sense,
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: I'll reckon. I better be moving along, or at smart
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: and tent of my family to stay right. Cloak in
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: the old hollow tree, muttered unc Billy Possum, slipping out
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 1: from his hiding place. Then unc Billy began to run
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 1: as fast as he could toward the green forest. End
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: of chapter seventeen. Chapter eighteen, The Hunt for Reddy Fox. Trouble, trouble, trouble.
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: I feel it in the air. Trouble, trouble, trouble. It's
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 1: round me everywhere. Old Granny Fox muttered this over and
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: over as she kept walking around uneasily and sniffing the air.
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 1: I don't see any trouble, and I don't feel any
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: trouble in the air. It's all in the sore places
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: where I was shot, said Reddy Fox, who was stretched
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 1: out on the doorstep of their home. That's because you
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: haven't got any sense. When you do get some and
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: learn to look where you are going, you won't get
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 1: shot from behind old tree trunks, and you'll be able
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 1: to feel trouble when it is near without waiting for
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: it to show itself. Now I feel trouble. You go
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: down into the house and stay there. Granny Fox stopped
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 1: to test the air with her nose, just as she
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 1: had been testing it for the last ten minutes. I
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: don't want to go in, whined Reddy Fox. It's nice
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: and warm out here, and I feel a lot better
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: than when I am curled up way down there in
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 1: the dark. Old Granny Fox turned and her eyes blazed
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: as she looked at Reddy Fox. She didn't say a word,
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 1: and she didn't have to. Reddy just crawled into his house,
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 1: muttering to himself. Granny stuck her head in at the door.
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 1: Don't you come out until I come back, she ordered.
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: Then she added, Farmer Brown's boy is coming with his gun. Ready.
• 1:03:46
  Speaker 1: Fox shivered when he heard that. He didn't believe Granny Fox.
• 1:03:51
  Speaker 1: He thought she was saying that just to scare him
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: and make him stay inside. But he shivered just the same.
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: You see, he knew now what it meant to be shot,
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 1: for he was still too stiff and sore to run,
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: all because he had gone too near Farmer Brown's boy
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: and his gun. But Old Grannie Fox had not been
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: fooling when she told Reddy Fox that Farmer Brown's boy
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: was coming with a gun. It was true. He was
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: coming down the lone little path, and ahead of him
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 1: was trotting Bowser the Hound. How did old Granny Fox
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 1: know it? She just felt it. She didn't hear them,
• 1:04:29
  Speaker 1: she didn't see them, and she didn't smell them. She
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: just felt that they were coming. So as soon as
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 1: she saw that Reddy Fox had obeyed her, she was
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 1: off like a little red flash. It won't do to
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: let them find our home, said Grannie to herself, as
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: she disappeared in the green forest. First she hurried to
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: a little point on the hill where she could look
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: down the lone little path. Just as she expected, she
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: saw Farmer Brown's boy, and ahead of him, sniffing at
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: every bush, and all along the lone little path was
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: Bowser the Hound. Old Granny Fox waited to see no more.
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 1: She ran as fast as she could in a big circle,
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 1: which brought her out on the lone little path below
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's Boy and Bowser the Hound, but where they
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: couldn't see her because of a turn in the lone
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 1: little path. She trotted down the lone little path a
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: very little way, and then turned into the woods and
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: hurried back up the hill, where she sat down and waited.
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: In a few minutes she heard Bowser's great voice. He
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: had smelled her track in the lone little path and
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 1: was following it. Old Granny Fox grinned, You see, she
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 1: was planning to lead them far far away from the
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: home where Reddy Fox was hiding, for it would not
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 1: do to have them find it. And Farmer Brown's Boy
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 1: also grinned as he heard the voice of Bowser the Hound.
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 1: I'll hunt that fox until I get him, he said.
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: You see, he didn't know anything about Old Granny Fox.
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 1: He thought Bowser was following Reddy Fox. End of chapter
• 1:06:09
  Speaker 1: eighteen and end of section four. Recording by John Leader, Bloomington, Illinois,
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: Section five of the Adventures of Reddy Fox. This is
• 1:06:26
  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 1: Recording by John Leader The Adventures of Reddy Fox by
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: Thornton W. Burgess, Chapter nineteen. Unc Billy Possum gives warning
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: wins the meeting with you, Unc Billy, you look as
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: if you had lost your last friend. It was Jimmy
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 1: Skunk who spoke. Unc Billy Possum stopped short. He had
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 1: been hurry so fast that he hadn't seen Jimmy Skunk
• 1:07:02
  Speaker 1: at all. Mad Enough, Sir, mad enough, said unc Billy Possum,
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 1: when he could get his breath. Do you hear that noise? Sure,
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: ain't hear that noise? That's only Bowser the hound chasing
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: old Granny Fox. When she gets tired, she'll lose him,
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 1: replied Jimmy Skunk, What are you worrying about Bowser the hound?
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: For Bowser the hound will have to be smarter as
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 1: he is now before he can worry me. I reckon,
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: said unc Billy Possum, scornfully. It isn't Bowser the hound,
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: it's Farmer Brown's boy and his gun. Then unc Billy
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: told Jimmy Skunk how he had been hiding in the
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: woodpile at Farmer Brown's and had heard Farmer Brown's boy
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 1: say that he was going to hunt over the green
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: meadows and through the green forest until he got ready fox.
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: Wait of it, asked Jimmy Skunk. If he gets ready Fox,
• 1:07:57
  Speaker 1: so much the better ready, or did make trouble for
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: other people? I don't see what you're worrying about ready Fox,
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 1: for he's big enough to take care of himself. You
• 1:08:09
  Speaker 1: certainly are plum slow in your wits this morning, Jimmy Skunk,
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 1: you'll certainly are plum slow. Supposin you should meet up
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: with Farmer Brown's boy with that gun in his hands,
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: and supposin he had grown tired of watching for red
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 1: a fox. That gun might go off, Jimmy Skunk. It
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 1: might go off when it was pointin right straight at you, said,
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: unc Billy Possum. Jimmy Skunk looked serious, did so, unc billy.
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: That's so, he said. Boys with guns do get dreadfully careless,
• 1:08:42
  Speaker 1: dreadfully careless. They don't seem to think anything about the
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 1: feelings of those likely to get hurt when the gun
• 1:08:49
  Speaker 1: goes off. What was you thinkin of doin, unc billy?
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: Just passing the water along. So everybody in the green
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: meadows and in the green forest will keep out of
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: away of Farmer Brown's Boy replied, Unc Billy possum, good idea,
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: Unc Billy, I'll help you, said Jimmy Skunk. So unc
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: Billy Possum went one way, and Jimmy Skunk went another way,
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: and everyone they told hurried to tell someone else. Happy
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: Jack squirrel told Chatterer the red squirrel. Chatterer told Striped chipmunk,
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: and Striped Chipmunk told Danny Meadow Mouse. Danny Meadow Mouse
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: told Johnny Chuck. Johnny Chuck told Peter Rabbit. Peter Rabbit
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 1: told Jumper the Hare. Jumper the Hare told Prickly Porky.
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: Prickly Porky told Bobby Coon. Bobby Coon told Billy Mink.
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: Billy Mink told Little Joe Otter. Little Joe Otter told
• 1:09:45
  Speaker 1: Jerry Muskrat, and Jerry Muskrat told Grandfather Frog, and everybody
• 1:09:51
  Speaker 1: hastened to hide from Farmer Brown's Boy and his terrible
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 1: gun by and bye. Farmer Brown's Boy noticed how still
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 1: it was in the green forest. Nowhere did he see
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: or hear a bird. Nowhere could he catch a glimpse
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 1: of anybody who wore fur. And that fox must have
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 1: scared away all the other animals and driven away all
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 1: the birds. I'll get him see if I don't, muttered
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy, and never once guessed that they were
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: hiding from him. End of Chapter nineteen. Chapter twenty, Old
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox makes a mistake. Old Granny Fox was running
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 1: through the overgrown old pasture way up back of Farmer Brown's.
• 1:10:36
  Speaker 1: She was cross and tired and hot, for it was
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 1: a very warm day. Behind her came Bowser the Hound,
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: his nose in Grannie's tracks and making a great noise
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: with his big voice. Granny Fox was cross because she
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 1: was tired. She hadn't done much running lately, and she
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 1: didn't mind running when the weather was cold. But now,
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 1: oh dear, it is hot, sighed old Granny Fox as
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: she stopped a minute to rest. Now, Old Grannie Fox
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 1: is very very smart, and very very wise. She knows
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: all the tricks with which foxes fool those who try
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 1: to catch them. She knew that she could fool Bowser
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 1: the Hound and puzzle him so that he wouldn't be
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: able to follow her track at all, But she wasn't
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: ready to do that yet. No, Indeed, Old Granny Fox
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: was taking great care to see that her tracks were
• 1:11:31
  Speaker 1: easy to follow. She wanted Bowser the Hound to follow them,
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: although it made her tired and hot and cross, why
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 1: did she, well, you see, she was trying to lead
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 1: him and with him Farmer Brown's Boy, far far away
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: from the home where Reddy Fox was nursing the wounds
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: that he had received when Farmer Brown's Boy had shot
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 1: at him a few days before. Bow Wow Wow, roared
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: Bowser the Hound, following every twist and turn which Granny
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: Fox made just as she wanted him to. Back and
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: forth across the old pasture and way up among the
• 1:12:09
  Speaker 1: rocks on the edge of the mountain, Granny Fox led
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: Bowser the Hound. It was a long, long, long way
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 1: from the green meadows in the Green Forest. Granny Fox
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: had made it a long way purposely. She was willing
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: to be tired herself if she could also tire Bowser
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 1: the Hound and Farmer Brown's Boy. She wanted to tire
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 1: them so that when she finally puzzled and fooled them
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 1: and left them there, they would be too tired to
• 1:12:37
  Speaker 1: go back to the green meadows. By and by, Granny
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 1: Fox came to a hole in the ground, an old
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 1: house that had once belonged to her grandfather Now, this
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 1: old house had a back door hidden close beside the
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: hollow trunk of a fallen tree. Old Granny Fox just
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: ran through the house, out the back door, through the
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: hollow tree, and then jumped into a little brook where
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 1: there was hardly more than enough water to wet her feet.
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: Walking in the water, she left no scent in her tracks.
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: Bowser the Hound came rowing up to the front door
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: of the old house. Grannie's tracks led right inside, and
• 1:13:15
  Speaker 1: Bowser grew so excited that he made a tremendous noise.
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 1: At last, he had found where Grannie Fox lived. At
• 1:13:23
  Speaker 1: least he thought he had. He was sure that she
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: was inside, for there were her fresh tracks going inside
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 1: and none coming out. Bows the Hound never once thought
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: of looking for a back door. If he had, he
• 1:13:37
  Speaker 1: wouldn't have been any the wiser, because you know, old
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox had slipped away through the hollow tree trunk.
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 1: Grannie Fox grinned as she listened to the terrible fuss
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 1: Bowser was making. Then, when she had rested a little,
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 1: she stole up on the hill where she could look
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: down and see the entrance to the old deserted house.
• 1:13:58
  Speaker 1: She watched Bowser digging and barking. After a while, a
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 1: worried look crept into the face of old Granny Fox.
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: Where's Farmer Brown's boy? I thought surely he would follow
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: Bowser the Hound? She muttered. End of Chapter twenty Chapter
• 1:14:17
  Speaker 1: twenty one, Ready Fox disobeys. When Old Granny Fox had
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: sent Reddy Fox into the house and told him to
• 1:14:26
  Speaker 1: stay there until she returned home, he had not wanted
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 1: to mind, but he knew that Granny Fox meant just
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 1: what she said, and so he had crawled slowly down
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: the long hall to the bedroom way underground. Pretty soon,
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox heard a voice. It was very faint, for
• 1:14:45
  Speaker 1: you know, Reddy was in his bedroom way underground, but
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 1: he knew it. He pricked up his ears and listened.
• 1:14:53
  Speaker 1: It was the voice of Bowser the Hound, and Ready
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: knew by the sound that Bowser was chasing Granny Fox.
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: Ready grinned. He wasn't at all worried about Grannie Fox,
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 1: not the least little bit. He knew how smart she was,
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: and that whenever she wanted to, she could get rid
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 1: of bows of the Hound. Then a sudden thought popped
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 1: into Reddy's head, and he grew sober. Grannie did feel
• 1:15:19
  Speaker 1: trouble coming, just as she said, he thought. Then Reddy
• 1:15:23
  Speaker 1: Fox curled himself up and tried to sleep. He intended
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 1: to mind and not put his little black nose outside
• 1:15:31
  Speaker 1: until old Granny Fox returned. But somehow Reddy couldn't getch
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: to sleep. His bedroom was small, and he was so
• 1:15:40
  Speaker 1: stiff and sore that he could not get comfortable. He
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: twisted and turned and fidgeted. The more he fidgeted, the
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 1: more uncomfortable he grew. He thought of the warm sunshine outside,
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 1: and how comfortable he would be stretched out full length
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: on the doorstep. It would take the soreness out of
• 1:15:59
  Speaker 1: his legs. Something must have happened to Grannie to keep
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: her so long. If she had known that she was
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 1: going to be gone such a long time, she wouldn't
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: have told him to stay until she came back, thought Reddy.
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: By and by, Reddy Fox crept a little way up
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 1: the long dark hall. He could just see the sunlight
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 1: on the doorstep. Pretty soon he went a little bit nearer.
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 1: He wasn't going to disobey old Grannie Fox. Oh no, no, indeed,
• 1:16:28
  Speaker 1: she had told him to stay in the house until
• 1:16:31
  Speaker 1: she returned. She hadn't said that he couldn't look out. Ready,
• 1:16:36
  Speaker 1: crawled a little nearer to the open door and the sunlight.
• 1:16:40
  Speaker 1: Grannie Fox is getting old and timid, just as if
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 1: my eyes aren't as sharp as hers. I'd like to
• 1:16:47
  Speaker 1: see Farmer Brown's boy get near me when I am
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 1: really on the watch, said Reddy Fox to himself. And
• 1:16:55
  Speaker 1: then he crept a little nearer to the open door.
• 1:16:58
  Speaker 1: How bright and warm and pleasant it did look outside.
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 1: Reddy just knew that he would feel ever and ever
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: so much better if he could stretch out on the doorstep.
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: He could hear Jenny Wren fussing and scolding at someone
• 1:17:12
  Speaker 1: or something, and he wondered what it could be. He
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 1: crept just a wee bit nearer. He could hear Bowser's voice,
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 1: but it was so faint that he had to prick
• 1:17:23
  Speaker 1: up his sharp little ears and listen with all his
• 1:17:27
  Speaker 1: might to hear it at all. Granny's led them way
• 1:17:30
  Speaker 1: off on the mountain, Good old Granny, thought Reddy Fox.
• 1:17:35
  Speaker 1: Then he crawled right up to the very doorway. He
• 1:17:38
  Speaker 1: could still hear Jenny Wren scolding and fussing. What does
• 1:17:42
  Speaker 1: ail her if it's hot or if it's cold? Jenny
• 1:17:46
  Speaker 1: Wren will always scold from morn till night, the whole
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: day long. Her limbered tongue is going strong. I'm going
• 1:17:53
  Speaker 1: to find out what it means, said Reddy talking to himself.
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox poked his head out and looked straight into
• 1:18:02
  Speaker 1: the freckled face of Farmer Brown's boy and the muzzle
• 1:18:06
  Speaker 1: of that dreadful gun. End of Chapter twenty one, Chapter
• 1:18:12
  Speaker 1: twenty two, Old Mister Buzzard's keen sight. Old Granny Fox
• 1:18:19
  Speaker 1: had thought that when she fooled Bowser the Hound up
• 1:18:22
  Speaker 1: in the old pasture on the edge of the mountain,
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 1: she could take her time going home. She was tired
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: and hot, and she had planned to pick out the
• 1:18:32
  Speaker 1: shadiest paths going back. She had thought that Farmer Brown's
• 1:18:36
  Speaker 1: boy would soon join bows of the Hound when Bowser
• 1:18:39
  Speaker 1: made such a fuss about having found the old house
• 1:18:42
  Speaker 1: into which Granny Fox had run. But Farmer Brown's boy
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: had not yet appeared, and Granny Fox was getting worried.
• 1:18:50
  Speaker 1: Could it be that he had not followed Bowser the
• 1:18:53
  Speaker 1: Hound after all? Granny Fox went out on a high
• 1:18:56
  Speaker 1: point and looked, but she could see nothing of Farmer
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 1: Rod's boy and his gun. Just then, Ol Mister Buzzard
• 1:19:04
  Speaker 1: came singing down out of the blue blue sky and
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 1: settled himself on a tall dead tree. Now Granny Fox
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: hadn't forgotten how old mister Buzzard had warned Peter Rabbit
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 1: just as she was about to pounce on him. But
• 1:19:18
  Speaker 1: she suddenly thought that ol mister Buzzard might be of
• 1:19:21
  Speaker 1: use to her, So Old Granny Fox smoothed out her
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: skirts and walked over to the foot of the tree
• 1:19:27
  Speaker 1: where ol mister Buzzard sat. How do you do to day, neighbor, Buzzard,
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: inquired Grannie Fox, smiling up at old mister Buzzard. I'm
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 1: so asked to be up and about. Thank you, replied
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 1: old mister Buzzard, spreading his wings out so that air
• 1:19:43
  Speaker 1: could blow under them. My exclaimed Old Granny Fox. What
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: splendid great wings you have, mister Buzzard. It must be
• 1:19:53
  Speaker 1: grand to be able to fly. I suppose you can
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 1: see a great deal from way up there in the
• 1:19:59
  Speaker 1: blue loose sky, mister Buzzard. Oh, mister Buzzard felt flattered
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 1: he is, said he I can see all that's going
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 1: on on the green meadows and in the green forest. Oh,
• 1:20:13
  Speaker 1: mister Buzzard, you don't really mean that, exclaimed old Granny Fox,
• 1:20:19
  Speaker 1: just as if she wanted to believe it but couldn't. Yes,
• 1:20:22
  Speaker 1: I can, replied old mister Buzzard. Really, mister Buzzard, really, Oh,
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 1: I can't believe that your eyes are so sharp as
• 1:20:31
  Speaker 1: all that. Now I know where Bowser the hound is
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 1: and where Farmer Brown's boy is, but I don't believe
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: you can see them, said Granny Fox. Old mister Buzzard
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: never said a word, but spread his broad wings, and
• 1:20:46
  Speaker 1: in a few minutes he had sailed up, up, up,
• 1:20:49
  Speaker 1: until he looked just like a tiny speck to old
• 1:20:51
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox. Now, Old Granny Fox had not told the
• 1:20:55
  Speaker 1: truth when she said she knew where Farmer Brown's boy was.
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 1: She I thought she would trick old mister Buzzard into
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 1: telling her. In a few minutes, down came old mister Buzzard.
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 1: Bows of the hound is up in the old back pasture,
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 1: said he right, cried Old Granny Fox, clapping her hands,
• 1:21:14
  Speaker 1: And to where is Farmer Brown's boy Farmer Brown's.
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 3: Boys, Old mister Buzzard paused, Where where, asked Grannie Fox
• 1:21:27
  Speaker 3: so eagerly that old mister Buzzard looked at her sharply
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 3: you said you knew, So what's the use of telling you,
• 1:21:34
  Speaker 3: said old mister Buzzard. Then he added, bud.
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 1: If I was you, I suddenly would get home rat
• 1:21:42
  Speaker 1: smart soon. Why do tell me what you saw? Mister
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: Buzzard begged Granny Fox. But old mister Buzzard wouldn't say
• 1:21:51
  Speaker 1: another word. So old Granny Fox started for home as
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 1: fast as she could run. Oh, dear, I do hope
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 1: Ruddy Fox minded me, And in the house she muttered.
• 1:22:03
  Speaker 1: End of chapter twenty two and end of section five.
• 1:22:07
  Speaker 1: Recording by John Leader, Bloomington, Illinois, Section six of the
• 1:22:17
  Speaker 1: Adventures of Reddy Fox. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 1:22:22
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 1:22:26
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
• 1:22:32
  Speaker 1: John Leader.
• 1:22:32
  Speaker 4: And Mary Walln doing the Mary Little Breezes.
• 1:22:39
  Speaker 1: The Adventures of Reddy Fox by Thornton W. Burgess. Chapter
• 1:22:43
  Speaker 1: twenty three, Granny Fox has a terrible scare. Old Granny
• 1:22:50
  Speaker 1: Fox felt her heart sink way down to her toes,
• 1:22:54
  Speaker 1: for she felt sure old mister Buzzard had seen Farmer
• 1:22:57
  Speaker 1: Brown's boy at his gun over near the house. Reddy
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: Fox was nursing his wounds, or he wouldn't have advised
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 1: her to hurry home. She was already very tired and
• 1:23:07
  Speaker 1: hot from the long run to lead bows of the
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 1: hound away from the green meadows. She had thought to
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 1: walk home along shady paths and cool off. But now
• 1:23:16
  Speaker 1: she must run faster than ever, for she must know
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 1: if Farmer Brown's boy had found her house. It's lucky
• 1:23:23
  Speaker 1: I told Reddy Fox to go inside and not come
• 1:23:25
  Speaker 1: out till I returned. It's very lucky I did that,
• 1:23:29
  Speaker 1: thought Grannie Fox. As she ran. Presently she heard voices singing.
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 1: They seemed to be in the treetops over her head.
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 4: Happily we dance and play, although we once on ed day.
• 1:23:42
  Speaker 4: Happily we run in race and in our louss smiling face.
• 1:23:49
  Speaker 1: Grannie Fox knew the voices, and she looked up. Just
• 1:23:53
  Speaker 1: as she expected, she saw the merry little breezes of
• 1:23:56
  Speaker 1: old mother west Wind playing among the leaves. Just then
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 1: one of them looked down and saw her.
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 4: Here's old grayy Fox to see how hot and tire
• 1:24:07
  Speaker 4: tree looks.
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: Musso down and cool her off, shouted the merry little breeze.
• 1:24:14
  Speaker 1: In a flash, they were all down out of the
• 1:24:16
  Speaker 1: tree tops and dancing around Old Granny Fox, cooling her off.
• 1:24:21
  Speaker 1: Of course, Granny Fox kept right on running. She was
• 1:24:24
  Speaker 1: too worried, not too But the merry little breezes kept
• 1:24:28
  Speaker 1: right beside her, and it was not nearly as hard
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 1: running now as it had been. Have have you seen
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy patted Granny Fox?
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 4: Oh yes, we saw him just a while ago over
• 1:24:44
  Speaker 4: near your house, and he Fox sleep pulled his head
• 1:24:49
  Speaker 4: off just to hear him.
• 1:24:51
  Speaker 1: Scold shouted the merry little breezes, and then they tickled
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 1: and laughed as if they had had a good time
• 1:24:57
  Speaker 1: with Farmer Brown's boy. But old Granny Fox didn't laugh.
• 1:25:02
  Speaker 1: Oh my no. Indeed, her heart went lower still, and
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 1: she did her best to run faster. Pretty soon she
• 1:25:09
  Speaker 1: came out on the top of the hill where she
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 1: could look, and then it seemed as if her heart
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 1: came right up in her mouth and stopped beating. Her
• 1:25:18
  Speaker 1: eyes popped almost out of her head. There was Farmer
• 1:25:22
  Speaker 1: Brown's boy standing right in front of the door of
• 1:25:26
  Speaker 1: her home. And while she was watching, what should Reddy
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 1: Fox do but stick his head out the door. Old
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 1: Grannie Fox saw the gun of Farmer Brown's boy pointed
• 1:25:37
  Speaker 1: right at ready, and she clapped both hands over her
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 1: eyes to shut out the dreadful sight. Then she waited
• 1:25:44
  Speaker 1: for the bang of the gun. It didn't come. Then
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 1: Grannie peeped through her fingers. Farmer Brown's boy was still there,
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 1: but Reddy Fox had disappeared. Inside the house. Granny Fox
• 1:25:59
  Speaker 1: sighed in relief. It had been a terrible scare, the
• 1:26:03
  Speaker 1: worst she could remember. End of chapter twenty three. Chapter
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: twenty four, Granny and Reddy have to move. I don't
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 1: want to move, whined Reddy Fox. I'm too sore to walk.
• 1:26:19
  Speaker 1: Old Granny Fox gave him a shove. You go along
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 1: and do as I say, she snapped. If you had
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: minded me, we wouldn't have to move. It's all your
• 1:26:29
  Speaker 1: own fault. The wonder is that you weren't killed when
• 1:26:32
  Speaker 1: you poked your head out right in front of Farmer
• 1:26:34
  Speaker 1: Brown's boy. Now that he knows where we live, he
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 1: will give us no peace. Move along, lively. Now this
• 1:26:42
  Speaker 1: is the best home I have ever had, and now
• 1:26:46
  Speaker 1: I've got to leave it. Oh dear, oh dear, Reddy
• 1:26:50
  Speaker 1: Fox hobbled along up the long hall and out the
• 1:26:53
  Speaker 1: front door. He was walking on three legs, and at
• 1:26:57
  Speaker 1: every step he made a face because it hurts so
• 1:27:01
  Speaker 1: to walk. The little stars looking down from the sky
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 1: saw Reddy Fox limp out the door of the house
• 1:27:07
  Speaker 1: he had lived in so long, and right behind him
• 1:27:11
  Speaker 1: came old Granny Fox. Grannie sighed and wiped away a
• 1:27:15
  Speaker 1: tear as she said goodbye to her old home. Reddy
• 1:27:19
  Speaker 1: Fox was thinking too much of his own troubles to
• 1:27:22
  Speaker 1: notice how badly Granny Fox was feeling. Every few steps
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 1: he had to sit down and rest because it hurt
• 1:27:28
  Speaker 1: him so to walk. I don't see the use of
• 1:27:32
  Speaker 1: moving tonight anyway. It would be a lot easier and
• 1:27:35
  Speaker 1: pleasanter when the sun is shining. This night ear makes
• 1:27:39
  Speaker 1: me so stiff that I know I never will get
• 1:27:42
  Speaker 1: over it, grumbled Reddy Fox. Old Granny Fox listened to
• 1:27:46
  Speaker 1: him for a while, and then she lost patience. Yes, sir,
• 1:27:50
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox lost patience. She boxed Ready Fox, first on
• 1:27:55
  Speaker 1: one ear and then on the other. Ready began to snivel.
• 1:28:00
  Speaker 1: Stop it, said Granny Fox, sharply, do you want all
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 1: the neighbors to know that we have got to move?
• 1:28:07
  Speaker 1: They'll find it out soon enough. Now come along without
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 1: any more fuss. If you don't, I'll just go off
• 1:28:14
  Speaker 1: and leave you to shift for yourself. Then how will
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: you get anything to eat? Reddy Fox wiped his eyes
• 1:28:20
  Speaker 1: on his coat sleeve and hobbled along as best he could.
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 1: Granny Fox would run a little way ahead to see
• 1:28:27
  Speaker 1: that the way was safe, and then come back for ready. Oh,
• 1:28:31
  Speaker 1: poor Reddy. He did his best not to complain, but
• 1:28:34
  Speaker 1: it was such hard work, and somehow Reddy Fox didn't
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 1: believe that it was at all necessary. He had been
• 1:28:42
  Speaker 1: terribly frightened when he had disobeyed Granny Fox that afternoon
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 1: and put his head out the door, only to look
• 1:28:48
  Speaker 1: right into the freckled face of Farmer Brown's boy. He
• 1:28:51
  Speaker 1: had ducked back out of sight again, too quickly for
• 1:28:54
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's Boy to shoot. And now he couldn't see
• 1:28:58
  Speaker 1: why old Granny Fox wanted to move that very night.
• 1:29:02
  Speaker 1: She's getting old. She's getting old and timid and fussy,
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 1: muttered Reddy Fox as he hobbled along behind her. It
• 1:29:11
  Speaker 1: seemed to ready as if they had walked miles and miles.
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 1: He really thought that they had been walking nearly all night.
• 1:29:19
  Speaker 1: When old Granny Fox stopped in front of the worst
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 1: looking old fox house, Reddy had ever seen here we are,
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: said she? What are we going to live in that thing?
• 1:29:33
  Speaker 1: Cried Reddy. It isn't fit for any respectable fox to
• 1:29:37
  Speaker 1: put his nose into. It is where I was born,
• 1:29:41
  Speaker 1: snapped old Granny Fox. If you want to keep out
• 1:29:44
  Speaker 1: of arm's way, don't go to putting on airs. Now,
• 1:29:49
  Speaker 1: who scorns the simple things of life and totes's nose
• 1:29:52
  Speaker 1: at all he sees is almost sure to feel the
• 1:29:55
  Speaker 1: knife of want cut through his pleasant ease. Now don't
• 1:29:59
  Speaker 1: let me hear another word from you, but get in
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: sight at once. Reddy Fox didn't quite understand all Granny
• 1:30:07
  Speaker 1: Fox said, but he knew when she was to be obeyed,
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 1: and so he crawled gingerly through the broken down doorway.
• 1:30:15
  Speaker 1: End of chapter twenty four. Chapter twenty five, Peter Rabbit
• 1:30:20
  Speaker 1: makes a discovery. Hardly had jolly round Red Mister Sun
• 1:30:25
  Speaker 1: thrown off his nightcap and come out from his home
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 1: behind the Purple Hills for his daily climb up in
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: the blue blue sky. When Farmer Brown's boy started down
• 1:30:35
  Speaker 1: the lone little path through the green forest, Peter Rabbit,
• 1:30:39
  Speaker 1: who had been out all night and was just then
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: on his way, home saw him, Peter stopped and sat
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 1: up to rub his eyes and look again. He wasn't
• 1:30:48
  Speaker 1: quite sure that he had seen aright the first time,
• 1:30:52
  Speaker 1: but he had. There was Farmer Brown's boy, sure enough,
• 1:30:56
  Speaker 1: and at his heels trotted bows of the hound. Peter
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 1: Rabbit rubbed his eyes once more and wrinkled up his eyebrows.
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy certainly had a gun over one shoulder
• 1:31:08
  Speaker 1: and a spade over the other. Where could he be
• 1:31:11
  Speaker 1: going down the lone little path with a spade? Farmer
• 1:31:15
  Speaker 1: Brown's garden certainly was not in that direction. Peter watched
• 1:31:19
  Speaker 1: him out of sight, and then he hurried down to
• 1:31:21
  Speaker 1: the green meadows to tell Johnny Chuck what he had seen.
• 1:31:25
  Speaker 1: My how Peter's long legs did fly. He was so
• 1:31:29
  Speaker 1: excited that he had forgotten how sleepy he had felt
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 1: a few minutes before. Half way down to Johnny Chuck's house,
• 1:31:36
  Speaker 1: Peter Rabbit almost ran plump into Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk,
• 1:31:40
  Speaker 1: who had been quarreling and were calling each other names.
• 1:31:43
  Speaker 1: They stopped when they saw Peter Rabbit. Peter Rabbit runs
• 1:31:48
  Speaker 1: away from his shatter, so they say, Peter, Peter, what
• 1:31:52
  Speaker 1: a sight? Tell us. Why this sudden fright, shouted Bobby Coon.
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 1: Peter Rabbit stopped short. Indeed, he stopped so short that
• 1:32:01
  Speaker 1: he almost turned a somersault say, he panted. I've just
• 1:32:07
  Speaker 1: seen Farmer Brown's boy. You don't say so, said Jimmy Skunk,
• 1:32:12
  Speaker 1: pretending to be very much surprised. You don't say so,
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 1: Why now I think of it. I believe I've seen
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's boy a few times myself. Peter Rabbit made
• 1:32:24
  Speaker 1: a good natured face at Jimmy Skunk, and then he
• 1:32:26
  Speaker 1: told all about how he had seen Farmer Brown's boy
• 1:32:29
  Speaker 1: with a gone and spade and bows of the hound
• 1:32:32
  Speaker 1: going down the lone little path. You know there isn't
• 1:32:36
  Speaker 1: any garden down that way, he concluded. Bobby Coon's face
• 1:32:41
  Speaker 1: wore a sober look. Yes, sir, all the fun was
• 1:32:44
  Speaker 1: gone from Bobby Coon's face. What's the matter, asked Jimmy Skunk. Oh,
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 1: I was just thinking that Reddy Fox lives over in
• 1:32:53
  Speaker 1: that direction, and he is so stiff that he cannot run,
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 1: replied Bobby Coon. Jimmy Skunk hitched up his trousers and
• 1:33:02
  Speaker 1: started toward the lone little path. Come on, said he
• 1:33:06
  Speaker 1: let's follow him. In see what he is about. Bobby
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: Coon followed at once, but Peter Rabbit said he would
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 1: hurry over and getch Johnny Chuck, and then joined the others.
• 1:33:17
  Speaker 1: All this time, Farmer Brown's Boy had been hurrying down
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: the lone little path to the home Old Granny Fox
• 1:33:23
  Speaker 1: and Reddy Fox had moved out of the night before.
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 1: Of course, he didn't know that they had moved. He
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: put down his gun, and by the time Jimmy Skunk
• 1:33:33
  Speaker 1: and Bobby Coon and Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck reached
• 1:33:36
  Speaker 1: a place where they could peep out and see what
• 1:33:39
  Speaker 1: was going on, he had dug a great hole. Oh,
• 1:33:43
  Speaker 1: cried Peter Rabbit. He's digging into the house of Reddy
• 1:33:46
  Speaker 1: Fox and he'll catch poor ready. End up Chapter twenty five,
• 1:33:53
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty six. Farmer Brown's Boy works for nothing. The
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 1: grass around the door step of the house where Reddy
• 1:34:01
  Speaker 1: Fox had always lived was all wet with dew. When
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 1: Farmer Brown's Boy laid his gun down, took off his coat,
• 1:34:08
  Speaker 1: rolled up his shirt sleeves, and picked up his spade.
• 1:34:11
  Speaker 1: It was cool and beautiful there on the edge of
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 1: the green meadows Jolly round Red Mister Sun had just
• 1:34:18
  Speaker 1: begun his long climb up in the blue, blue sky.
• 1:34:21
  Speaker 1: Mister Redwing was singing for joy over in the bulrushes
• 1:34:25
  Speaker 1: on the edge of the smiling pool. Yes, it was
• 1:34:29
  Speaker 1: very beautiful, very beautiful. Indeed, it didn't seem as if
• 1:34:33
  Speaker 1: harm could come to anyone on such a beautiful morning.
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 1: But there was Farmer Brown's Boy. He had crawled on
• 1:34:40
  Speaker 1: his hands and knees without making a sound, to get
• 1:34:43
  Speaker 1: near enough to the home of Reddy Fox to shoot
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 1: if Freddy was outside, But there was no sign of ready.
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 1: So Farmer Brown's Boy had hopped up, and now he
• 1:34:53
  Speaker 1: was whistling as he began to dig. His freckled face
• 1:34:56
  Speaker 1: looked good natured. It didn't seem as if he could
• 1:34:59
  Speaker 1: mean harm to anyone. But there lay the gun, and
• 1:35:04
  Speaker 1: he was working as if he meant to get to
• 1:35:06
  Speaker 1: the very bottom of Reddy Fox's home. Deeper and deeper
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 1: grew the hole, and bigger and bigger grew the pile
• 1:35:12
  Speaker 1: of sand which he threw out. He didn't know that
• 1:35:15
  Speaker 1: anyone was watching him except Bowser the Hound. He didn't
• 1:35:19
  Speaker 1: see Johnny Chuck peeping from behind a tall bunch of
• 1:35:22
  Speaker 1: meadow grass, or Peter Rabbit peeping from behind a tree
• 1:35:26
  Speaker 1: on the edge of the green forest, or Bobby Coon
• 1:35:29
  Speaker 1: looking from a safe hiding place in the top of
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: that same tree. He didn't see Jimmy Skunk or unc
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 1: Billy possum, or Happy Jack squirrel or Digger the badger.
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: He didn't see one of them. But they saw him.
• 1:35:43
  Speaker 1: They saw every shovelful of sand that he threw, and
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: their hearts went pitapat as they watched. For each one
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: felt sure that something dreadful was going to happen to
• 1:35:53
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox. Only ol mister Buzzard knew better. From way
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 1: up high in the blue blue sky, could looked down
• 1:36:00
  Speaker 1: and see many things. He could see all the little
• 1:36:03
  Speaker 1: meadow and forest people who were watching Farmer Brown's boy,
• 1:36:07
  Speaker 1: and the harder Farmer Brown's Boy worked, the more Old
• 1:36:11
  Speaker 1: mister Buzzard chuckled to himself, what was he laughing at? Why?
• 1:36:16
  Speaker 1: He could see the sharp face of old Granny Fox
• 1:36:19
  Speaker 1: peeping out from behind an old fence corner, and she
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 1: was grinning so Old mister Buzzard knew Reddy Fox was safe.
• 1:36:27
  Speaker 1: But the other little people of the green forest in
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: the green meadows didn't know that Old Granny Fox and
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: Reddy Fox had moved, and their faces grew longer and
• 1:36:37
  Speaker 1: longer as they watched Farmer Brown's boy go deeper and
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 1: deeper into the ground. Ready, Fox has worried me almost
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 1: to death and would eat me if he could catch me.
• 1:36:47
  Speaker 1: But somehow things wouldn't be quite the same without him around. Oh, dear,
• 1:36:53
  Speaker 1: I don't want him killed, moaned Peter Rabbit. Perhaps he
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 1: isn't home, said jim Me Skunk. Of course he's home.
• 1:37:02
  Speaker 1: He's so stiff and saw he can hardly walk it
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 1: all and has to stay home, replied Johnny Chuck. Hello,
• 1:37:09
  Speaker 1: what's the matter? Now? Everybody looked Farmer Brown's boy had
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 1: climbed out of the hole. He looked tired and cross.
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 1: He rested for a few minutes, and as he rested
• 1:37:21
  Speaker 1: he scowled. Then he began to shovel the sand back
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 1: into the hole. He had reached the bottom and found
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: no one there. Hurrah, shouted Peter Rabbit and struck his
• 1:37:34
  Speaker 1: heels together as he jumped up in the air, And
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 1: the others were just as glad as Peter Rabbit. Johnny
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 1: Chuck was especially glad for you See, Farmer Brown's boy
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: had once found Johnny's snug home, and Johnny had had
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 1: to move as suddenly as did Granny and Reddy Fox.
• 1:37:52
  Speaker 1: Johnny knew just how ready must feel, for he had
• 1:37:55
  Speaker 1: had many narrow escapes in his short life. You can
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 1: read all about them the next book, The Adventures of
• 1:38:02
  Speaker 1: Johnny Chuck end of Chapter twenty six and end of
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 1: section six and end of the Adventures of Reddy Fox
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 1: by Thornton W. Burgess. Recording by Erie Lollan and John
• 1:38:18
  Speaker 1: Leader