the adventures of reddy fox(兰迪福克斯奇遇)-第7部分
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to find it。 Then watch out； Mr。 Fox！〃
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THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX
Farmer Brown's boy whistled for Bowser the Hound and started for the
Green Forest。
Unc' Billy Possum poked his sharp little old face out from under the
henhouse and watched them go。 Usually Unc' Billy is grinning； but now
there wasn't any grin； not the least sign of one。 Instead Unc' Billy Possum
looked worried。
〃There goes that boy with a gun； and nobody knows what'll happen
when it goes off。 If he can't find Reddy Fox； just as likely as not he'll point
it at somebody else just fo' fun。 Ah hope he doan meet up with mah ol'
woman or any of mah li'l' pickaninnies。 Ah'm plumb afraid of a boy with a
gun； Ah am。 'Pears like he doan have any sense。 Ah reckon Ah better be
moving along right smart and tell mah family to stay right close in the ol'
hollow tree；〃 muttered Unc' Billy Possum； slipping out from his hiding
place。 Then Unc' Billy began to run as fast as he could toward the Green
Forest。
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THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX
XVIII。 The Hunt for Reddy Fox
〃Trouble； trouble； trouble； I feel it in the air； Trouble； trouble； trouble；
it's round me everywhere。〃
Old Granny Fox muttered this over and over； as she kept walking
around uneasily and sniffing the air。
〃I don't see any trouble and I don't feel any trouble in the air。 It's all in
the sore places where I was shot；〃 said Reddy Fox； who was stretched out
on the doorstep of their home。
〃That's because you haven't got any sense。 When you do get some and
learn to look where you are going； you won't get shot from behind old tree
trunks and you will be able to feel trouble when it is near； without waiting
for it to show itself。 Now I feel trouble。 You go down into the house and
stay there！〃 Granny Fox stopped to test the air with her nose； just as she
had been testing it for the last ten minutes。
〃I don't want to go in；〃 whined Reddy Fox。 〃It's nice and warm out
here； and I feel a lot better than when I am curled up way down there in
the dark。〃
Old Granny Fox turned； and her eyes blazed as she looked at Reddy
Fox。 She didn't say a word。 She didn't have to。 Reddy just crawled into his
house； muttering to himself。 Granny stuck her head in at the door。
〃Don't you come out until I come back；〃 she ordered。 Then she added：
〃Farmer Brown's boy is coming with his gun。〃
Reddy Fox shivered when he heard that。 He didn't believe Granny Fox。
He thought she was saying that just to scare him and make him stay inside。
But he shivered just the same。 You see； he knew now what it meant to be
shot； for he was still too stiff and sore to run； all because he had gone too
near Farmer Brown's boy and his gun。
But old Granny Fox had not been fooling when she told Reddy Fox
that Farmer Brown's boy was coming with a gun。 It was true。 He was
coming down the Lone Little Path； and ahead of him was trotting Bowser
the Hound。 How did old Granny Fox know it？ She just felt it！ She didn't
hear them； she didn't see them； and she didn't smell them； she just felt that
they were coming。 So as soon as she saw that Reddy Fox had obeyed her；
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she was off like a little red flash。
〃It won't do to let them find our home；〃 said Granny to herself； as she
disappeared in the Green Forest。
First she hurried to a little point on the hill where she could look down
the Lone Little Path。 Just as she expected； she saw Farmer Brown's boy；
and ahead of him； sniffing at every bush and all along the Lone Little Path；
was Bowser the Hound。 Old Granny Fox waited to see no more。 She ran as
fast as she could in a big circle which brought her out on the Lone Little
Path below Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the Hound； but where they
couldn't see her； because of a turn in the Lone Little Path。 She trotted
down the Lone Little Path a very little way and then turned into the woods
and hurried back up the hill； where she sat down and waited。 In a few
minutes she heard Bowser's great voice。 He had smelled her track in the
Lone Little Path and was following it。 Old Granny Fox grinned。 You see；
she was planning to lead them far； far away from the home where Reddy
Fox was hiding； for it would not do to have them find it。
And Farmer Brown's boy also grinned； as he heard the voice of
Bowser the Hound。
〃I'll hunt that fox until I get him；〃 he said。 You see； he didn't know
anything about old Granny Fox； he thought Bowser was following Reddy
Fox。
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THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX
XIX Unc' Billy Possum Gives
Warning
〃What's the matter with you； Unc' Billy？ You look as if you had lost
your last friend。〃 It was Jimmy Skunk who spoke。
Unc' Billy Possum stopped short。 He had been hurrying so fast that he
hadn't seen Jimmy Skunk at all。
〃Matter enuff； Suh！ Matter enuff！〃 said Unc' Billy Possum； when he
could get his breath。 〃Do you hear that noise？〃
〃Sure； I hear that noise。 That's only Bowser the Hound chasing old
Granny Fox。 When she gets tired she'll lose him；〃 replied Jimmy Skunk。
〃What are you worrying about Bowser the Hound for？〃
〃Bowser the Hound will have to be smarter than he is now befo' he can
worry me； Ah reckon；〃 said Unc' Billy Possum scornfully。 〃It isn't Bowser
the Hound； it's Farmer Brown's boy and his gun！〃 Then Unc' Billy told
Jimmy Skunk how he had been hiding in the woodpile at Farmer Brown's
and had heard Farmer Brown's boy say that he was going to hunt over the
Green Meadows and through the Green Forest until he got Reddy Fox。
〃What of it？〃 asked Jimmy Skunk。 〃If he gets Reddy Fox； so much the
better。 Reddy always did make trouble for other people。 I don't see what
you're worrying about Reddy Fox for。 He's big enough to take care of
himself。〃
〃Yo' cert'nly are plumb slow in your wits this morning； Jimmy Skunk；
yo' cert'nly are plumb slow！ Supposing yo' should meet up with Farmer
Brown's boy with that gun in his hands and supposing he had grown tired
of watching fo' Reddy Fox。 That gun might go off； Jimmy Skunk； it might
go off when it was pointing right straight at yo'！〃 said Unc' Billy Possum。
Jimmy Skunk looked serious。 〃That's so； Unc' Billy； that's so！〃 he said。
〃Boys with guns do get dreadfully careless； dreadfully careless。 They don't
seem to think anything about the feelings of those likely to get hurt when
the gun goes off。 What was you thinking of doing； Unc' Billy？〃
〃Just passing the word along so everybody in the Green Meadows and
in the Green Forest will keep out of the way of Farmer Brown's boy；〃
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replied Unc' Billy Possum。
〃Good idea； Unc' Billy！ I'll help you；〃 said Jimmy Skunk。
So Unc' Billy Possum went one way； and Jimmy Skunk went another
way。 And everyone they told hurried to tell someone else。 Happy Jack
Squirrel told Chatterer the Red Squirrel； Chatterer told Striped Chipmunk；
and Striped Chipmunk told Danny Meadow Mouse。 Danny Meadow
Mouse told Johnny Chuck； Johnny Chuck told Peter Rabbit； Peter Rabbit
told Jumper the Hare； Jumper the Hare told Prickly Porky； Prickly Porky
told Bobby Coon； Bobby Coon told Billy Mink； Billy Mink told Little Joe
Otter； Little Joe Otter told Jerry Muskrat； and Jerry Muskrat told
Grandfather Frog。 And everybody hastened to hide from Farmer Brown's
boy and his terrible gun。
By and by Farmer Brown's boy noticed how still it was in the Green
Forest。 Nowhere did he see or hear a bird。 Nowhere could he catch a
glimpse of anybody who wore fur。 〃That fox must have scared away all
the other animals and driven away all the birds。 I'll get him！ See if I don't！〃
muttered Farmer Brown's boy； and never once guessed that they were
hiding from him。
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THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX
XX。 Old Granny Fox Makes a
Mistake
Old Granny Fox was running through the overgrown old pasture； way
up back of Farmer Brown's。 She was cross and tired and hot； for it was a
very warm day。 Behind her came Bowser the Hound； his nose in Granny s
tracks； and making a great noise with his big voice。 Granny Fox was cross
because she was tired。 She hadn't done much running lately。 She didn't
mind running when the weather was cold； but now〃Oh dear； it is hot！〃
sighed old Granny Fox； as she stopped a minute to rest。
Now old Granny Fox is very； very smart and very； very wise。 She
knows all the tricks with which foxes fool those who try to catch them。
She knew that she could fool Bowser the Hound and puzzle him so that he
wouldn't be able to follow her track at all。 But she wasn't ready to do that
yet。 No； i
