Mother West Winds Children | Page 7

floated back
into the Lone Pine and with it went the plump chicken.
Reddy Fox, still with his wicked, selfish smile, trotted back with Billy
Mink's duck, but he dropped it in sheer surprise when he discovered
that his plump chicken had disappeared. Now Reddy Fox is very
suspicious, as people who are not honest themselves are very apt to be.
So he left Billy Mink's duck where he had dropped it and trotted very,
very softly up the Lone Little Path to try to catch the thief who had
stolen his plump chicken.
No sooner was his back turned than down out of the Lone Pine floated
the great shadow, and when a minute later Reddy Fox returned, Billy
Mink's duck had also disappeared.
Reddy Fox could hardly believe his eyes. He didn't smile now. He was
too angry and too frightened. Yes, Reddy Fox was frightened. He
walked in a big circle round and round the place where the plump
chicken and the duck had been, and the more he walked, the more
suspicious he became. He wrinkled and wrinkled his little black nose in
an effort to smell the intruder, but not a whiff could he get. All was as
still and peaceful as could be. Little Joe Otter's trout lay shining in the
moonlight. The big head of cabbage lay just where Peter Rabbit and
Jumper the Hare had left it. Reddy Fox rubbed his eyes to make sure
that he was not dreaming and that the plump chicken and the duck were
not there too.
Just then Bowser the Hound, over at Farmer Brown's, bayed at the
moon. Reddy Fox always is nervous and by this time he was so fidgety
that he couldn't stand still. When Bowser the Hound bayed at the moon
Reddy Fox jumped a foot off the ground and whirled about in the

direction of Farmer Brown's house. Then he remembered that Bowser
the Hound is always chained up at night, so that he had nothing to fear
from him.
After listening and looking a moment Reddy Fox decided that all was
safe. "Well," said he to himself, "I'll have that fat trout anyway," and
turned to get it.
But the fat trout he had seen a minute before shining in the moonlight
had also disappeared. Reddy Fox looked and looked until his eyes
nearly popped out of his head. Then he did what all cowards do--ran
home as fast as his legs could carry him.
Now of course Billy Mink didn't find Bobby Coon, and when he came
back up the Lone Little Path he was very tired, very hungry and very
cross. And of course Jimmy Skunk failed to find the nest of Mrs.
Grouse, and Little Joe Otter could find no trace of the shining big
sucker among the rushes beside the Smiling Pool. They also were very
tired, very hungry and very cross.
When the three returned to the Lone Pine and found nothing there but
the big head of cabbage, which none of them liked, the empty egg
shells of old Gray Goose and Jerry Muskrat's clams, they straightway
fell to accusing each other of having stolen the duck and the fat trout
and the eggs and began to quarrel dreadfully.
Pretty soon up came Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare, who had failed
to find the tender young carrots. And up came Jerry Muskrat, who had
found no luscious sweet apples.
"Where is Reddy Fox?" asked Peter Rabbit.
Sure enough, where was Reddy Fox? Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter
and Jimmy Skunk stopped quarreling and looked at each other.
"Reddy Fox is the thief!" they cried all together.
Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare and Jerry Muskrat agreed that Reddy

Fox must be the thief, and had sent them all away on false errands that
he might have the feast all to himself.
So because there was nothing else to do, Billy Mink and Little Joe
Otter, tired and hungry and angry, started for their homes beside the
Laughing Brook. And Jimmy Skunk, also tired and hungry and angry,
started off up the Crooked Little Path to look for some beetles.
But Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare sat down to enjoy the big head of
cabbage, while close beside them sat Jerry Muskrat smacking his lips
over his clams, they tasted so good. Mother Moon looked down and
smiled and smiled, for she knew that each had a clear conscience, for
they had done no harm to anyone.
And up in the thick top of the great pine Hooty the Owl nodded sleepily,
for his stomach was very full of chicken and duck and trout, although
he had not been invited to the party.
And this is why Reddy Fox has no true friends on