第 8 节
作者:怀疑一切      更新:2021-02-18 22:48      字数:9322
  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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  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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  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;   indeed!   Old   Granny   Fox   was   taking   great   care   to   see   that   her
  tracks were easy to follow。 She wanted Bowser the Hound to follow them;
  although it made her tired and hot and cross。 Why did she? Well; you see;
  she   was   trying   to   lead   him;   and   with   him   Farmer   Brown's   boy;   far;   far
  away  from  the   home   where   Reddy  Fox   was nursing the   wounds that   he
  had received when Farmer Brown's boy had shot at him a few days before。
  〃Bow; wow; wow!〃 roared Bowser the Hound; following every twist
  and   turn   which   Granny  Fox   made;  just   as she   wanted him  to。  Back   and
  forth across the old pasture and way up among the rocks on the edge of the
  mountain   Granny   Fox   led   Bowser   the   Hound。   It   was   a   long;   long;   long
  way   from   the   Green   Meadows   and   the   Green   Forest。   Granny   Fox   had
  made it a long way purposely。 She was willing to be tired herself if she
  could also tire Bowser the Hound and Farmer Brown's boy。 She wanted to
  tire them so that when she finally puzzled and fooled them and left them
  there; they would be too tired to go back to the Green Meadows。
  By and by Granny Fox came to a hole in the ground; an old house that
  had once belonged to her grandfather。 Now this old house had a back door
  hidden close beside the hollow trunk of a fallen tree。 Old Granny Fox just
  ran through the house; out the back door; through the hollow tree; and then
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  jumped into a little brook where there was hardly more than enough water
  to wet her feet。 Walking in the water; she left no scent in her tracks。
  Bowser the Hound came roaring up to the front door of the old house。
  Granny's tracks led right inside; and Bowser grew so excited that he made
  a tremendous noise。 At last he had found where Granny