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XV
SAMMY JAY SPOILS THE PLAN OF REDDY FOX FREDDY FOX
found
Sammy Jay in a bad temper. Sammy had missed his usual breakfast of corn
stolen
from Farmer Brown's corncrib, and it had made him cross. "Good
morning," said Reddy in his politest manner, and no one can be more
polite
than Reddy Fox when he sets out to be. "Morning,"
mumbled Sammy Jay. "I found
out
something this morning which may interest you," said Reddy, taking no
notice of Sammy's cross looks. "It
won't," replied Sammy positively. "It won't. Nothing interests
me." "Not even
traps?" asked Reddy slyly. "What's
that?" demanded Sammy, looking at Reddy sharply. "Oh,
nothing
much," replied Reddy, quite as if the matter didn't interest him
especially, "only I found out something this morning that I thought you
might like to see, if you wasn't such a coward." "Who says
I'm
a coward?" shrieked Sammy Jay, dancing about with anger. "I do,"
replied Reddy. "You don't dare go with me to-morrow morning and see
what
is going on at Farmer Brown's corn-crib." "It isn't
true!" Sammy shrieked. "I dare go wherever you dare go, so there,
Reddy Fox!" "Then I
dare
you to meet me tomorrow morning at the edge of the Green Forest at
sun-up and
go with me to watch Farmer Brown's corn-crib," Reddy replied. "I'll be
there!"
snapped Sammy. "I'll have you to understand that you don't dare do
anything that I don't dare do!" snapped Sammy, though to tell the truth
he
had felt his heart sink at the mere mention of Farmer Brown's
corn-crib, for
you remember it was there that he had had a terrible fright only the
morning
before. "All
right,
see that you are on hand at sun-up sharp," replied Reddy and trotted
away
grinning, for he was smart enough to know that Sammy would risk a great
deal
rather than be called a coward, for no one likes to be called a coward.
Early the
next
morning Reddy Fox and Sammy Jay met at the edge of the Green Forest. "Now,"
Reddy explained, "we will go over by the fence back of the corncrib. I
will hide there, just where I hid yesterday morning, and you will hide
in the
evergreen-tree close by. Watch the roof of the corn-crib, and I think
you will
see something that may explain how you happened to be caught by the
bill the
other morning. But whatever you see, don't make a sound, not the least
bit of a
sound." Sammy
promised, and
they hurried over to their hiding places. Hardly had Sammy settled
himself in
the evergreen-tree when he saw Chatterer jump to the roof of the
corn-crib from
the limb of the tree which overhung it. Almost in a flash Chatterer had
disappeared through a hole just under the edge of the roof. No sooner
was he
out of sight, than Reddy Fox ran swiftly across to the old stone wall
at the
edge of the Old Orchard and hid behind it. Right away Sammy Jay guessed
that
Chatterer had had something to do with the terrible fright he had had
at the
corn-crib when his bill was caught as he pecked at the corn between the
cracks
in the wall. "It wasn't
a
trap at all, but Chatterer!" thought Sammy and right away grew so angry
that he could hardly sit still. But he wanted to see what Chatterer
would do
next, so he bit his tongue to keep it still. Pretty soon out came
Chatterer
with his cheeks stuffed full of corn. That was too much for Sammy Jay.
He
forgot all about his promise not to make a sound. He darted out of his
hiding
place and flew at Chatterer in a terrible rage, screaming at the top of
his
voice and calling Chatterer every bad thing he could think of. Of
course
Chatterer couldn't reply, because his cheeks were so stuffed with corn,
but he
could run. Like a little red flash he was in the tree that overhung the
corn-crib and dodging around the trunk. Over
behind the
stone wall Reddy Fox snarled, for with such a noise he knew it wasn't
safe to
stay there any longer. |