the bold visit of old granny fox to bowser the hound in farmer brown's dooryard right in broad daylight was all a part of the clever plan granny had worked out to make trouble for old man coyote. first she had sent reddy fox to make sure that old man coyote was taking his usual sun-nap in his usual place. if he were, reddy was to softly steal away and then hurry to the top of the crooked little path where it comes down the hill. when he got there, he was to bark three times. granny was to be hidden behind the old stone wall on the edge of farmer brown's orchard, and when she heard reddy bark, she was to do her part, while reddy was to hide in a secret place on the edge of the green forest and watch what would happen.

it all turned out just as granny had planned. she had been in hiding behind the old stone wall only a few minutes when she heard reddy bark three times. granny grinned. then she stole up to farmer brown's dooryard, and there she found bowser the hound fast asleep and dreaming. she was just getting ready to bark to waken him, when he waked himself with his own voice. it was just then that a hen happened to walk around the corner of the house. granny's eyes sparkled. “good,” said she to herself. “i'll take this hen along with me, and reddy and i will have a good dinner after i have set bowser to chasing old man coyote,”—for that was what granny was planning to do. so she caught the hen, threw it over her shoulder, and started off with bowser the hound after her, making a great noise with his big voice.

now, of course granny knew that she couldn't carry that hen very far and keep ahead of bowser, so she ran straight across the old orchard towards the secret place on the edge of the green forest where she knew that reddy fox was hiding. when she was sure that reddy could see her, she gave the hen a toss over into the grass and then raced away towards the green meadows. you see, she knew that bowser would keep on right after her, and when it was safe for him to do so, reddy would steal out from his hiding place and get the hen, and that is just what did happen.

away ran granny, and after her ran bowser, and all the little meadow and forest people heard his great voice and were glad that he was not after them. but granny fox was not worried. you see, she had fooled him so many times that she knew she could do it again. so she kept just a little way ahead of him and gradually led him towards the place where old man coyote took his sun-nap every day. but she was too smart to run straight towards it, “for,” said she to herself, “if i do that, he will become alarmed and run away before bowser is near enough to see him.” so she ran in a big circle around the place, feeling sure that old man coyote would lie perfectly still so as not to be seen.

round and round ran granny fox with bowser after her, and all the time she was making the circles smaller and smaller so as to get nearer and nearer to the napping-place of old man coyote. when she thought that she was near enough, she suddenly started straight for it.

“now,” thought she, “he'll jump and run, and when bowser sees him, he will forget all about me. he will follow old man coyote, and perhaps he will drive him away from the green meadows forever.”

nearer and nearer to the napping place granny drew. she was almost there. why didn't old man coyote jump and run? at last she was right to it. she could see just where he had been stretched out, but he wasn't there now. there wasn't a sign of him anywhere! what did it mean? just then she heard a sound over in the green forest that made her grind her teeth with rage.

“ha, ha, ha! ho, ho, ho! hee, hee, nee! ha, ho, hee, ho!” it was the laughter of old man coyote.

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《thornton w. burgess》