Tommy and Bessie, Bert, and even little Caddie, think there is no
treat like a visit to Covill Farm.
They all jumped for joy when, one bright afternoon in early summer,
their papa said:--
"I am going out past the Covill Farm, and if any little folks want to
go along they may stop there while I do my errands."
How soon they were all ready! How busy all the little tongues were,
talking over what they would see and do!
"There'll be lots of little chickens now; and ducklings, too!"
"Yes; and we'll see the dear little lambs, and the little calfeys!"
"And maybe we can go down to the boat-house, and have a row on the
lake!"
But they never dreamed of the funny sight they really saw that
afternoon. Papa set them all down at the gate, and drove on, promising
to come back for them in an hour.
When he came back he tied his horse, and set out to find the little
folks. But in a few moments they saw him, and came rushing across the
yard, all talking at once:--
"O papa, come! come and see!"
"Oh, so funny!"
Little two-year-old Caddie was as much excited as the rest; she
cried:--
[Illustration: {NINE FOX CUBS.}]
"Take my hand, papa! Little piggies shall not bite you!"
"Little piggies," indeed! Little foxes they were; and nine of the
cunning creatures. Only think!
The manager of the farm said that something had been killing his
lambs, and he had been on the watch to find out the rascal.
One day, when he was out with his gun, he saw something moving near
an old woodchuck hole; at least, there had been woodchucks there the
year before.
He went nearer, expecting to see a woodchuck again; but there were
these little foxes playing around. The woodchucks must have burrowed
out, and an old fox taken possession of their hole for a den.
Mr. Nash lay down on the ground to count the funny little things, and
watch them tumbling over each other. Then he tried to stop up the
entrance to their den with his coat, so that he could catch them. But
a tree root lay across the hole in such a way that there was a place
left big enough for the little foxes to get in; and in they went.
Then Mr. Nash went and called a man to help him. They took spades and
dug into the hole until they found them.
They carried them up to the farm-yard, and put them into a pen. They
were of a tawny color; and when the children saw them they were about
as large as cats, and as full of play as any kittens.
Mr. Nash said he did not want to kill them, because they were so
cunning. But it was a good thing that he caught them. Just think how
many chickens, and ducks, and geese, and lambs those nine foxes might
have killed, if they had grown up in their den!