|OLD GRANNY FOX was not feeling well. For three days she had been
unable to go out hunting, and for three days Reddy Fox had tried to find
something to tempt Granny's appetite. He had brought in a tender young
chicken from Farmer Brown's hen yard, and he had stolen a plump trout
from Billy Mink's storehouse, but Granny had just turned up her nose.
"What I need," said Granny Fox, "is a tender young rabbit."
Now, Reddy Fox is very fond of Granny Fox, and when she said that she
needed a tender young rabbit, Reddy made up his mind that he would get
it for her, though how he was going to do it he didn't know. Dozens of
times he had tried to catch Peter Rabbit, and every time Peter's long
legs had taken him to a place of safety. "I'll just have to fool Peter
Rabbit," said Reddy Fox, as he sat on his door-steps and looked over the
Green Meadows.
Reddy Fox is very sly. He is so sly that it is hard work to be sure
when he is honest and when he is playing a trick. As he sat on his
door-steps, looking across the Green Meadows, he saw the Merry Little
Breezes coming his way. Reddy smiled to himself. When they got near
enough, he shouted to them.
"Will you do something for me?" he asked.
"Of course we will," shouted the Merry Little Breezes, who are always
delighted to do something for others.
"I wish you would find Peter Rabbit and tell him that I have found a new
bed of tender young carrots in Farmer Brown's garden, and invite him to
go there with me to-morrow morning at sun-up," said Reddy Fox.
Away raced the Merry Little Breezes to find Peter Rabbit and give him
the invitation of Reddy Fox. Pretty soon back they came to tell Reddy
that Peter Rabbit would be delighted to meet Reddy on the edge of the
Old Briar-patch at sun-up the next morning, and go with him to get some
tender young carrots.
Reddy smiled to himself, for now he was sure that he would get Peter
Rabbit for Granny's breakfast.
Early the next morning, just before sun-up, Reddy Fox started down
the Lone Little Path and hurried across the Green Meadows to the Old
Briar-patch. Reddy was dressed in his very best suit of clothes, and
very smart and handsome he looked. When he reached the Old Briar-patch
he could see nothing of Peter Rabbit. He waited and waited and waited,
but still Peter Rabbit did not come. Finally he gave it up and decided
that he would go over and have a look at the young carrots in Farmer
Brown's garden. When he got there, what do you think he saw? Why,
all around that bed of tender young carrots were footprints, and the
footprints were Peter Rabbit's!
Reddy Fox ground his teeth and snarled wickedly, for he knew then that
instead of fooling Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit had fooled him. Just then
up came one of the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind.
"Good morning, Reddy Fox," said the Merry Little Breeze.
"Good morning," replied Reddy Fox, and if you could have seen him
and heard him, you would never have suspected how ill-tempered he was
feeling.
"Peter Rabbit asked me to come and tell you that he is very sorry that
he could not meet you at the Briar-patch this morning, but that he grew
so hungry thinking of those tender young carrots that he just had to
come and get some before sun-up, and he is very much obliged to you for
telling him about them. He says they are the finest young carrots that
he has ever tasted," said the Merry Little Breeze.
The heart of Reddy Fox was filled with rage, but he did not let the
Merry Little Breeze know it. He just smiled and sent the Merry Little
Breeze back to Peter Rabbit to tell him how glad he was that Peter
enjoyed the carrots, and to invite Peter to meet him the next morning on
the edge of the Old Briar-patch at sun-up, to go with him to a patch of
sweet clover which he had just found near the old hickory-tree.
The Merry Little Breeze danced off with the message. Pretty soon he
was back to say that Peter Rabbit would be delighted to go to the sweet
clover patch the next morning.
Reddy grinned as he trudged off home. "I'll just be at the clover patch
an hour before sun-up to-morrow morning, and then we'll see!" he said to
himself.