Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting
When you’re in doubt what course is right,
The thing to do is just sit tight.
—_Old Granny Fox_.
Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily
climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures
trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.
They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just
where they were going. They had. You see they were Granny and Reddy
Fox, and they were bound for the Big River at the place where the water
ran too swiftly to freeze. The day before Reddy had discovered Quacker
the Wild Duck swimming about there, and now they were on their way to
try to catch him.
Granny led the way and Reddy meekly followed her. To tell the truth,
Reddy hadn’t the least idea that they would have a chance to catch
Quacker, because Quacker kept out in the water where he was as safe
from them as if they were a thousand miles away. The only reason that
Reddy had willingly started with Granny was the hope that he might find
a dead fish washed up on the shore as he had the day before.
“Granny certainly is growing foolish in her old age,” thought Reddy, as
he trotted along behind her. “I told her that Quacker never once came
ashore all the time I watched yesterday. I don’t believe he _ever_
comes ashore, and if she knows anything at all she ought to know that
she can’t catch him out there in the water. Granny used to be smart
enough when she was young, I guess, but she certainly is losing her
mind now. It’s a pity, a great pity. I can just imagine how Quacker
will laugh at her. I have to laugh myself.”
He did laugh, but you may be sure he took great pains that Granny
should not see him laughing. Whenever she looked around he was as sober
as could be. In fact, he appeared to be quite as eager as if he felt
sure they would catch Quacker. Now old Granny Fox is very wise in the
ways of the Great World, and if Reddy could have known what was going
on in her mind as she led the way to the Big River, he might not have
felt quite so sure of his own smartness. Granny was doing some quiet
laughing herself.
“He thinks I’m old and foolish and don’t know what I’m about, the young
scamp!” thought she. “He thinks he has learned all there is to learn.
It isn’t the least use in the world to try to tell him anything. When
young folks feel the way he does, it is a waste of time to talk to
them. He has got to be shown. There is nothing like experience to take
the conceit out of these youngsters.”
Now conceit is the feeling that you know more than any one else.
Perhaps you do. Then again, perhaps you don’t. So sometimes it is best
not to be too sure of your own opinion. Reddy was sure. He trotted
along behind old Granny Fox and planned smart things to say to her when
she found that there wasn’t a chance to catch Quacker the Duck. I am
afraid, very much afraid, that Reddy was planning to be saucy. People
who think themselves smart are quite apt to be saucy.
Presently they came to the bank of the Big River. Old Granny Fox told
Reddy to sit still while she crept up behind some bushes where she
could peek out over the Big River. He grinned as he watched her. He was
still grinning when she tiptoed back. He expected to see her face long
with disappointment. Instead she looked very much pleased.
“Quacker is there,” said she, “and I think he will make us a very good
dinner. Creep up behind those bushes and see for yourself, then come
back here and tell me what you think we’d better do to get him.”
So Reddy stole up behind the bushes, and this time it was Granny who
grinned as she watched. As he crept along, Reddy wondered if it could
be that for once Quacker had come ashore. Granny seemed so sure they
could catch him that this must be the case. But when he peeped through
the bushes, there was Quacker way out in the middle of the open water
just where he had been the day before.