Why Bowser The Hound Didn’t Eat His Dinner
The thing you’ve puzzled most about
Is simple once you’ve found it out.
—_Old Granny Fox_.
Bowser The Hound dearly loves to hunt just for the pleasure of the
chase. It isn’t so much the desire to kill as it is the pleasure of
using that wonderful nose of his and the excitement of trying to catch
some one, especially Granny or Reddy Fox. Farmer Brown’s boy had put
away his dreadful gun because he no longer wanted to kill the little
people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows, but rather to make
them his friends. Bowser had missed the exciting hunts he used to enjoy
so much with Farmer Brown’s boy. So Bowser had formed the habit of
slipping away alone for a hunt every once in a while. When Farmer
Brown’s boy discovered this, he got a chain and chained Bowser to his
little house to keep him from running away and hunting on the sly.
Of course Bowser wasn’t kept chained all the time. Oh, my, no! When his
master was about, where he could keep an eye on Bowser, he would let
him go free. But whenever he was going away and didn’t want to take
Bowser with him, he would chain Bowser up. Now Bowser always had one
good big meal a day. To be sure, he had scraps or a bone now and then
besides, but once a day he had one good big meal served to him in a
large tin pan. If he happened to be chained, it was brought out to him.
If not, it was given to him just outside the kitchen door.
Granny Fox knew all about this. Sly old Granny makes it her business to
know the affairs of other people around her because there is no telling
when such knowledge may be of use to her. So Granny had watched Bowser
the Hound when he and his master had no idea at all that she was
anywhere about, and she had found out his ways, the usual hour for his
dinner and just how far that chain would allow him to go. It was such
things which she had stored away in that shrewd old head of hers that
made her so sure she and Reddy could take Bowser’s dinner away from
him. It was just about Bowser’s dinner-time when Granny and Reddy
trotted across the snow-covered fields and crept behind the barn until
they could peep around the corner. No one was in sight, not even
Bowser, who was inside his warm little house at the end of the long
shed back of Farmer Brown’s house. Granny saw that he was chained and a
sly grin crept over her face.
“You stay right here and watch until his dinner is brought out to him,”
said she to Reddy. “As soon as whoever brings it has gone back to the
house you walk right out where Bowser will see you. At the sight of
you, he’ll forget all about his dinner. Sit right down where he can see
you and stay there until you see that I have got that dinner, or until
you hear somebody coming, for you know Bowser will make a great racket.
Then slip around back of the barn and join me back of that shed.”
So Reddy sat down to watch, and Granny left him. By and by Mrs. Brown
came out of the house with a pan full of good things. She put it down
in front of Bowser’s little house and called to him. Then she turned
and hurried back, for it was very cold. Bowser came out of his little
house, yawned and stretched lazily.
It was time for Reddy to do his part. Out he walked and sat down right
in front of Bowser and grinned at him. Bowser stared for a minute as if
he doubted his own eyes. Such impudence! Bowser growled. Then with a
yelp he sprang towards Reddy.
Now the chain that held him was long, but Reddy had taken care not to
get too near, and of course Bowser couldn’t reach him. He tugged with
all his might and yelped and barked frantically, but Reddy just sat
there and grinned in the most provoking manner. It was great fun to
tease Bowser this way.
Meanwhile old Granny Fox had stolen out from around the corner of the
shed behind Bowser. Getting hold of the edge of the pan with her teeth
she pulled it back with her around the corner and out of sight. If she
made any noise, Bowser didn’t hear it. He was making too much noise
himself and was too excited. Presently Reddy heard the sound of an
opening door. Mrs. Brown was coming to see what all the fuss was about.
Like a flash Reddy darted behind the barn, and all Mrs. Brown saw was
Bowser tugging at his chain as he whined and yelped excitedly.
“I guess he must have seen a stray cat or something,” said Mrs. Brown
and went back in the house. Bowser continued to whine and tug at his
chain for a few minutes. Then he gave it up and, growling deep in his
throat, turned to eat his dinner. But there wasn’t any dinner! It had
disappeared, pan and all! Bowser couldn’t understand it at all.
Back of the shed Granny and Reddy Fox licked that pan clean; licked it
until it was polished. Then, with little sighs of satisfaction, and
every once in a while a chuckle, they trotted happily home.