THE CLEVERNESS OF OLD MAN COYOTE
Who thinks the quickest and the best
Is bound to win in every test.
_Bowser the Hound._
The meeting of Reddy Fox and Old Man Coyote just outside the gate to
Farmer Brown's henyard had been wholly unexpected to both. Reddy had
been so eager to get inside that gate that when he turned the corner at
the henyard he hadn't looked beyond the gate. If he had looked beyond,
he would have seen Old Man Coyote just coming around the other corner.
As for Old Man Coyote, he had been so surprised at sight of Reddy Fox
that he had growled before he had had time to think. He was sorry the
very instant he did it.
"That certainly was a stupid thing to do," muttered Old Man Coyote to
himself, as he watched Reddy Fox run away in a panic. "I should have
kept out of sight and let him open that gate and go inside first. There
may be traps in there, for all I know. When there's likely to be danger,
always let some one else find it out for you if you can." Old Man Coyote
grinned as he said this.
Reddy Fox sat down at a safe distance to watch what Old Man Coyote
would do. Inside, Reddy was fairly boiling with disappointment and
anger. He felt that he hated Old Man Coyote more than he hated anybody
else he knew of. He hated him, yet there wasn't a thing he could do
about it. He didn't dare fight Old Man Coyote. All he could do was to
sit there at a safe distance and watch.
The gate of the henyard was open two or three inches. For a long time
Old Man Coyote stood looking through that little opening. Once or twice
he thrust his nose out and sniffed cautiously around the gate, but he
took the greatest care not to touch it. Finally he turned and trotted
away towards the Green Forest.
Reddy sat right where he was, so surprised that he couldn't even think.
He waited a long time to see if Old Man Coyote would return, but Old Man
Coyote didn't return, and at last Reddy cautiously crept towards that
unlocked gate. "I do believe that fellow didn't know enough to push that
gate open," muttered Reddy to himself. "I always supposed Old Man Coyote
was smart, but if this is an example of his smartness I'll match my wits
against his any day."
All this time Old Man Coyote was not so far away as Reddy thought. He
had gone only fat enough to make sure that Reddy couldn't see him. Then,
creeping along in the blackest of the Black Shadows, he had returned to
a place where he could watch Reddy.
"It's queer that gate should have been left unlocked," thought Old Man
Coyote. "It may have been an accident, and again it may have been done
purposely. There may not be any danger inside; then again there may. I'm
not going to push that gate open or step inside when there is some one
to do it for me. I'll just leave it for Reddy Fox to do."