Fido, but didn't he know that Fido was far away? Didn't he know that his
little house was empty? It did not take the fox long, however, to creep
softly past it, and in the morning another little chick was gone!

But a new thought had come to Mamma Goose. If the fox would not go near
old Fido's house, then he could not find the goslings if they hid
inside. It seemed to Mamma Goose the only thing to do, and a very
sensible plan indeed. She would ask all the chickens to come in, too,
and then they would all be safe!

But when she went the next day to her best friends and told them about
her plan, most of them only made fun of her, and all of them turned
their backs on her. No one would listen!

But Mamma Goose was not to be talked out of it. If the others wished to
sit still and let the fox carry them away one at a time, that was one
thing, but for her to do nothing to keep her little goslings safe,--that
was quite another.

So that very evening, when the sun had gone down behind the hill, and
the chickens had perched themselves on the roost with the big cock at
the end, Mamma Goose led all the little goslings into Fido's house.
Every one laughed when she went in, but Mamma Goose had made up her
mind, and she kept straight on as if she had not heard them! But the big
white cock--he did not laugh at her!

So every night Mamma Goose led her babies into Fido's house, and every
morning brought them out again safe and whole. But always a little chick
was missing!