to tell old Granny Fox about it. He knew just what she would say. It
seemed as if he could hear her sharp voice and the very words:

"Serves you right for boasting about something you don't know anything
about. How many times have I told you that no good comes of boasting?
A wise Fox never goes near strange things until he has found out all
about them. That is the only way to keep out of trouble and live to a
ripe old age. Wisdom is nothing but knowledge, and a wise Fox always
knows what he is doing."

So Reddy wandered about all the long night. It seemed as if it never
would pass, and yet he wished it would last forever. The more he
thought about it, the more afraid he grew. At last he saw the first
beams from jolly, round, red Mr. Sun creeping through the Green
Forest. The time had come, and he must choose between making his boast
good or being called a coward by everybody. Very, very slowly, Reddy
Fox began to walk towards the hill where Prickly Porky lives.




XII

WHAT REDDY FOX SAW AND DID

Who guards his tongue as he would keep
A treasure rich and rare,
Will keep himself from trouble free,
And dodge both fear and care.