making. For just a wee minute he stared, and then, what do you think
he did? Why, he gave a frightened yelp, put his tail between his legs,
and ran just as fast as he could make his legs go. Yes, Sir, that's
just what Reddy Fox did.

[Illustration: Reddy wouldn't have believed that it was alive.
_Page 69._]




XIII

REDDY FOX IS VERY MISERABLE


When Reddy Fox put his tail between his legs and started away from
that terrible creature coming down the hill where Prickly Porky lives,
he thought of nothing but of getting as far away as he could in the
shortest time that he could, and so, with a little frightened yelp
with every jump, he ran as he seldom had run before. He forgot all
about Unc' Billy Possum watching from the safety of a big pine-tree.
He didn't see Jimmy Skunk poking his head out from behind an old stump
and laughing fit to kill himself. When he reached the edge of the
Green Forest, he didn't even see Peter Rabbit jump out of his path
and dodge into a hollow log.

When Reddy was safely past, Peter came out. He sat up very straight,
with his ears pointing right up to the sky and his eyes wide open with
surprise as he stared after Reddy. "Why! Why, my gracious, I do