his twists and turns. And he saw something else, did Ol' Mistah
Buzzard. It looked to him very much like the barrel of a gun
sticking out from behind an old tree just ahead of Reddy.

"Ah reckon it's just like Ah said: Reddy Fox is gwine to meet
trouble right smart soon," muttered Ol' Mistah Buzzard.



VI. Drummer the Woodpecker Drums in Vain

Once upon a time, before he had grown to think himself so very,
very smart, Reddy Fox would never, never have thought of running
without watching out in every direction. He would have seen that
thing that looked like the barrel of a gun sticking out from
behind the old tree toward which he was running, and he would
have been very suspicious, very suspicious indeed. But now all
Reddy could think of was what a splendid chance he had to show
all the little meadow and forest people what a bold, smart fellow
he was.

So once more Reddy sat down and waited until Bowser the Hound was
almost up to him. Just then Drummer the Woodpecker began to make
a tremendous noise--rat-a-tat-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat-tat,
rat-a-tat-tat-tat! Now everybody who heard that rat-a-tat-tat-tat
knew that it was a danger signal. Drummer the Woodpecker never
drums just that way for pleasure. But Reddy Fox paid no attention
to it. He didn't notice it at all. You see, he was so full of the
idea of his own smartness that he didn't have room for anything
else.