that is very fast indeed. It made Bowser the Hound seem very
slow, as, with his nose to the ground, he came racing after
Reddy, making a tremendous noise with his great voice.

Now Reddy Fox had grown as careless as he had grown bold. Instead
of looking sharply ahead, he looked this way and that way to see
who was watching and admiring him. So he took no note of where he
was going and started straight for the old tree trunk on which
Drummer the Woodpecker was pounding out his warning of danger.

Now Reddy Fox has sharp eyes and very quick ears. My, my, indeed
he has! But just now Reddy was as deaf as if he had cotton
stuffed in his ears. He was chuckling to himself to think how he
was going to fool Bowser the Hound and how smart everyone would
think him, when all of a sudden, he heard the
rat-a-tat-tata-tat-tat of Drummer the Woodpecker and knew that
that meant "Danger!"

For just a wee little second it seemed to Reddy Fox that his
heart stopped beating. He couldn't stop running, for he had let
Bowser the Hound get too close for that. Reddy's sharp eyes saw
Drummer the Woodpecker near the top of the old tree trunk and
noticed that Drummer seemed to be looking at something down
below. Reddy Fox gave one quick look at the foot of the old tree
trunk and saw a gun pointed at him and behind the gun the
freckled face of Farmer Brown's boy. Reddy Fox gave a little gasp
of fright and turned so suddenly that he almost fell flat. Then
he began to run as never in his life had he run before. It seemed
as though his flying feet hardly touched the grass. His eyes were
popping out with fright as with every jump he tried to run just a