to go any nearer the thicket unless he knew where that sly old fox
was.

"But," he said to himself, "likely enough Mr. Brushtail is in the
thicket with Mrs. Brushtail and is helping her eat that chicken.
Anyway, it's only a little distance to that tree with a hole in the
base and a lot of prickly vines around it. I'm going to run for it!
The distance is so short that Brushtail would not have time to get me
even if he saw me. I'll get to the tree, and if Brushtail should come
after me I'll run into the hole at the base of the tree. I'll find out
about old Brushy before he knows it. And the first thing they know
they will be going out of these woods in a hurry. But I must be very,
very careful. I should say I must! I must watch every second. My, how
those animals in that thicket do growl! It sounds almost as if they
were quarreling."




BRUSHTAIL THE FOX FINDS SOME PIECES OF CHEESE


Doctor Rabbit was just ready to run to the tree with the prickly vines
around it when he crouched low and sat very still again. He heard
somebody coming through the woods. Pretty soon he saw that it was
Farmer Roe.

The farmer stopped when he got close to the briar patch and muttered
to himself, "Every spring I have to rid these woods of a fox or two. I
guess I'll just put out a little bait for them and see how that will