I may tell you that my mother soon got over the loss of my brother, for
just about that time she had four new little ones, after which neither
she nor my father seemed to think any more about us. My sister and
I hated those little ones. We two alone remembered my brother, and
sometimes wondered whether he was quite gone or would one day come back.
The fox, I am glad to say, got caught in a trap. At least I am not glad
now--I was glad because, you see, I was so much afraid of her.



THE SHOOTING

I was quite close by one morning when the fox, who was smelling about
after me, I suppose because it had liked my brother so much, got caught
in the big trap which was covered over artfully with earth and baited
with some stuff which stank horribly. I remember it looked very like my
own hind-legs. The fox, not being able to find me, went to this filth
and tried to eat it.

Then suddenly there was a dreadful fuss. The fox yelped and flew into
the air. I saw that a great black thing was fast on its forepaw. How
that fox did jump and roll! It was quite wonderful to see her. She
looked like a great yellow ball, except for a lot of white marks about
the head, which were her teeth. But the trap would not come away,
because it was tied to a root with a chain.

At last the fox grew tired and, lying down, began to think, licking its
paw as it thought and making a kind of moaning noise. Next it commenced
gnawing at the root after trying the chain and finding that its teeth
would not go into it. While it was doing this I heard the sound of a man