For a few seconds she stared at Farmer Brown's boy, too frightened
to move or even think. Then she began to wonder why that dreadful
gun didn't go off. What was Farmer Brown's boy waiting for? She got
to her feet. She was sure that the first step would be her last,
yet she couldn't stay there.

How could Fanner Brown's boy do such a dreadful thing? Somehow, his
freckled face didn't look cruel. He was even beginning to grin.
That must be because he had caught her napping and knew that this
time she couldn't possibly get away from him as she had so many
times before. "Oh!" sobbed Old Granny Fox under her breath.

And right at that very instant Farmer Brown's boy did something.
What do you think it was? No, he didn't shoot her. He didn't fire
his dreadful gun. What do you think he did do? Why, he threw a
snowball at Old Granny Fox and shouted "Boo!" That is what he did
and all he did, except to laugh as Granny gave a great leap and then
made those black legs of hers fly as never before.

Every instant Granny expected to hear that dreadful gun, and it
seemed as if her heart would burst with fright as she ran, thinking
each jump would be the last one. But the dreadful gun didn't bang,
and after a little, when she felt she was safe, she turned to look
back over her shoulder. Farmer Brown's boy was standing right where
she had last seen him, and he was laughing harder than ever.
Yes, Sir, he was laughing, and though Old Granny Fox didn't think so
at the time, his laugh was good to hear, for it was good-natured and
merry and all that an honest laugh should be.