muttering to himself. But he never quite dared to be openly
disrespectful to Granny, and this, of course, was quite as it should
have been.

"If only I could catch Granny doing something foolish or careless,"
he would say to himself. But he never could, and he had begun to
think that he never would. But now at last Granny, clever Old
Granny Fox, had been careless! She had allowed Farmer Brown's boy to
catch her napping! Reddy did wish he had been there to see it himself.
But anyway, he had been told about it, and he made up his mind that
the next time Granny said anything sharp to him about his carelessness
he would have something to say back. Yes, Sir, Reddy Fox was
deliberately planning to answer back, which, as you know, is always
disrespectful to one's elders.

At last the chance came. Reddy did a thing no truly wise Fox ever
will do. He went two nights in succession to the same henhouse, and
the second time he barely escaped being shot. Old Granny Fox found
out about it. How she found out Reddy doesn't know to this day, but
find out she did, and she gave him such a scolding as even her sharp
tongue had seldom given him.

"You are the stupidest Fox I ever heard of," scolded Granny.

"I'm no more stupid than you are!" retorted Reddy in the most
impudent way.

"What's that?" demanded Granny. "What's that you said?"

"I said I'm no more stupid than you are, and what is more, I hope I'm