not so stupid. I know better than to take a nap in broad daylight
right under the very nose of Farmer Brown's boy." Reddy grinned in
the most impudent way as he said this.

Granny's eyes snapped. Then things happened. Reddy was cuffed this
way and cuffed that way and cuffed the other way until it seemed to
him that the air was full of black paws, every one of which landed
on his head or face with a sting that made him whimper and put his
tail between his legs, and finally howl.

"There!" cried Granny, when at last she had to stop because she was
quite out of breath. "Perhaps that will teach you to be respectful
to your elders. I was careless and stupid, and I am perfectly ready
to admit it, because it has taught me a lesson. Wisdom often is
gained through mistakes, but never when one is not willing to admit
the mistakes. No Fox lives long who makes the same mistake twice.
And those who are impudent to their elders come to no good end.
I've got a fat goose hidden away for dinner, but you will get none
of it."

"I -- I wish I'd never heard of Granny's mistake," whined Reddy to
himself as he crept dinnerless to bed.

"You ought to wish that you hadn't been impudent," whispered a small
voice down inside him.



CHAPTER XI: After The Storm