"I'm going in there and catch him, or drive him out where you can
catch him, if I tear my coat all to pieces!" snarled Reddy.

Peter stopped chewing and sat up. "Come right along, Reddy. Come right
along if you want to, but I would advise you to save your skin and
your coat," said he.

Reddy's only reply was a snarl as he pushed his way under the
brambles. He yelped as they tore his coat and scratched his face,
but he kept on. Now Peter's paths were very cunningly made. He had
cut them through the very thickest of the briars just big enough for
himself and Mrs. Peter to hop along comfortably. But Reddy is so
much bigger that he had to force his way through and in places crawl
flat on his stomach, which was very slow work, to say nothing of the
painful scratches from the briars. It was no trouble at all for
Peter to keep out of his way, and before long Reddy gave up.
Without a word Granny Fox led the way to the Green Forest. They
would try to find where Mrs. Grouse was sleeping under the snow.
But though they hunted all night, they failed to find her, for she
wisely had gone to bed in a spruce-tree.



CHAPTER XIII: Granny Fox Admits Growing Old

Who will not admit he is older each day
fools no one but himself.
- Old Granny Fox.