now and then besides, but once a day he had one good big meal served
to him in a large tin pan. If he happened to be chained, it was
brought out to him. If not, it was given to him just outside the
kitchen door.

Granny Fox knew all about this. Sly old Granny makes it her
business to know the affairs of other people around her because
there is no telling when such knowledge may be of use to her.
So Granny had watched Bowser the Hound when he and his master had no
idea at all that she was anywhere about, and she had found out his
ways, the usual hour for his dinner and just how far that chain
would allow him to go. It was such things which she had stored away
in that shrewd old head of hers that made her so sure she and Reddy
could take Bowser's dinner away from him. It was just about
Bowser's dinner-time when Granny and Reddy trotted across the
snow-covered fields and crept behind the barn until they could peep
around the corner. No one was in sight, not even Bowser, who was
inside his warm little house at the end of the long shed back of
Farmer Brown's house. Granny saw that he was chained and a sly grin
crept over her face.

"You stay right here and watch until his dinner is brought out to him,"
said she to Reddy. "As soon as whoever brings it has gone back to
the house you walk right out where Bowser will see you. At the
sight of you, he'll forget all about his dinner. Sit right down
where he can see you and stay there until you see that I have got
that dinner, or until you hear somebody coming, for you know Bowser
will make a great racket. Then slip around back of the barn and
join me back of that shed."