Farmer Brown's boy gave the little sliding door a hasty push, picked
up his basket of eggs, locked the henhouse door and hurried out through
the gate without stopping to close it. You see, he was in a hurry
to find out what Bowser was making such a fuss about. Bowser was
yelping and whining and tugging at his chain, and it was plain to
see that he was terribly eager to be set free.

"What is it, Bowser, old boy? Did you see something?" asked Farmer
Brown's boy as he patted Bowser on the head. "I can't let you go,
you know, because you probably would go off hunting all night and
come home in the morning all tired out and with sore feet. Whatever
it was, I guess you've scared it out of a year's growth, old fellow,
so we'll let it go at that."

Bowser still tugged at his chain and whined, but after a little he
quieted down. His master looked around behind the barn to see if he
could see what had so stirred up Bowser, but nothing was to be seen,
and he returned, patted Bowser once more, and went into the house,
never once giving that open henyard gate another thought.

Half an hour later old Granny Fox joined Reddy Fox, who was waiting on
the doorstep of their home. "It is all right, Reddy; that gate is
open," said she.

"How did you do it, Granny?" asked Reddy eagerly.

"Easily enough," replied Granny. "I let Bowser get a glimpse of me
just as his master was locking up the henhouse. Bowser made a great
fuss, and of course, Farmer Brown's boy hurried out to see what it