More frequently than not,
Brought on by naught but carelessness;
By some one who forgot.
- Old Granny Fox.

Granny Fox had hoped that those two hens she and Reddy had stolen
from Farmer Brown's henhouse would not be missed, but they were.
They were missed the very first thing the next morning when Farmer
Brown's boy went to feed the biddies. He discovered right away that
the little sliding door which should have closed the opening through
which the hens went in and out of the house was open, and then he
remembered that he had left the henyard gate open the night before.
Carefully Farmer Brown's boy examined the hole with the sliding door.

"Ha!" said he presently, and held up two red hairs which he had found
on the edge of the door. "Ha! I thought as much. I was careless last
night and didn't fasten this door, and I left the gate open. Reddy Fox
has been here, and now I know what has become of those two hens. I
suppose it serves me right for my carelessness, and I suppose if the
truth were known, those hens were of more real good to him than
they ever could have been to me, because the poor fellow must be
having pretty hard work to get a living these hard winter days. Still,
I can't have him stealing any more. That would never do at all. If I
shut them up every night and am not careless, he can't get them. But
accidents will happen, and I might do just as I did last night --
think I had locked up when I hadn't. I don't like to set a trap for
Reddy, but I must teach the rascal a lesson. If I don't, he will get
so bold that those chickens won't be safe even in broad daylight."

Now at just that very time over in their home, Granny and Reddy Fox