IV

MOTHER GROUSE'S CHILDREN


The very next day after his first lesson in hunting, when his mother
had brought home the live woodchuck, Tommy Fox went off into the woods
alone. He had made up his mind that he would surprise his mother by
bringing home some nice tidbit for dinner--a rabbit, perhaps, or maybe
a squirrel. He wasn't quite sure _what_ it would be, because you know
when hunting you have to take what you find--if you can catch it.

Tommy Fox hadn't been long in the woods before he had even better luck
than he had expected. He was creeping through a thicket, making no
noise at all, when what should he see but that sly old Mother Grouse,
with all her eleven children! They were very young, were old Mother
Grouse's children; and they hadn't yet learned to fly. And there they
were, all on the ground, with the proud old lady in their midst.

Tommy Fox was so pleased that he almost laughed out loud. He tried to
keep still; but he couldn't help snickering a little. And old Mother
Grouse heard him. She started to fly. But instead of tearing off out
of danger, she lighted on the ground quite near Tommy.

"How stupid of her!" he thought. "I'll just catch the old lady first,
and then get the youngsters afterward. _They_ can't fly away."