_They_ knew what to do when their mother led Tommy Fox away. Each of
them found a safe hiding-place. Some of them burrowed beneath the
fallen leaves; some of them hid behind old stumps; some of them crept
into a hollow log. And try as he would, Tommy Fox was unable to find
so much as one downy feather.

He was so disappointed--and so ashamed--that he went home and stayed
there. But he had learned something. Yes! Tommy Fox knew that if he
ever met old Mother Grouse and her family again he would catch her
children first. Afterward he would try to capture the sly old lady
herself. But he didn't believe, just then, that he would ever be able
to catch her. You see, Tommy realized that he wasn't quite so clever
as he had thought.




V

TOMMY FOX IS HUNGRY


Tommy Fox kept a sharp look-out to see what he could capture to eat.
But he could discover nothing at all. To be sure, there were birds in
the trees, and birds' nests too, and Tommy was very fond of birds'
eggs. But he couldn't climb trees. The birds were out of his reach;
and so were the squirrels. He saw plenty of red squirrels, and gray
squirrels, and little striped chipmunks. They looked down from the
branches and chattered and scolded at him. They were perfectly safe,
and they knew it.