was not at home, and she wondered if by any chance he was in trouble.
She hurried through the field to see who it was that Spot was chasing.
And sure enough! pretty soon Mrs. Fox saw Tommy come tearing through
the field, panting hard, with his tongue hanging out, and a most
frightened look upon his face.

[Illustration: Tommy Dashed for the Little Door]

Mrs. Fox hastened to meet him. The dog Spot was then on the other side
of a low hill, and running along with his nose to the ground.

"Jump!" Mrs. Fox said to Tommy, as soon as he joined her.

Tommy remembered, then, what his mother had always told him. So he
gave a long leap to one side.

"Now make a big circle, and jump again. Then go home!" That was all
Mrs. Fox had time to say. She stopped just long enough to see Tommy
dash off; and then she started right in the opposite direction.

The dog Spot saw her and gave a yelp of delight. He did not know what
had been happening. He only thought that now he was going to catch the
fox, which was the stupidest fox he had ever chased, running as it
did, straight away, with never a leap or a circle, or any other sort
of trick to fool him. Little did Spot guess that old Mrs. Fox had not
the slightest idea of being caught. She had been followed by Spot
himself many times; and she knew exactly how to escape him. She just
lingered for a few moments, to make sure that Tommy was safe, and that
Spot was chasing _her_. And then how she did run! In no time at all
she left Spot far behind.