Old Granny Fox Part 9

"I believe I'll have a sun-bath," said p.r.i.c.kly Porky, and lazily walked toward the edge of the Green Forest in search of a place where the sun lay warm and bright.

Now p.r.i.c.kly Porky's stomach was very, very full. He was fat and naturally lazy, so when he came to the doorstep of an old house just on the edge of the Green Forest he sat down to rest. It was sunny and warm there, and the longer he sat the less like moving he felt. He looked about him with his dull eyes and grunted to himself.

"It's a deserted house. n.o.body lives here, and I guess n.o.body'll care if I take a nap right here on the doorstep," said p.r.i.c.kly Porky to himself.

"And I don't care if they do," he added, for p.r.i.c.kly Porky the Porcupine was afraid of n.o.body and nothing.

So p.r.i.c.kly Porky made himself as comfortable as possible, yawned once or twice, tried to wink at jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, who was winking and smiling down at him and then fell fast asleep right on the doorstep of the old house.

Now the old house had been deserted. No one had lived in it for a long, long time, a very long time indeed. But it happened that, the night before, old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox had had to move out of their nice home on the edge of the Green Meadows because Farmer Brown's boy had found it. Reddy was very stiff and sore, for he had been shot by a hunter. He was so sore he could hardly walk, and could not go very far.

So old Granny Fox had led him to the old deserted house and put him to bed in that.

"No one will think of looking for us here, for every one knows that no one lives here," said old Granny Fox, as she made Reddy as comfortable as possible.

As soon as it was daylight, Granny Fox slipped out to watch for Farmer Brown's boy, for she felt sure that he would come back to the house they had left, and sure enough he did. He brought a spade and dug the house open, and all the time old Granny Fox was watching him from behind a fence corner and laughing to think that she had been smart enough to move in the night.

But Reddy Fox didn't know anything about this. He was so tired that he slept and slept and slept. It was the middle of the morning when finally he awoke. He yawned and stretched, and when he stretched he groaned because he was so stiff and sore. Then he hobbled up toward the doorway to see if old Granny Fox had left any breakfast outside for him.

It was dark, very dark. Reddy was puzzled. Could it be that he had gotten up before daylight--that he hadn't slept as long as he thought?

Perhaps he had slept the whole day through, and it was night again. My, how hungry he was!

"I hope Granny has caught a fine, fat chicken for me," thought Reddy, and his mouth watered.

Just then he ran b.u.mp into something. "Wow!" screamed Reddy Fox, and clapped both hands to his nose. Something was sticking into it. It was one of the sharp little spears that p.r.i.c.kly Porky hides in his coat.

Reddy Fox knew then why the old house was so dark. p.r.i.c.kly Porky was blocking up the doorway.

CHAPTER XXVIII: p.r.i.c.kly Porky Enjoys Himself

A boasting tongue, as sure as fate, Will trip its owner soon or late.

--Old Granny Fox.

p.r.i.c.kly Porky the Porcupine was enjoying himself. There was no doubt about that. He was stretched across the doorway of that old house, the very house in which old Granny Fox had been born. When he had lain down on the doorstep for a nap and sun-bath, he had thought that the old house was still deserted. Then he had fallen asleep, only to be wakened by Reddy Fox, who bad been asleep in the old house and who couldn't get out because p.r.i.c.kly Porky was in the way.

Now p.r.i.c.kly Porky does not love Reddy Fox, and the more Reddy begged and scolded and called him names, the more p.r.i.c.kly Porky chuckled. It was such a good joke to think that he had trapped Reddy Fox, and he made up his mind that he would keep Reddy in there a long time just to tease him and make him uncomfortable. You see p.r.i.c.kly Porky remembered how often Reddy Fox played mean tricks on little meadow and forest folks who are smaller and weaker than himself.

"It will do him good. It certainly will do him good," said p.r.i.c.kly Porky, and rattled the thousand little spears hidden in his long coat, for he knew that the very sound of them would make Reddy Fox shiver with fright.

Suddenly p.r.i.c.kly Porky p.r.i.c.ked up his funny little short ears. He heard the deep voice of Bowser the Hound, and it was coming nearer and nearer.

p.r.i.c.kly Porky chuckled again.

"I guess Mr. Bowser is going to have a surprise; I certainly think he is," said p.r.i.c.kly Porky as he made all the thousand little spears stand out from his long coat till he looked like a funny great chestnut burr.

Bowser the Hound did have a surprise. He was hunting Reddy Fox, and he almost ran into p.r.i.c.kly Porky before he saw him. The very sight of those thousand little spears sent little cold chills chasing each other down Bowser's backbone clear to the tip of his tail, for he remembered how he had gotten some of them in his lips and mouth once upon a time, and how it had hurt to have them pulled out. Ever since then he had had the greatest respect for p.r.i.c.kly Porky.

"Wow!" yelped Bowser the Hound, stopping short. "I beg your pardon, p.r.i.c.kly Porky, I beg your pardon, I didn't know you were taking a nap here."

All the time Bowser the Hound was backing away as fast as he could. Then he turned around, put his tail between his legs and actually ran away.

Slowly p.r.i.c.kly Porky unrolled, and his little eyes twinkled as he watched Bowser the Hound run away.

"Bowser's very big and strong; His voice is deep; his legs are long; His bark scares some almost to death.

But as for me he wastes his breath; I just roll up and shake my spears And Bowser is the one who fears."

So said p.r.i.c.kly Porky, and laughed aloud. Just then he heard a light footstep and turned to see who was coming. It was old Granny Fox. She had seen Bowser run away, and now she was anxious to find out if Reddy Fox were safe.

"Good morning," said Granny Fox, taking care not to come too near.

"Good morning," replied p.r.i.c.kly Porky, hiding a smile.

"I'm very tired and would like to go inside my house; had you just as soon move?" asked Granny Fox.

"Oh!" exclaimed p.r.i.c.kly Porky, "is this your house? I thought you lived over on the Green Meadows."

"I did, but I've moved. Please let me in," replied Granny Fox.

"Certainly, certainly. Don't mind me, Granny Fox. Step right over me,"

said p.r.i.c.kly Porky, and smiled once more, and at the same time rattled his little spears.

Instead of stepping over him, Granny Fox backed away.

CHAPTER XXIX: The New Home In The Old Pasture

Who keeps a watch upon his toes Need never fear he'll b.u.mp his nose.

--Old Granny Fox.

Now there is nothing like being shut in alone in the dark to make one think. A voice inside of Reddy began to whisper to him. "If you hadn't tried to be smart and show off you wouldn't have brought all this trouble on yourself and Old Granny Fox," said the voice.

"I know it," replied Reddy right out loud, forgetting that it was only a small voice inside of him.

"What do you know?" asked p.r.i.c.kly Porky. He was still keeping Reddy in and Granny out and he had overheard what Reddy said.

"It is none of your business!" snapped Reddy.

Reddy could hear p.r.i.c.kly Porky chuckle. Then p.r.i.c.kly Porky repeated as if to himself in a queer cracked voice the following:

"Rudeness never, never pays, Nor is there gain in saucy ways.

It's always best to be polite And ne'er give way to ugly spite.

If that's the way you feel inside You'd better all such feelings hide; For he must smile who hopes to win, And he who loses best will grin."

Reddy pretended that he hadn't heard. p.r.i.c.kly Porky continued to chuckle for a while and finally Reddy fell asleep. When he awoke it was to find that p.r.i.c.kly Porky had left and old Granny Fox had brought him something to eat.

Just as soon as Reddy Fox was able to travel he and Granny had moved to the Old Pasture. The Old Pasture is very different from the Green Meadows or the Green Forest. Yes, indeed, it is very, very different.

Reddy Fox thought so. And Reddy didn't like the change,--not a bit. All about were great rocks, and around and over them grew bushes and young trees and bull-briars with long ugly thorns, and blackberry and raspberry canes that seemed to have a million little hooked hands, reaching to catch in and tear his red coat and to scratch his face and hands. There were little open places where wild-eyed young cattle fed on the short gra.s.s. They had made many little paths all crisscross among the bushes, and when you tried to follow one of these paths you never could tell where you were coming out.

No, Reddy Fox did not like the Old Pasture at all. There was no long, soft green gra.s.s to lie down in. And it was lonesome up there. He missed the little people of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest. There was no one to bully and tease. And it was such a long, long way from Farmer Brown's henyard that old Granny Fox wouldn't even try to bring him a fat hen. At least, that's what she told Reddy.