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were calling each other names。 They stopped when they saw Peter Rabbit。
〃Peter Rabbit runs away From his shadder； so they say。 Peter； Peter；
what a sight！ Tell us why this sudden fright；〃
shouted Bobby Coon。
Peter Rabbit stopped short。 Indeed； he stopped so short that he almost
turned a somersault。 〃Say；〃 he panted； 〃I've just seen Farmer Brown's
boy。〃
〃You don't say so！〃 said Jimmy Skunk； pretending to be very much
surprised。 〃You don't say so！ Why； now I think of it； I believe I've seen
Farmer Brown's boy a few times myself。〃
Peter Rabbit made a good…natured face at Jimmy Skunk； and then he
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told all about how he had seen Farmer Brown's boy with gun and spade
and Bowser the Hound going down the Lone Little Path。 〃You know there
isn't any garden down that way；〃 he concluded。
Bobby Coon's face wore a sober look。 Yes； Sir； all the fun was gone
from Bobby Coon's face。
〃What's the matter？〃 asked Jimmy Skunk。
〃I was just thinking that Reddy Fox lives over in that direction and he
is so stiff that he cannot run；〃 replied Bobby Coon。
Jimmy Skunk hitched up his trousers and started toward the Lone
Little Path。 〃Come on！〃 said he。 〃Let's follow him and see what he is
about。〃
Bobby Coon followed at once； but Peter Rabbit said he would hurry
over and get Johnny Chuck and then join the others。
All this time Farmer Brown's boy had been hurrying down the Lone
Little Path to the home old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox had moved out of
the night before。 Of course； he didn't know that they had moved。 He put
down his gun； and by the time Jimmy Skunk and Bobby Coon and Peter
Rabbit and Johnny Chuck reached a place where they could peep out and
see what was going on； he had dug a great hole。
〃Oh！〃 cried Peter Rabbit； 〃he's digging into the house of Reddy Fox；
and he'll catch poor Reddy！〃
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THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX
XXVI。 Farmer Brown's Boy Works
for Nothing
The grass around the doorstep of the house where Reddy Fox had
always lived was all wet with dew when Farmer Brown's boy laid his gun
down； took off his coat； rolled up his shirt sleeves； and picked up his spade。
It was cool and beautiful there on the edge of the Green Meadows。 Jolly；
round； red Mr。 Sun had just begun his long climb up in the blue； blue sky。
Mr。 Redwing was singing for joy over in the bulrushes on the edge of the
Smiling Pool。 Yes； it was very beautiful； very beautiful indeed。 It didn't
seem as if harm could come to anyone on such a beautiful morning。
But there was Farmer Brown's boy。 He had crawled on his hands and
knees without making a sound to get near enough to the home of Reddy
Fox to shoot if Reddy was outside。 But there was no sign of Reddy； so
Farmer Brown's boy had hopped up； and now he was whistling as he
began to dig。 His freckled face looked good…natured。 It didn't seem as if he
could mean harm to anyone。
But there lay the gun； and he was working as if he meant to get to the
very bottom of Reddy Fox's home！
Deeper and deeper grew the hole； and bigger and bigger grew the pile
of sand which he threw out。 He didn't know that anyone was watching him；
except Bowser the Hound。 He didn't see Johnny Chuck peeping from
behind a tall bunch of meadow grass； or Peter Rabbit peeping from behind
a tree on the edge of the Green Forest； or Bobby Coon looking from a safe
hiding place in the top of that same tree。 He didn't see Jimmy Skunk or
Unc' Billy Possum or Happy Jack Squirrel or Digger the Badger。 He didn't
see one of them； but they saw him。 They saw every shovelful of sand that
he threw； and their hearts went pit…a…pat as they watched； for each one felt
sure that something dreadful was going to happen to Reddy Fox。
Only Ol' Mistah Buzzard knew better。 From way up high in the blue；
blue sky he could look down and see many things。 He could see all the
little meadow and forest people who were watching Farmer Brown's boy。
The harder Farmer Brown's boy worked； the more Ol' Mistah Buzzard
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THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX
chuckled to himself。 What was he laughing at？ Why； he could see the
sharp face of old Granny Fox； peeping out from behind an old fence
corner； and she was grinning。 So Ol' Mistah Buzzard knew Reddy Fox was
safe。
But the other little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows
didn't know that old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox had moved； and their
faces grew longer and longer as they watched Farmer Brown's boy go
deeper and deeper into the ground。
〃Reddy Fox has worried me almost to death and would eat me if he
could catch me； but somehow things wouldn't be quite the same without
him around。 Oh dear； I don't want him killed；〃 moaned Peter Rabbit。
〃Perhaps he isn't home；〃 said Jimmy Skunk。
〃Of course he's home； he's so stiff and sore he can hardly walk at all
and has to stay home；〃 replied Johnny Chuck。 〃Hello； what's the matter
now？〃
Everybody looked。 Farmer Brown's boy had climbed out of the
hole。 He looked tired and cross。 He rested for a few minutes； and as he
rested； he scowled。 Then he began to shovel the sand back into the hole。
He had reached the bottom and found no one there。
〃Hurrah！〃 shouted Peter Rabbit and struck his heels together as he
jumped up in the air。
And the others were just as glad as Peter Rabbit。 Johnny Chuck was
especially glad； for； you see； Farmer Brown's boy had once found Johnny's
snug home； and Johnny had had to move as suddenly as did Granny and
Reddy Fox。 Johnny knew just how Reddy must feel； for he had had many
narrow escapes in his short life。 You can read all about them in the next
book； The Adventures of Johnny Chuck。
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