CHAPTER XVII: Granny Fox Promises Reddy Bowser's Dinner

    To give her children what each needs

   To get the most from life he can,

   To work and play and live his best,

   Is wise Old Mother Nature's plan.

     —Old Granny Fox.

Old Granny Fox asked Reddy how he would like to eat a dinner of Bowser the Hound¹'s, Reddy looked at her sharply² to see if she were joking or really meant what she said. Granny looked so sober³ and so much in earnest that Reddy decided⁴ she couldn't be joking, even though it did sound that way.

 

“I certainly would like it, Granny. Yes, indeed, I certainly would like it,” said he. “You—you don't suppose he will give us one, do you?”

 

Granny chuckled⁵. “No, Reddy,” said she. “Bowser isn't so generous as all that, especially to Foxes. He isn't going to give us that dinner; we are going to take it away from him. Yes, Sir, we just naturally are going to take it away from, him.”

 

Reddy didn't for the life of him see how it could be possible to take a dinner away from Bowser the Hound. That seemed to him almost as impossible as it was for him to climb or fly or dive. But he had great faith in Granny's cleverness. He remembered how she had so nearly caught Quacker the Duck. He knew that all the time he had been away trying to find something for them to eat, old Granny Fox had been doing more than just rest her tired old bones. He knew that not for one single minute had her sharp wits been idle. He knew that all that time she had been studying and studying to find some way by which they could get something to eat. So great was his faith in Granny just then that if she had told him she would get him a slice of the moon he would have believed her.

 

“If you say we can take a dinner away from Bowser the Hound, I suppose we can,” said Reddy, “though I don't see how. But if we can, let's do it right away. I'm hungry enough to dare almost anything for the sake of something to put in my stomach. It is so empty that little bit of fish we divided is shaking around as if it were lost. Gracious⁶, I could eat a million fish the size of that one! Have you thought of Fanner Brown's hens, Granny?”

 

“Of course, Reddy! Of course! What a silly question!” replied Granny. “We may have to come to them yet.”

 

“I wish I was at them right now,” interrupted Reddy with a sigh.

 

“But you know what I have told you,” went on Granny. “The surest way of getting into trouble is to steal hens. I'm not feeling quite up to being chased by Bowser the Hound just now, and if we came right home we would give away the secret of where we live and might be smoked out, and that would be the end of us. Besides, those hens will be hard to get this weather, because they will stay in their house, and there is no way for us to get in there unless we walk right in, in broad daylight, and that would never do. It will be a great deal better to take Bowser's dinner away from him. In the first place, if we are careful, no one but Bowser will know about it, and as long as he is chained up, we will have nothing to worry about from him. Besides, we will enjoy getting even with him for the times he has spoiled our chances of catching⁷ a fat chicken and for the way he has hunted us. Most decidedly it will be better and safer to try for Bowser's dinner than to try for one of those hens.”

 

“Just as you say, Granny; just as you say,” returned Reddy. “You know best. But how under the sun we can do it beats me.”

 

“It is very simple,” replied Granny, “very simple indeed. Most things are simple enough when you find out how to do them. Neither of us could do it alone, but together we can do it without the least bit of risk. Listen.”

 

Granny went close to Reddy and whispered to him, although there wasn't a soul within hearing. A slow grin⁸ spread over Reddy's face as he listened. When she had finished, he laughed right out.

 

“Granny, you are a wonder!” he exclaimed admiringly. “I never should have thought of that. Of course we can do it. My, won't Bowser be surprised! And how mad he'll be! Come on, let's be starting!”

 

“All right,” said Granny, and the two started towards Farmer Brown's.

1 hound   

n.猎狗，卑鄙的人；vt.用猎狗追，追逐

参考例句：

• The hound found the trail of the rabbit.猎狗发现了兔子的踪迹。
• The police have promised to hound down those responsible for the explosion.警方已保证要追查此次爆炸事件有责任的人员。

2 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

3 sober   

adj.清醒的，沉着冷静的，稳重的，颜色暗淡的；vt.使清醒，使沉着；vi.清醒，冷静下来

参考例句：

• He talked to us in a sober friendly fashion.他以冷静而又友好的方式同我们交谈。
• The man was still sober when he went home.那人回到家时头脑依然清醒。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

6 gracious   

adj.亲切的，客气的，宽厚的，仁慈的

参考例句：

• She was a very gracious lady.她是一位非常和蔼可亲的女士。
• She was gracious enough to show us round her home.她彬彬有礼地领我们参观了她的家。

7 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

8 grin   

n./vi.露齿而笑，咧嘴一笑

参考例句：

• I know she is joking because she has a big grin on her face.我知道她是在开玩笑。因为她满脸笑容。
• She came out of his office with a big grin on her face.她笑容满面地走出他的办公室。